We are always scurrying to leave and to check out of our hotel rooms. Speed packing is what we would find ourselves doing before we lug our luggage and close the doors behind us. And when we get home, we realise we have forgotten some of our belongings.

Does this scenario sound familiar? Well, it happens.

We spoke with some hotels’ housekeeping teams to learn more about the items that are commonly and frequently left behind in hotel rooms, and what to do to retrieve them in these unfortunate events. Have a read, make a checklist, and the next time you put up at a hotel, run through your list so that you will not have to leave behind anything.

WHAT ARE THE COMMONLY LEFT BEHIND BELONGINGS IN HOTEL ROOMS?

They are your daily necessities like chargers, loose pieces of clothes, toiletries and cosmetics, medicine and reading glasses. And we hate leaving chargers behind because it is such an unnecessary thing to lose!

WHAT DO HOUSEKEEPERS DO WHEN THEY FIND ITEMS THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND IN THE ROOMS?

At Grand Hyatt Singapore, the house keeping staff will bring the item(s) to the Guest Service Centre (GSC) with a lost & found form, which includes particulars like the housekeeping staff’s name, the room number, date, and description of the item found. The form is then handed over to GSC team and they will counter sign on the slip with a time indication.

Most hotels that we spoke to mention that they will usually safe-keep and tag the items accordingly so that the housekeeping team will be able to retrieve and return the items accordingly when guests come forth with their reports.

HOW CAN GUESTS RETRIEVE THE LOST ITEMS? IS THERE A TIME FRAME THAT THE ITEMS ARE KEPT IN THE LOST & FOUND SECTION BEFORE THE HOTEL DISPOSES THE ITEMS?

Guests can either call in or send emails to the hotel. Over at InterContinental Hong Kong, Ms Bonnie Nei – Public Relations & Communication Manager – shares with us that the usual practise is for the hotel to keep the items for 3 months. After which, the items will either be sent to charity organisations or for recycling. And this is quite the norm for most local hotels as well.

TIPS FROM THE HOTEL’S HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT

Always do a walk-through of the entire room – check all cupboards, compartments, bathroom, and bed side – before checking out. Ms Grace Yong, Marketing Communications Director of The Westin Singapore, advises that guests should flip the bed covers because some items may be left on the bed and go unnoticed when they are covered by the duvet.

Read our feature on the benefits of hotels’ club floors and lounges, how you can get free upgrade to a club floor, as well as some of the things that you never knew about this VIP service.