When Hotels Treat You Like a Thief Before You’ve Even Unpacked
What to do when hotels confuse hospitality with hostility
I knew I had made the wrong hotel choice the moment I spotted the sign. Right there on the dresser, in all its laminated glory, a menu of hotel room items with neatly printed prices, just in case I felt the urge to smuggle an ironing board into my bag, while on a motorcycle trip this summer1.
You know you’ve picked the wrong hotel when the very first thing you see is a sign reminding you not to steal the towels. “Due to the popularity of our guest room amenities,” it reads, as if bath towels are suddenly in high demand on the black market. Don’t worry, though—they’ve kindly included a handy price list, just in case you were hoping to take home an ice bucket ($40) or, better yet, the ironing board ($20).
This sign also reminded me of my trip to Singapore years ago. The hotel there had taken it a step further: their list of “souvenirs” for sale extended all the way to the hotel phonebook. Needless to say, that stay wasn’t particularly enjoyable either. It’s not that I wanted to take the phonebook (for the record, I didn’t) but the very existence of such a list sets the wrong tone and sours the experience. When every object around you has a dollar value attached, it’s hard to feel welcome. You feel like a liability, not a guest.
“Welcome, dear guest, we’ve charged your credit card, and placed a hefty hold on top of that for “incidentals”. Now please enjoy your stay, but don’t you dare get too comfortable.”
This isn’t hospitality. This is inventory control disguised as charm.
With all the “fees” hotels pile on these days (resort fees, convenience fees, service charges) I think we’ve lost sight of who’s really doing the stealing. Add in the hyper-inflated rates post-Covid, and it starts to feel less like a vacation and more like daylight theft.
Hospitality, not hostility
Travellers are starting to get tired of this game. There’s a reason tourism in Vegas has slumped: the city once built on indulgence and escape now feels more like being nickeled-and-dimed at every turn. Paying $25+ for a croissant and coffee, no thanks.
I say this as someone who used to be a diamond-tier member, back when loyalty still meant something.2 Perks, upgrades, late checkout, all the little touches that made you feel welcome. At some properties, those days conveniently ended right when travel resumed after Covid.3 Now, it just means you get the privilege of paying a little extra for a worse experience. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that my definition of travel hacking is the exact opposite of that.
The best hotels in the world don’t bother with signs like these, because they understand something simple: if you treat people with trust and kindness, most of them won’t betray it. And if a towel occasionally goes missing? It’s the cost of doing business.4
True hospitality shouldn’t feel like a store inventory check. It should make you feel welcome, not guilty. A welcome drink, or snack, goes a long way. Generosity, not suspicion, is what keeps people coming back. And if hotels keep forgetting that, they’ll soon learn the real cost isn’t a missing towel, it’s a missing guest.
Get Into Action
I’ll admit, I sometimes pocket the hotel pen, the most stolen item in the industry, and let’s be honest, a practical little souvenir. But towels? Never. Still, when a hotel feels the need to welcome me with a printed reminder that everything around me has a price tag, I start to wonder if I should’ve stayed somewhere that would’ve turned a blind eye, hypothetically speaking. After all, I’ve paid my price already. Surely they can afford to lose a towel or two without calling in the accountants.
If you’re as tired as I am of hotels that make you feel like a criminal for simply checking in, maybe it’s time to rethink how you travel.That’s exactly why I created my Travel Revolution course: to help you discover rewarding experiences that won’t make you feel like a suspect the moment you check in. Travel should be about freedom and joy, not towel audits and $25 coffee.
Further reading
I’ll be nice and won’t disclose the hotel in Vernon, BC where we stayed. You know who you are. Needless to say, I won’t return.
In travel, business, or life, nothing lasts forever. Perks disappear, opportunities evolve, and sometimes, we have to make tough choices to move forward. Success is related to the speed making a new decision, often to do something a little bit different. Full story here.
Ever since the COVID pandemic, which is barely behind us, hotel rates have surged, making travel increasingly expensive. Staying closer to home may not always be the answer. It can actually be cheaper to travel internationally. Story here.
I prefer to stay at the curated hotels that provide elite hotel status with major brands - which leads to room upgrades, late checkouts, and added perks that make frequent travel more comfortable.