There’s just something about when you’re staying at a hotel that makes you wish to bring certain things back home with you , whether it’s the alluring signature scent wafting about the lobby or the fluffy robe waiting in the closet. That goes for the handy miniature toiletries, too.
Growing up, it was a running joke in my family that my grandmother loved taking home all of the travel-sized toiletries from her hotel rooms—and she was constantly traveling, which made for quite the collection of tiny shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and shower caps. (At her most favorite hotels of all, she might have even asked for a couple extras from the housekeeping cart.) She would stock them in her own guest rooms, or bring them along on other trips.
Which leads me to a question that probably pops up in everyone’s mind when staying at a hotel: Is it okay to take these hotel room items home, or is it considered impolite? Or worse, stealing?
Should You Take Hotel Toiletries Home With You?
In short, it is fine to bring these in-room tiny toiletries home, as they’re allotted for your stay in the room that you paid for. This includes shower products, hygiene items, and body care products. In addition, it is acceptable to bring home things that won’t be reused, such as slippers.
If the hotel uses larger reusable bottles of shower products, those are not available for taking. Moreover, taking extra minis from the housekeeping cart is typically frowned upon unless you really need them during your stay—sorry, grandma!
What Hotel Room Items You Cannot Take Home
There is a lengthier list of things you cannot take.
Towels
According to a hotel employee poll, towels are the most frequently stolen item from hotel rooms. Leave those wash cloths and hand towels behind.
Hair Dryer and Steamer
The appliances provided in your room such as hair dryers and steamers are other oft-stolen items, sometimes out of forgetfulness from those who mistake them for their own.
Bedding
Sheets, pillow cases, pillows, and other bedding-related items aren’t for the taking, folks.
Robes
Well, technically you can, but you’ll likely be charged for it. So many people love a fluffy hotel robe that they’re tempted to stuff it in the suitcase, and over time it happened so often that it became an industry standard to charge for missing hotel robes. (Personally, I adore them so much that I invested in Hill House’s “The Hotel Robe,” and it mimics the effect perfectly.)
Now, on a trip to somewhere new or when revisiting my favorite hotels , my must-have souvenir sometimes is just the fancy mini shampoo bottle, if only to make my grandma proud. It even brings me back to some of my beloved travel memories, with just a toss into my toiletry bag.
Read the original article on Southern Living
