If that 'Friends' episode where Ross and Chandler steal everything in their hotel room (well – within certain boundaries: "the lamp is off limits, but the bulb is fine to take") resonates with you, then you're not alone.
A TripAdvisor survey has revealed that 70 per cent of British travellers take items from their hotel rooms with them at the end of their stay.
Toiletries and stationery are among the most popular pilfered items, though some hotel guests have admitted to even taking towels, light bulbs, clothes hangers and batteries from remote controls, as well.
It seems that the line between what is fair game for the taking and what actually belongs to the hotel is somewhat blurred in the minds of British travellers.
The results of the survey suggest that we might not be being honest about the extent of our taking either. Although only five percent of British travellers say they have taken towels from a hotel room, a quarter of hoteliers report them going missing following a guest's stay.
One in ten report missing clothes hangers and seven per cent have found the batteries removed from TV remote controls after guests check out.
In addition, three per cent of travellers admit to taking bathrobes, ashtrays or food items from the mini bar, while hoteliers have reported a higher percentage of these items going missing than those numbers would suggest.
Given our apparent love of freebies, it seems that the best way for hotels to entice new customers is to offer complimentary services and amenities. Some 68 per cent of hotel guests now expect free in-room Wifi and a complimentary breakfast.
TripAdvisor notes that US hotels are the most likely to report items such as towels and clothes hangers missing.
