Hi Marlene,

My wife in her previous life was a Global Sales Director and brought home lots and lots of the cosmetics (shampoo, conditioners, etc) from her travels, she also persuaded all her male colleagues to get these things for her as well

Then, when a sufficient amount was obtained, she put them into packs and took them to the local maternity hospital for the women to use there, so I have continued to do this and we send regular pack sinto the hospital as a little 'feel-good' factor

The product is there to be used, and so in a way we are!

Have fun

Mike

we do that too but you have to watch as some charities don't like some stuff - but homeless shelters will take anything

hand creams and sewing kits are great for office desks or toolboxes

or drop off those little bottles of shampoo or soap at a nursing home or hospital they think they are great

As I am late riser and prefer a later breakfast, when stopping at a Holiday Inn Express I have a cup of tea, toast with butter and jam. The cereals that are on offer, fresh fruit, breads and pastries I take for later.

From a Holiday Inn and stopping in an Executive room I always take the small bottles of shampoo, bubble bath and other things except for the Sewing Kits. I've more than an ample supply of those.

Similar to Mike, I collect the soaps etc and given them to a friend to collections them for elderly ladies.....which I think is cool, keep a couple of bottles in my wash bag for emergencies as at times housekeeping standards for replenishing is variable......still haven't worked out how to take the 30" plasma telly yet though

I take the soaps/lotions/shampoos too.  But instead of the shelter, I send them overseas for our local Project Soldier program. It's not much...but every little surprise can make someone's day.

I usually take the shampoo from Holiday Inns in Hong Kong & China as it smells pretty good.  Then I fill the empty bottles with aftershave and shaving gel which fit nicely into my washbag, provide enough for a weeks' travel and cut down on the weight of my bags

germs

Amanda Kehoe

I forgot; sometimes the stationary if it looks classy. And post cards.

Fairly often.The IC  pens are quite nice.

For Leisure stays great memories and for business stays the satisfaction of achievement.

I too thought it funny, I guess the duty manager did not though. They were not recovered either.

Art another hotel I stayed at  the security guy was taking a stroll outside the hotel at night. He was surprised to see a TV being lowered from a first floor room by the sheets being tied together.

Another Hotel had all the Drapes, curtains stolen by a so called cleaning company.

Geez, now my wife will be asking me to carry this stuff home!

I stayed in a Holiday Inn a few months ago that had these new Bath and Body Works Amenities - really enjoyed them!

I also love the new bath & body works amenities! I'm sure the men aren't as fond of them...

HIX in the UK give you soap dispensers secured to both the shower wall and beside the sink.

I have a book from a few years ago called "About the towels, we forgive you: Absorbing Tales of Borrowed Towels". It is an interesting book about the history of Holiday Inn, told through stories of people that had "borrowed" towels from Holiday Inns across the US.

While I don't take the towels, the soap, shampoo, conditioner often follows me from the hotel. I tend to leave behind the toothbrushes and razors, a I have found, that it my hands at least, the free hotel ones, are dangerous weapons.

I have untold numbers of hotel pens lurking in every corner of my house.

I used to collect the matchboxes, but gave this away over time. As hotels seem to be slowly converting to non-smoking hotels, the opportunities are diminishing.

I have to confess I do tend to take away the freebies in the bathroom....some I use to save on case space on longer trips. However, I do have a cabinet at home with a few dozen bottles of shampoo. Oh, I have a large collection of HI pens that I do tend to use.

Like the dental and shaving pack..not often they turn up in the bathroom..are they a newbie?

I tend to take the toilletrees and slippers where possible but leave the towels.

I do know someone who justifies taking a hand towel by leaving all of the other free stuff there though.

I agree with you and have said this to them but there's not a lot I can do about it when we get home and they tell me about it. I just make sure that if we're all going away together they have to book their room under their name.

I don't doubt that fact. I've only booked a room for them once and fortunately I didn't get a charge applied but would have fully passed it on to the responsible party for stealing this item. But as I said previously I didn't see there was anything I could do at the time as they didn't tell me till we got back.

I like to think I'm a responsible guest for the most part in that I only take items that are obviously complimentary however I can't control other peoples actions and to be honest the person this happened with was someone who I thought would have been responsible enough for me not to have had to have a word about what is acceptable to take and what isn't.

I do take the soap and shampoo and sometimes the mouthwash.  Being in the military when we stop as some places you have to provide your own washing materials, so I use them then and I have less stuff to carry as I go to the next place.   I work on C130J's & we hop across countries, continents and unique little places, it is nice to have memories of the hotels I have stayed at