Yep! I don't travel a lot but especially if I'm paying over $200/night, I take them. Not the towels or anything screwed down LOL.

Once, I was particularly PO'd about being sent to San Juan to work at the last minute right before Christmas (travel was a possibility with my job but not the norm - that was the only time they sent me anywhere). Like Hayjud, I wiped out everything everyday so they would replace it. I was there for two weeks! I eventually used it all too except I still have tiny liquor bottle or two. I left a good tip for housekeeping so hopefully they didn't think it was because I was cheap! I didn't pay for the room but my company was paying quite a bit.

We always take the soaps/shampoos/lotions! I just figure we have paid for it, and it will get thrown away if we don't take them. I keep them for guests to use.

Aren't you suppose to?????

Many years ago, DH worked on the road, and one summer, the kids and I went with him for a couple of weeks. It was great fun. I don't remember now what it was all about...I am thinking one of the kids were sick?...but we did took 2 of the pool towels with us. They were pretty tacky ones...and I remember telling the kids this wasn't right.

When I got home from a trip a few years ago, I discovered a small handtowel from Brussels! The only thing I can think of was that I had rinsed out some under things, hung them on the towel on the rack, and just grabbed the whole thing. I read somewhere that you should have no compunction about taking the soaps, lotions, etc. as the companies have paid for them as advertising.

Yes I take them....and I buy the scrunchies from the dollar store, open them up and make little baggies out of them and I fill them with the soaps and shampoos and give them to the nursing home for gifts or for bingo prizes..I also have a basket full in my guest bathroom for people who visit...I also save all the stuff that the dental girl gives us when we have out teeth cleaned and use those things in the guest bath and in the gift bags...

Nope. I bring my own.

That's a great idea Ruthie! Wish I had thought of that when I was home and we had company all the time.

i haven't stayed in a motel in awhile...but when I did...I took them and would put them in my garage sale or make up a nice basket for the guest room.....people loved them...the left overs went to the womens shelter.

I have NEVER take a towel...

So what's your feeling Ms. Hotel Manager? should we take them or not?...

Tell us some of your stories...I bet you have some doozies of things people have taken...

I use up the soap/shampoo given in the room and never take leftovers home.

I also take them for guest room use.
I would NEVER take a towel, or even an ashtray (back in the days when smoking was allowed). That's theft.
I've heard stories from hotel managers about the most amazing things people steal...like bedspreads, lamps and shower curtains. There's a reason why the TV, radio and maybe even the lamps are bolted down...thieves who think that anything in the room is fair game.

LOL lizga.....I have some stories that would curl your toes!! My feelings on the soap and shampoo thing is....when I stay I take them with me....not the extra coffee and stuff but the soap and shampoo. You all are right about the USED ones being throwed away. But the unopened ones stay for the next guest! You wanna know the dirtiest thing in the hotel room? Maybe that should be a new thread.

LOL
Marla(Ms hotel manager)

If I've used out of them I either throw them away or stick the rest in my suitcase for camping, etc. Never have taken a towel, or anything else.

This thread reminds me of my recent trip to Las Vegas. We were staying in a beautiful room at Paris hotel. Nice shampoo, conditioner, bath gel, soap, lotion. The afternoon before we were going home, I noticed that the maid had left more conditioner and lotion, but no more shampoo. (I was using a whole "bottle" of shampoo each time.) I knew I'd be washing my hair that evening and again in the morning and wouldn't have enough, so I called housekeeping and asked them to send up some more shampoo. When I returned to the room later I found this on the bathroom counter:

{{gwi:1559396}}

What a haul!! I took some of them home, but I didn't have room for it all.

I always take the shampoo, but nothing else.

A haul like that in a small town like this would cause the housekeeper to get reprimanded. Of course maybe where the rate is over a hundred a night they can afford to give out the stuff in bulk! Around here every penny counts. We only have 45 rooms, and this is a smallllll town. Our rates are anywhere from 60-125.

Yes I do..I take my own to use but take the others home and give them to the kids.....when we stayed for a week in the Renanisce (sp) Hotel in tulsa for a week for spring break (the kids and I) We made a haul they used something I could not even find on line...I asked could I buy some and they gave me a haul also...but Lady in Red..you know those rooms are over a hundred a night there.....Now I did have to make sure none of the kids took off with the nice robes.....LOL would have loved one myself....Stacy

Never took a towel but took the bathrobe once.
Never liked the soaps but have liked the gels and shampoos.
Took those I had used.

