Ever had something stolen by the maid?

[photomikey]

I was giving advice on the California PL board today, to a Newbie (literally... :-) ) who asked about bad reviews of a hotel on Trip Advisor.

My advice turned into somewhat of a rant (whoops!), but led me to wonder how many of you have had something swiped from a hotel room by a maid.

I stay in hotels no more than a dozen nights a year, and have never seen anything disappear.

Anyone else have any experience?

[GM Mike]

I have had exceptionally good experiences with maids making sure to save what I forgot, such as:

- Recently had a maid at a Best Western save my socks (YES, my socks...) for a few weeks until I came back. Asked about them tongue-in-cheek, not really expecting to get them back!

- Had a Radisson save a cell phone charger for me for several months. Happened back through that town, thought it couldn't hurt to ask, and there it was!

Back when I worked in hotels, the housekeepers were almost universally respected by everyone in the business as the hardest working employees, by far, and among the most professional. Every housekeeping manager I've encountered has been a very guest-centric professional. And I've seen housekeepers go so far as to save plastic dishware, just in case the guest might want it (and more unbelievably, the guest actually came back for it). One property had the smart idea of logging all lost and found with security and, if not claimed within a certain time period, turning the property over to whomever registered it as a reward for honesty.

Obviously there are criminals in any line of work, but I can think of only one or two situations involving a housekeeper in question, and they were dealt with quickly and decisively.

I would strongly encourage you to write a letter when you encounter positive service, especially from a housekeeper. It's one of the few ways they can ever be recognized by management.

[thereuare]

Nothing by me personally (knock on wood), but:

1) Friend - company laptop stolen

2) Parents - casino chips stolen

I do lock up my laptop when i leave it in the room.

[dahammer]

I've left shoes, pants, and eyeglasses behind, all returned to lost and found by the housekeeping staff.

A friend even left his laptop in the lobby of the Marriott Laguardia, a guest turned it in to security and it was returned.

[norwegianwife]

I only had one experience where I even SUSPECTED that a maid had stolen something. We were in the Bahama's for my sisters wedding. I had a diamond solitaire necklace that had been my little sisters who had died suddenly the year before. I knew I had left it on the dresser. I went to get dressed and it was gone. I absolutly FREAKED. Really just because of the emotional rawness of the situation and the fact that it had been my deceased sisters! We looked all over. Under the bed. Behind the curtains. Everywhere. No Necklace. It never would have crossed my mind that a maid would have stolen anything because I have always found them to be very honest and hard workers. I called the front desk and they sent up hotel security to file a report and the maid came up and was really upset insisting she had not taken it. I believed her, but i kept asking her if anyone had been with her. Again, I was really upset. They asked if I wanted to file a complaint. I said No because I did believe the poor woman, I was just flabbergassted and crushed that it was gone.

Three days later, I went to put on my running shoes and felt a rock in my shoe. Took it off. Shook it out. and....YEP...the diamond necklace!!!! Sheesh. NO idea how it got there. I made a point of going to the security officer and telling them I found it and left an apologetic note to the maid with a really nice tip.

Another incident happened in Buffalo, NY. I walked into my room and found the maid going through all of my prescription medicine. I was like 'excuse me!!' and she just non-chalantly looked at me and was like 'Oh, I always like to see what kind of medicines my guests are taking!' And then kept looking!!!!! I had to take them away from her!

So...that's my 2 cents....

[lowballer]

About US$60 in a country where that's the better part of a month's wages for cleaning staff. She (presumably) was clever about it, not taking all my cash but only a few bills so that I wouldn't immediately notice. I think I even had it in the safe, too, which is a good lesson about inroom hotel safes. I mean, there has to be way to open it if you forget the combination, right?

Nothing in the US that I can recall.

[headtrip]

On a visit to Las Vegas for a wedding a few years ago, I inadvertantly left my Italian suit in the closet when I checked out. I didn't realize my misstake until I was already home, but the hotel staff was very helpful and quickly reassured me that they had found my suit and would send it to me, no additional charge. I recieved it back 2 days later. It was the King 8 hotel by the way, not a big hotel, but actually had very nice mini-suites with wicker furniture. Anyways, all my experences have been good like this one.

I always leave a tip for good service too.

[bbbb]

About US$60 in a country where that's the better part of a month's wages for cleaning staff. She (presumably) was clever about it, not taking all my cash but only a few bills so that I wouldn't immediately notice. I think I even had it in the safe, too, which is a good lesson about inroom hotel safes. I mean, there has to be way to open it if you forget the combination, right?

Nothing in the US that I can recall.

They have a little hand held device that plugs into the safe so they can open it if you forget the combo you set. I only know because I have a kid. :)

[Blueskies]

Nothing to report here re maids. I am a bit paranoid about putting things away in safes.

We have had a couple of horrible experiences in Spain and Italy but nothing to do with maids. Husband had cash (

[floridasunshine]

I have not had anything stolen from the maids. And, actually, on my last trip to Disney World, I could not even get the maids to take their tips! The first night I left a few bucks on the table...it was still there when we got back. So I added a couple more and put it on the pillow the next day.... it was there on the nightstand when we came back. Day 3 I left a few more dollars and left it with the same note on the nightstand. Day 4 I added a couple more and put a note with it 'for housekeeping'. It was still there when we got back. Finally after day 5 we had to check out, and I left a good tip and all the previous dollars with a note saying, "This is for the housekeepers. Please keep this money."

I am not sure why the Disney housekeepers would not take their tips, but the room was immaculate each day,,,,except for the tips still laying there. Those Disney housekeepers had to be the most honest folk in the world, and I hope they finally got kept tips!

[aikanae]

I took off a ring to go swimming and when I returned, the ring was gone. The maids had been there but of course, there wasn't anything I could prove. Other people were with me so I know there was no doubt of taking the ring off and where it was.

My word against hers. There isn't much anyone can do. Unfortunatley, it was a gift and sentimental - not replaceable. I even tried to commission a duplicate and couldn't replace the stone. I hadn't realized the value had gone up (my mistake).

I think I've stayed in hundreds of hotels since, with no problems.

I did discover by acciedent (caught) that in some foriegn areas common things like toothbrushes are rare. I walked in and a maid had my tootbrush in her mouth (Egypt).

Since that experience, I lock everything up and intentionally leave behind sundries like toothbrushes, pens, baseball caps - pretty much anything with U.S. advertising on it.

A friend moved to China and when she returns after a visit, her suitcase is loaded with average cheapie drugstore stuff that I know I take for granted.