Cute shoes, right?
(Ignore the need for a pedicure and just agree with me that the shoes are cute, OK?)
On my recent trip to Austin, it appears that housekeeping thought they were cute too. I bought them specifically for the trip, but did not end up wearing them at all. They stayed parked next to my suitcase the entire weekend… unworn, pretty much with the tags still on them.
Upon packing up to leave, the shoes were gone. We called the other girls on the trip to ensure that they didn’t grab them on accident, but Shawn and I knew what happened… Housekeeping helped themselves.
Shawn was diplomatic and called the hotel operator for me, asking if they could check and see if housekeeping “accidently scooped the shoes up with dirty towels or sheets, etc.” thus giving them an “out” and a chance to return the shoes. We didn’t hear back from them.
As we were checking out at the front desk, we asked if housekeeping had reported anything. The front desk hadn’t heard about the incident from housekeeping. (what a shocker!) We gave the manager my name, number and home address, on the off-chance the shoes “reappeared.” I did not hold out much hope. c’est la vie. Forty minutes later, the hotel manager called me. They had found the shoes. Where were they? They had mysteriously appeared in a 6th floor stairwell. (A place I had not been before.) I was very happy to get them back. (Because look how cute they are!)
Several years ago, Handsome Hubby and I had a camera taken from our hotel room. The front desk had received enough complaints from guests who were missing items, that they called the police. After interviewing us, the police set up a hidden camera in our room the next day. Nothing out of the ordinary was caught on film. We figured we lost our new camera. The day we were leaving, HH did his normal, thorough sweep of the hotel room, which includes looking under the beds. The camera was under the bed, pushed all the way up against the wall with the headboard.
So this is the scam: The thief who takes your item hides it within your own room or somewhere on the premises. If the item is discovered missing, they can easily say “oh, you must have misplaced it. How great that you found it.” After all, it isn’t stolen if it is still in the room, right? Once you check out and leave, they can go and retrieve their stash without fear of getting caught.
The lesson here? Check every square inch of your room before you check out and report something as missing the minute you can’t find it.
Also? I clearly have excellent taste in shoes.
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Those are cute shoes! Thanks for the info. I will remember to check everywhere now before I leave a hotel.
We always do a sweep of the room but I’ve never thought to look in “hiding places” so will add that to my “scope”. Glad you had your camera and your cute shoes returned….even if they were in the 6th floor stairwell!!
How crazy!! When my hubby and I were on our honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas we heard some of the other guests complaining of having things stolen from their rooms but when they went to talk to housekeeping about it they played dumb and acted like they couldn’t understand them (language barrier)…we luckily didn’t have that problem but I hear its VERY common. So glad you got your stuff back. I will keep this in mind for future travel!
I am in LOVE with your shoes. However, I would not steal them. If I were housekeeping I would write down the brand and look them up.
Those flips are adorable! I wants some! I’m appalled to hear that’s how maids are at hotels..Luckily I don’t travel enough to have experiences like that……come to think of it, I think my friend “lost” her camera when they were traveling. I’ll have to see if she thinks it was in the hotel? Interesting….makes you wonder what kind of people hotels hire, but you never know! I’m glad you got your items and didn’t end up losing them, I hate when you love something and then it’s gone!
Can i just say right now that hotels of any sort give me the hebbie jebbies….. and I am the sort who set my stuff a certain way to see if anybody has been looking through it and so many times it has.. totally crazy really.
and.. super cute flips!
Maddie
what the!? That is crazy!!!!!!I lost a pair of shoes once at a hotel and it was driving me NUTS!!!! Now it makes sense!!!!! Ha! I just found your blog!!!! LOVE IT!
Those are adorable shoes, but this story is really creepy. Thanks for the warning, that really makes me think more carefully about the things I leave out when we travel. I think it is kind of funny though that they were found in the stairwell. Like someone panicked and dumped the goods. It sounds like something my son would do!
I’m so sorry to hear this, but i’m so happy you shared this story. Something to keep an eye out for the next time I travel. Just wanted to say that I love your blog and you do an amazing job!
My glasses have yet to surface. I’m trying to find the silver lining…perhaps someone could not afford their own glasses and mine just so happened to be the right prescription.
I’m just glad they took my glasses, that I never took out of the case, and not my new LV sunglasses!
Once your shoes were discovered missing I guess I should surveyed of my own items a little better!
What?! SUCKY!
I’m glad you got your super adorable shoes back though.
Great shoes, I actually just bought the same pair here in Atlanta!! Love them!!
That is really disappointing….
Why can’t people just keep their paws off from people’s stuff?
I’m glad they “found” them for you. I’m also sad that you didn’t get to wear them. They were super cute!!!
Stupid nice hotels.
But I learned something from reading your last little bit. I usually say no to housekeeping for this very reason. They freak me out.
I am so glad they turned up, they really are adorable! I’ve been hunting for those flip flops – only ones I can find have a leopard print thong 🙁 I like the plain better. Or I found a 1/2 size smaller in grey. Hmmm…..
LIke you said – you have EXCELLENT taste….
~Becca
Okay, those shoes are DARLING!! Yikes, what a story! My hubby always is paranoid about housekeeping and makes us lock up valuables. I always thought it was overkill, but not any more!
Oh my goodness! Between bed bugs and housekeeping theft, I’m becoming very leery of hotels! (I’ve never found bed bugs, but I keep hearing how they are turning up everywhere.)
Glad you got your “lost” shoes back.
Thanks for partying with me 🙂
Wow! Thanks for the tip. It’s sad to think that people are so desperate they’d resort to stealing, isn’t it? And to think that there are people who’ve gotten so good at stealing that they’ve developed such schemes. Horrible to think that you could pay a lot for a place to stay and then end up losing your things! Anyway, I’m glad you got your shoes back. 🙂