Grand piano amongst most bizarre items stolen from luxury hotels

TVs, pianos, mattresses and stuffed animals are amongst the most bizarre items stolen from luxury hotels, according to a new survey.

Spa review site, Wellness Heaven, asked 1,157 hoteliers about the most bizarre and commonly stolen from their hotels.

The survey found a “striking” difference in the theft behaviour between guests in four-star and five-star hotels. It said the probability of high-quality TV sets being stolen in five-star hotels, is nine times higher compared with the four-star segment.

Additionally, artworks are popular objects of desire in luxury hotels (5.5 times higher theft probability), and tablet computers and mattresses are also being stolen more frequently in five-star hotels.

It added that four-star hotel guests are content with “less spectacular gifts”, and towels and hangers tend to be in higher demand than in five-star hotels. The group added that the typical four-star hotel guest is “especially fond” of practical items such as batteries and remote controls (theft probability 3.1 and 4.9 times higher, respectively).

Wellness Heaven said when classifying the “delinquents” by nationality, German and British hotel guests lean towards towels and bathrobes, as well cosmetics and toiletries.

However, Austrians guests are more likely to pinch dishes and coffee machine, and  for Americans pillows and batteries appear as the “prime objects of desire”.

Wellness Heaven added: “Italians seem to prefer wine glasses as a hotel souvenir, while the hair dryer ranks high up in the Swiss ranking. The French, on the other hand, steal in a more spectacular manner: they represent the nation that is attracted mainly to TV sets and remote controls.

“Dutch hotel guests see in their souvenirs above all the practical benefit: Their favorites include light bulbs and toilet paper.”