The Strangest Things Left Behind in Hotel Rooms

While forgotten toothbrushes and lost socks are par for the course, hotel staffers have found plenty of oddities that make you wonder, “What were those guests thinking?” A recent international survey by Hotels.com involving over 400 hotels — spanning Brazil, Canada, Japan, France, Turkey, and beyond — revealed some of the most surprising items hotel guests left behind in 2024. From pet chickens to rice cookers, these are the most unusual things forgotten in hotel rooms.

Luxury Leftovers

Guests often forget simple necessities — maybe ChapStick or a sweater — but the survey shows plenty of travelers leave behind more extravagant treasures, too. Hotels have reported finding Rolex watches worth tens of thousands of dollars and luxurious Hèrmes Birkin handbags that retail for anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000.

Perhaps the most egregious occasion of lost luxury was the story of the $6 million watch that its owner forgot. (Surely, the owner quickly returned for their pricey timepiece.) Other high-priced items include keys to a luxury car (along with its documentation), jewelry (including an engagement ring), and even stacks of cash.

Misplaced Pets

While the loss of luxury items might cause a brief panic for their owners, some forgotten items also cause alarm for hotel staffers. In one instance, a hotel worker encountered a live pet lizard. Rest assured, it was reunited with its owner, but guests should be aware that most hotels maintain a strict no-reptile policy. In another instance, a forgotten pet chick was reunited with its owner, but it’s unclear why it was staying in a hotel to begin with.

Personal Health Items

You’d expect to forget a phone charger by the nightstand, but probably not your teeth. As it turns out, forgotten dentures are among the most commonly forgotten personal health items in hotel rooms. Similarly, staffers have found individual teeth left behind. (Hopefully, they left them under the pillow for the tooth fairy.) Hotels also reported guests leaving behind a full-leg cast on two separate occasions. 

Appliances and Industrial Items

Hotels can’t always provide all the comforts of home, so some guests bring their favorite items with them — including appliances that you’d expect to find in a home kitchen but not in a hotel room. One hotel worker reported finding an abandoned blender in a room, while another was surprised to see a perfectly good rice cooker left behind.

But perhaps the biggest head-scratchers on this list are industrial items you wouldn’t ever expect to see in a hotel room: a car tire and leftover construction pipes. It’s unclear why these items were left behind, but they gave hotel workers a fun story to share with co-workers.

Most Commonly Left Items

Of course, not all forgotten items are noteworthy. According to the report, there are a few items that guests seem to keep forgetting time after time. The most common offenders are chargers and power banks, which makes perfect sense for busy travelers who need their electronics charged while on the go. 

Clothes and dirty laundry are the second-most commonly left-behind objects, so remember to double-check closets and cabinets before heading for checkout. Other frequently deserted belongings include makeup and toiletries. Still, these inexpensive items can often be replaced at a nearby store — a Birkin bag or leg cast might prove more of a challenge.

Going the Extra Mile for Guests

Fortunately, it’s usually easy for hotel staff to reunite travelers with lost belongings. Many hotels have a “lost and found” system, but some staffers go above and beyond for their guests. One hotel worker drove over 100 miles to return a forgotten passport, while another purchased a new teddy bear for a distraught young guest who lost their favorite travel companion.

If you have a habit of forgetting things while traveling, you aren’t alone. Creating a packing checklist is one of the best ways to avoid leaving something behind. Go over this list while packing for the trip and again at the hotel while packing up at the end of your journey. This should ensure you remember everything you brought with you. If you do forget something, don’t worry — call the front desk, and you’ll likely be reunited with your lost item in no time.