Items that can be brought back from the hotel

Cloth slippers or cotton slippers are among the hotel amenities that guests are allowed to bring home. Photo: Undefined/Pexels.

Many guests have the habit of “lightly gathering” a few items when leaving the hotel. The general rule that international hotel experts repeatedly say is: what is designed for one-time use, cannot be reused for the next guest, is usually allowed to be taken home; what is associated with the property, decoration, and long-term amenities of the hotel will have to be left behind.

What can you take home?

According to TripSavvy , items like mini shampoo bottles, body wash, coffee packets, sugar, powdered milk, disposable toiletries… are often considered “amenities” (conveniences/supplies) exclusively for guests during that stay.

For toiletries, small bottles of shampoo, body wash, lotion, and soap bars are all acceptable to bring. According to Travel + Leisure , these mini bottles cannot be reused once opened, so hotels often include them in their per-guest service charges.

Afar also emphasized that “conveniently taking home a few mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel” has long been a small joy every time staying at a hotel, even though many places have now switched to using wall-mounted dispensers to reduce plastic waste.

Room slippers are also something that many people wonder whether they can bring or not, but in fact they are in the "safe" group. Cloth slippers or cotton slippers used in the room will be thrown away after the guest checks out, so if you bring them back to use again, the hotel will not have to throw them away.

Some hotel supply companies like Vanity Group even consider these as ideal gifts for guests to take home, as used slippers should never be reused, unless they are leather slippers or high-end spa slippers.

Some drinks or snacks in the minibar that have a price tag are still considered for sale, not a gift. Photo: Andrea Davis/Pexels .

In addition to the bathroom, tea, instant coffee, sugar, milk powder, hot cocoa packets, stirring sticks, plastic spoons, and paper cups placed next to the kettle are also usually considered free.

Reader's Digest lists tea bags, coffee packets, and other hot beverage packets in rooms as “fair game”—that is, guests can use them or take them with them, as they are single-use, non-refundable packages.

Travel blogs like EaseMyTrip also list free mineral water (usually clearly labeled complimentary), toothpaste, razors, mini mouthwashes, etc. as items that are completely acceptable to bring if you don't use them all.

Note: drinks or snacks in the minibar with a price tag are still considered for sale, not gifts.

Another group of items are stationery such as pens, pencils, notepads, envelopes, cards, postcards printed with the hotel logo, which are in the same group as shampoo, soap, and coffee - meaning that guests are allowed to take them away without being charged. According to Vanity Group, these items are considered "gifts" and also a form of advertising when guests take them home to use, because the hotel logo will appear on your desk or in your bag.

At the higher end, thin cloth or nylon laundry bags are sometimes also allowed, as they are low cost and are often printed with logos to increase brand recognition.

Prohibited items

On the contrary, there are items that look “harmless” but absolutely should not be put in the suitcase. Accordingly, items such as towels, face towels, bathrobes, blankets, sheets, pillows, hair dryers, irons, kettles, cups, ice trays, table lamps, wall hangings, and even the Bible are all permanent assets of the hotel.

Not only is taking away considered theft, but it can also be added to the bill, and some places will even notify customers if they discover an item is missing.

Bathrobes are a controversial “gray area.” Many guests mistakenly believe that robes are like slippers, and that they should be discarded after use. In fact, according to TripSavvy and Afar, most hotels will wash and reuse robes for future guests.

Some upscale hotels will sell identical robes to the ones in your room, or offer a personalized robe as part of the package. This will be clearly stated on the front desk or on the room card. If there is no notice stating whether the robe is free or take-away, assume it is staying.

When in doubt, it's best to ask the front desk before packing anything in your suitcase.

Source: https://znews.vn/nhung-mon-do-co-the-mang-ve-tu-khach-san-post1602461.html