Taking towels, washcloths,bathrobes, coffepots, remotes, the batteries from the remotes(happens all the time) is theft. No simpler way put. You didnt pay for those things, you paid to use them for one night. Theft is one of the major reasons that Hotel prices continue to climb.

never ever use that 'stuff' now if they gave away Philosophy travel sizes sure but i want my Philosophy stuff. i have travel containers for DH's supplies too. you never know what's in that junk...what if they refill the containers that people leave half used lol???!! we've never taken towels or anything else, not even their pens ~ liz

I didn't know the question was an investigation and would turn into verbal indictment and a legal lesson. I feel entrapped.

Always take the stuff I can use, nicest hotel had LIP BALM which I still have in my vehicle! Kids always took small sizes for hockey and sports bags... and I think some of soaps I have from hotels are so pretty for the guest bathroom! Now, I have taken the odd towel and feel very GUILTY about it (wrapped around a wet swim suit, etc) but taking a BATHROBE I felt they would charge that to my room!
Or throw me in prison!
Rosie

Soaps, shampoos, etc, yes, we take them. Our work has a box to collect these, and they are donated. I keep our Disney soaps and stuff as gifts from the Easter bunny. Is that a regift?

I've taken two washcloths. Both times, I had used my hair straightener on our way out of the room, and I wrapped it in the washcloth so it wouldn't melt anything else or burn anybody. We have a hotel pool towel at home, and knowing DH, he probably wrapped wet swimming suits in it and put it in a bag when leaving the room.

Once, I was on a trip with a friend's family, and she liked the hotel's pillow better than hers. She swapped them! Put her pillow in their pillow case, and put the hotel pillow in her case. I don't even remember where we were or what hotel it was. The main thing I remember about that trip was being appalled that she would switch pillows.

I won't start a new thread, but I'm curious about the kinds of things guests leave behind - if you don't mind sharing, ladyinred... :-)

Just the soaps and shampoos, never anything else. My grandkids LOVE it when I make up packages for them.

We take all the shampoos etc., and I give them to a friend that works with disabled vets..She has made hundreds of little bags, filled with this sort of thing and takes them to the hospitals and homes...

I take the shampoo, conditioner, lotion and extra coffee. When Katrina hit I took a garbage sized bag full of that stuff to the folks in Tyler at the shelters here. I'd been on several cruises and had a lot of the sample sizes. They were very grateful.

You all have posted so many great ideas for what to do with all of those sample sized products. Guess I'll plan on bringing them home from our trip this summer! :-)

DH used to bring home the little soaps and shampoos when the kids were little. I find hotel soaps too harsh, and so travel with a bar of Dove. If they have really great smelling, wonderful soap (which is rare), I might use it and bring it home too. If they have clear shampoo (my hair picks up color from gold and colored shampoos so I avoid it), I will also use it instead of mine and bring the rest home. I don't collect their conditioner, shoe polish, mouth wash, etc. At home when the sample gets used up, I often fill their shampoo bottles with my shampoo so I can have a travel size shampoo in my luggage if I have run out of the travel shampoos.

I take all the little bottles of anything that they bring. I take my own stuff to use and then every time they bring little bottles of anything I put them in my suitcase. That way the next day they leave me more. We make up little bags for the senior citizen bingo games. What I have noticed is that most people must stay in nicer places than I do, because when we make up the bags there are usually a lot of nice products that I would love to use.
I have never taken a towel or wash cloth, and I have never stayed in a place nice enough to have robes.

I take my own shampoos/soaps/coffee, etc.
I do take the ones from the room to use for camping and to sample some myself...they are samples after all and I feel as if I paid for them, so why not keep them.

I always take the soaps, shampoos etc. I keep a handfull for guests but most go to the local rescue mission. They love them.

You might check with your local shelter, rescue mission type place. Most of them would love to have them.

H@ll yes! I take the soaps and shampoos (french milled and lilac scented soaps are my favorite) the regular coffee pods not the decaf and the sewing kit. I leave the shower caps, body lotions, robes and slippers. When Wayne goes away on business trips he always brings me back the toiletries. They are just like little gifts! NancyLouise

I usually take the shampoo, but that's all. I would never take a towel!!

I take the extra stuff usually, great for Guests and Motorhome. I especially like the laundry bags, shower caps, and shoe shine cloths. Little hand lotions for the purse.

Towels are a NO NO!

