Here’s what you can (and can’t) take from a hotel room.

One of the best things about staying at a 4 or 5-star hotel is all of the amenities – the complimentary coffee, the cozy robes, the branded notepads and pens. I’m personally a fan of the mini body lotion bottles. Some of these items, like small toiletries, are included in the nightly rate, and you’re welcome to take them with you at checkout. Others, however, are not, and pocketing them may result in a fee on your final bill.

To help answer all of your questions regarding what you can take from a hotel, I put together this practical guide on which items are off-limits and which ones you’re free to bring home.

What you can take from a hotel.

Most boutique and luxury properties want their guests to feel comfortable, as if the hotel were their second home, so they outfit rooms accordingly. Although there may be some exceptions, you can feel confident knowing the below are items hotels welcome guests to bring home with them.

• Travel-size toiletries: The small lotions, shampoos, conditioners and body washes are yours for the taking. However, many hotels are moving toward exclusively using refillable dispensers, which should be left in the room (or you can sometimes purchase them).
• Disposable slippers: Upscale hotels often provide disposable slippers to guests. The lightweight, single-use footwear is made from a terry cloth, cotton or non-woven fabric, and it’s relatively thin.
• Notepads, stationery and pens: Many hotels think of these items as free marketing. Notepads, pens, and pieces of stationery (including postcards) are also great souvenirs for guests.
• Sewing kits, shoe mitts and vanity kits: Similarly to toiletries, these amenities come at a low cost to the hotel, but they make the guest’s stay more comfortable and hassle-free.
• Individually packaged tea and coffee: Refreshments are an expected hospitality feature, and single-serve coffee pods, tea bags, sugar packets, creamers and stirrers are included in your stay. 

What you can’t take from a hotel room.

Of course, there are items you absolutely cannot take from a hotel room – no matter how tempted you may be. These include:

• Towels, bedding, and pillows: Yes, these belong to the hotel. If they’re the fluffiest, most sumptuous linens and pillows you’ve ever experienced, just take note of the brand or ask the hotel staff for more details.
• Robes: Unless the robe is marked “complimentary” or included in your nightly rate or vacation package, it is not free.
• Hairdryers, irons, or kettles: Rule of thumb: If you have to plug it in to work, it should stay in the room. It would be too expensive (and just not sustainable) for a hotel to replace hairdryers, irons or kettles after each guest leaves.
• Electronics or remotes: The same rule applies here. You’d be disappointed if you got to your room and there was no remote for the TV, so keep it there.
• Decorative items: Things like clocks, artwork, coffee table books and lamps are part of the room. You can admire – and even snap a few pictures to provide inspiration for your own home – but leave them where you found them.

The gray area — but items you should still leave behind.

There are some hotel room amenities that may leave you questioning, “Can I take this, too?” But, in reality, most should probably stay in the room. Here are some items that tend to confuse guests most often.

• Bottled water: Bottled water is certainly one of those amenities that can be a toss-up. Check the mini bar prices before you twist off the top.
• Slippers: Slippers are okay to take, but some sustainable hotels may have reusable ones.
• Umbrellas: It might be raining on the day of your checkout, but the in-room umbrella is usually only for loan, not for guests to keep.
• Reusable water bottles or mugs: If these items are branded or part of a sustainability initiative, they may be intended as take-home gifts, but that’s not always the case.
• Branded laundry or shoe bags: If the bag is made of thin, disposable material (often plastic), it’s fine to take. When it’s made of a thicker canvas or other high-quality material, it’s just an in-room amenity.

What can you ask for from the hotel?

If you’re confused about what you can and cannot take from a hotel, or you simply need a few more of the items you know are complimentary, go ahead and talk with housekeeping or the front desk team. They’re usually happy to restock the items below.

• Extra toiletries: Need an additional body moisturizer or shampoo for the road? The team probably has extras on hand.
• Toothbrushes, razors, and combs or hairbrushes: Hotels have pretty standard versions of these items, and they’ll happily let you snag an extra one or two.
• Extra coffee pods or tea: Most coffee pods and tea bags are left in the room for your enjoyment – same goes for sugars, creamers and stirrers – so asking for a few more is fair game.
• Bottled water: If water bottles are complimentary throughout the hotel, you can certainly ask for more as needed.
• Shower cap, vanity kit, and sewing kit: In most cases, you’ll find these items by your bathroom sink, and housekeeping will replenish them as necessary.

Insights from a hotel manager.

• Look out for signage. Confusion doesn’t make for a great guest experience, so most hotels do their best to keep things clear. “I think simple signage helps guests quickly understand which items are for their enjoyment while on property and what is theirs to keep,” says Carly Skinner, general manager at The Palmetto Hotel in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Robes fall into the same category as linens and towels. “No matter how cozy the robe is, you shouldn’t take it with you – unless you plan on paying the additional fee. I think most guests understand slippers will not be reused and they are free to take them, but our robes are laundered and reused just as our bed linens are,” Carly says. “That being said, we love it when our guests wish to take a memento home, and we have a tag on the robes noting the cost should they do so.

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