So What Can You Take from Your Hotel Room

The next time you stay in a hotel, you’ll know what you can actually bring home and what should be left behind. As a general guide, if the hotel’s going to be throwing them away after you check out, you should be able to bring them home with you.

Some hotels have fanciful turndown service such as offering chocolates, a postcard, a bookmark with a quote on them or just a cute little plushie to accompany you while you sleep. These are for you to consume or bring home with you. I really couldn’t imagine the hotel recycling the plushie with some other guest after you have hugged it to sleep and may have drooled on them in your sleep. So yes. You can safely bring home the cute plushies. We particularly like the cute signature teddies from Conrad Hotels around the world.

Bedroom slippers. Well most of the time, these are provided free-of-charge to guests. You can never be too sure how clean the floor is. I suspect I may be a little OCD, so I always wear footwear in the hotel room. And these disposable bedroom slippers come in handy. Save these slippers for your flight back home. That has always been a useful travel hack for me, especially those mid to long haul flights.

But be warned, I’ve stayed in a hotel in Halong Bay that charged me for these slippers. Check out the tariff charges of items in the room if there is one in the room, or be in for a shock when you check out.

Okay! The toiletries provided by the hotel usually don’t come in nice boxes like these above. But you get the drift. Can you take these home with you when you check out? Technically you could. Many hotels do not refill these bottles and they are usually tossed away. And these are usually not very environmentally friendly with that wastage. So yes, bring your own toiletries with you so you can do your part and save the earth. But sometimes taking the toiletries with you home help you get a second opinion about them before purchasing them on your own. I was first introduced to Le Labo Rose toiletries which I stayed a Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi. These standard toiletries for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts around the world have become one of my favourites.

Toiletries are the most popular item that go missing. Don’t go overboard and take home the towels. Leave those so that other guests can use them. Some hotels sell these towels or bathrobes if you fancy bringing them back.

Hotels provide guests who forget to bring essentials such as toothbrush and toothpaste, combs or even shavers. If you do forget to bring any of these, feel free to use what is provided. You can take home the toothbrush and reuse them or to clean those hard to reach places at home.

Another item that gets taken home are hotel stationery including pens and notepads. Sometimes these come in handy when you are travelling. You always need a pen to fill in those immigration forms while notepads are good for scribbling notes. Take only what you need. It doesn’t have to be excessive.

Share with us what you like to take when you are travelling in the comments below.