Don't Forget: Top 8 Things Travellers Leave Behind In Hotels

‘Sunglasses, passport, wallet and smartphone’ may be the updated cross body check of today’s traveller but even in our tech-savvy simplified world it seems there’s a few things that don’t make it back into the carry-on when we check out. UK hotel chain Travelodge recently released a roundup of the most frequently forgotten items left behind in their hotels during 2015. How many of these items have you forgotten to pack?

1. Chargers

Reflecting our reliance on being connected 24/7, the chargers required to power our gadget addiction are the top items left behind in hotel rooms. Chargers for smartphones, laptops and tablets top the list of things that travellers forget to re-pack, probably because it’s plugged into a power point or plug hidden from sight. On the plus side, if you forget to pack your phone charger, chances are there’ll be one at the front desk you can borrow from those left behind.

2. Tablets

Not only did travellers forget to pack their chargers, plenty left their tablets in the hotel room too! Slim in profile and packed with multi-media options, our tablets are always nearby and indispensible when travelling to ward off long periods of waiting, flight delays and public transport trips.

3. Mobile phones

While some people would feel undressed without their smartphones, when you’re juggling passports, plane tickets, carry-on luggage and some sneaky shopping purchases, you probably think your phone is already packed safely in one of the multiple pockets of your hand baggage, rather than still connected to its charger in the hotel room (see #1).  Best to keep your cell close.

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4. Books

Maybe you fell asleep reading that in-depth guidebook, or perhaps that thriller got hidden under the bedclothes in the rush to make the 10am check-out time. Reading material is one of the essential travel items and also one of the top things left behind. Or perhaps travellers were just leaving that racy page-turner for the next occupant of their hotel room?

5. Ties

They’re the first thing to come off, and the last thing you’ll remember to look for when you pack. Guys, if you need that tie for a business meeting or formal dinner, make sure you separate your necktie from your shirt to avoid it getting lost.

6. Toiletries

Hands up if you’ve ever packed all your bathroom essentials away, only to leave your toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink when you leave? Whether it’s your expensive cleanser in the shower or forgetting your straightener in the bathroom, it seems plenty of travellers forget to take their toiletries from the ensuite on the way out.

7. Teddy bears

If sitcoms have taught us anything, it’s that there is nothing as devastating as leaving your favourite stuffed toy behind. Even as an adult (ahem, especially as an adult).  According to Travelodge, soft toys were one of the most frequently forgotten items in their hotels. If you’ve got kids, don’t expect them to pack or carry Princess Fancypants without dropping her, you’re going to have to do it yourself. And if Princess Fancypants is yours, pack her in your carry-on so you never get separated.

8. Pyjamas

Unless you’re a fitness fanatic up at the crack of dawn before checking out of your hotel, your pyjamas are likely to be the last things you wear before showering and packing all your gear. If your nightie is lost in the tangle of high thread-count cottons and ridiculous amount of decorative cushions (who needs that many pillows to sleep?), or discarded in the bathroom with the wet towels, your comfy PJs may not make it back home for slumbertime.

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