Do Hotels Charge for Missing Pillows, Robes, and Slippers?

Picture the scene. You arrive at a luxury hotel. You open the closet and spot some fluffy bathrobes and slippers.

Putting them on, you climb onto the bed and lay your head on the softest, most delicious pillows your bonce has ever experienced.

You sneakily take them with you.

Will you be charged?

Let’s try and find out!

Table of Contents

Free Hotel Room Amenities That are Mostly Included

Many hotels provide things in the room and expect you to take them. They’re either complimentary or included in the cost of the room.

Free hotel room amenities advice — Free hotel room amenities

These can be items including:

Soap
Shampoo and conditioner
Shower caps
Razors
Shoeshine kits
Sewing kits
Tissues
Pens and Paper
Tea and coffee
Biscuits
Bottles of water (particularly if the tap water is not safe to drink)

Depending on the type of hotel, there may even be a stocked mini-bar included in the room that’s included in the cost of the room.

However, this is not always the case and it’s wise to check whether the drinks are complimentary or not.

Despite this, other items are not included and indeed that you’re not usually expected to take home with you. These are usually the robes, slippers, and pillows.

Think Twice Before Taking Them

Before you pop that pair of slippers in your luggage thinking no one will notice, it might be worth checking if they’re included complimentary or not.

Slippers are often a tricky one as they’re not always washable.

If the slippers are quite flimsy or have parts that are made from paper, normally, these can be taken with you.

Heads Up! If you’re not sure and don’t want to risk a charge, read the information booklet in the hotel room or ask at the front desk.

Why do People Take Items from Hotel Rooms?

People take items from their hotel rooms often because they don’t think they’ll get caught or charged.

Slipping a pillow into your suitcase may go unnoticed, especially if there are a lot of pillows. However, other large items most definitely will be.

Some people still do it, of course.

And if you ask them why, it’s often for the thrill of it or simply because they loved how soft the robe was.

Hotel staff will notice if you steal a pillow — Hotel staff will notice

People even sometimes steal items such as lamps and remote controls.

I once “stole” a massive wooden doorstop, although I must admit that this was accidental as I inadvertently scooped it up under a pile of laundry.

Aside from the inadvertent doorstop thieves like me, usually, people who take items from hotel rooms are the very same people who take things from shops and supermarkets or even from their friend’s homes.

It’s a compulsion, quite often.

But do they get caught?

And what happens when they do?

Getting Caught

Of course, nearly all hotel thieves are caught and charged. Why?

Because the hotel staff know who was staying in the room and have all the contact details they need to be able to get in touch with the person.

Hotel thieves caught and charged — Hotel thieves can be caught and charged

They nearly always have their credit card details, too, so they can simply add a charge to the bill at a later date.

For a typical hotel pillow, you can expect to be charged around $60.

However, high-end pillows will certainly attract a higher cost (I’m thinking of Dream Surrender pillows that they have in the Hilton here).

Read Next ?

Most cases of hotel theft stop there.

But there have been incidences, particularly for repeat offenders or where there have been extreme cases of damage and/or theft that the police have been called.

It’s then down to the cops what happens next, but thieves can be and often are charged and prosecuted.

If caught, you risk your name being blacklisted from that hotel and any other hotels in the same chain. If you paid in cash and the hotel can’t recoup any of the cost, this is much more likely to occur. You’ll be added to the hotel’s “Deny List”.

What do Hotels do to Minimize the Problem of Stolen Items?

Hotels have several strategies for dealing with stolen items from their rooms.

Most of the time, hotels keep card details on record and so when a person checks out of their room and the items are noted to be missing, they will add a charge to the card.

Quite often, these charges are much more expensive than they would have been if the person stealing had just bought the item themselves.

Minimize the Problem of Stolen Items in hotels — Dealing with stolen items in hotels

Many hotels make a point of telling guests that they do this, but others simply let the credit card bill surprise them.

Some hotels put labels or signs up with the price of the items so that it’s obvious to guests how much they cost and how much they will be charged if they take them.

Another strategy is hotels adding anti-theft devices to larger items such as TVs.

Believe it or not, many luxury hotels provided gifts to their hotel guests. This is because if they give them gifts and are generous with their offerings, the guests are often much less likely to steal other things.

Some hotels also openly offer items for sale. If you fancy taking home a bathrobe, you can buy a brand-new one from reception.

This incentive allows hotel guests to still have their coveted item but it’s also brand new and hasn’t been worn by hundreds of other guests first.

Final Thoughts on Whether Hotels Charge for Missing Pillows, Robes, and Slippers

Whether your stay is at a Motel6 or the Hilton, you can be sure that you’ll be charged if you take a pillow home with you.

Robes in the Hilton and others where they’re provided will also attract a charge.

With slippers, the jury’s out, and it really depends on the hotel – ask if you are thinking of popping them into your bag! As for soap, shampoos, razors, and lotion, help yourselves!