I usually take the shampoos and creams, if I don't wish to keep them I hand them off to the Women's help center. I would never take the towels or anything else, that is stealing. The hotels have priced the cost of the in room amenities into the nightly stay and they expect the guest to use and/or take it with them.

Yes, because I found out from a friend who used to clean motel rooms that even if they are still wrapped and unused, they have to throw them away. I just took mine away every day and let them put a new one, then I take them all home. I give them to a friend who makes scented soaps out of cheap soaps. She just melts them down, adds and nice scents and stuff, and puts them into pretty molds, and gives me some back for guest soaps.

I've stayed in a few places where there is a sign by the sink that tells the price you will be charged for taking things.

I always take the toiletry items, no towels. We were at a very nice hotel and there was no lotion, of course I had forgotten to bring any. I left a note for housekeeping to please leave a bottle when they came in for turn down service, they left an entire shopping bag full of everything with a note of apology for not having it the room at first! Great french soaps, lotions, gels and shampoo and conditioner!

I think most hotels, motels expect you to take the toiletries...I would never take any thing else...

Yes, Marla I take the shampoo, liquid soaps, conditioner and the lotion. They make great little containers to go to the gym, or on camping trips.

I have NEVER taken glasses, towels, bathrobes or anything like that.

Moni

I figure if I don't use (or take home) the shampoos and other bottled stuff, the maid will. She probably is alloted a certain number depending on the number of rooms she cleans that day. I'm sorta like those people who save match covers...I have a knick-knack shelf in my bathroom (s) with assorted bottles of shampoos, etc. It gets a lot of comments from guests who enjoy looking at the various pretty bottles. My favorites, of course, are from exotic places...like Tahiti..or from cruise lines.

Most of my linens are better than anything I've seen in a hotel, so I have no desire for theirs (and wouldn't take them anyway!)..Have also never stayed where you're provided with a bathrobe....

Absolutely - I put them in a basket in my guest room bath.

I take soaps if I've used them, usually not the ones still unopened, and take shampoos. Have asked staff whether they are used, e.g. as soap when washing sheets, etc. Probably take coffee, but only available sometimes or, only surplus sometimes.

I use one of those small shampoo bottles regularly at home, refilling from the large bottle as necessary - takes minimal space on sink.

Wouldn't take shoe shiner, but I guess I should, as it won't be re-used. Would never take towels, seldom see a robe.

o j

Yes, I do.
I love the little lotions to put in my purse.

Generally no, for several reasons:

- My mom used to, and she never used them. I literally lost count of how many of these darn things I had to toss. Some were over 10 years old. Eek.

- I used to travel for business, and one of the small comforts for me was having my usual soap, shampoo, etc.

- I'm not a fan of the brands usually offered. They're usually too heavily scented or too harsh for my liking.

I don't take towels, robes,glasses, etc. and would not allow anyone in the family to take any. I do take the toiletries and if I don't use those, I donate bags of them to the homeless shelter or the local emergency services center. They really appreciate getting those since soap, shampoo, etc. cannot be bought with food stamps. Bettye

I take everything, soap,conditioner,shampoo,lotion, coffee. I have never taken linens of any kind. When I took a cruise, they left food and drinks in the refrigerator and added the cost of anything we consumed to our bill.

I always take the lotion. Perfect size for my purse or car. I don't take anything else because I'd never use it. I prefer my own brands at home.

I take the tolietry items and stash them in my travel bag, or guest bathroom. Sometimes the shampoo/lotions are really nice, other times, just handy.

I never really thought of womens shelters. Guess I can start a bag to give to them.

I use an electric toothbrush, but always take the regular one the dentist gives me. I just donate the extras at church or put them in the charity stockings (homeless shelters etc) along with other items at Xmas time.

The only thing I take if I think about it is the soaps and shampoo, conditioner, and hand cream. I was thinking the other night that I think I have enough to last me the rest of my life. I forget to use them. I have a huge basket by my tub with that kind of stuff in it. I need to start using them or give them away.
Lu

The only thing I've ever taken was a tiny bottle of shampoo since I'd used part of it. It wouldn't occur to me to help myself to anything else. Since it's not a food item I figure the maids would just leave the unused soaps and lotions there for the next guest. I even remake the beds before we leave, not to look unused but to look like we took care of their property.

I always get mad when I see hotel towels on the beach. Several times I've seen them just abandoned. How do motels and hotels stay in business with all the theft and damages done by rude guests? Do they charge things to the guest's credit card?