Is Hotel Theft Ever OK?

As millions of Britons return from their holidays this summer, many will bring back more than just a tan, with 43% of people admitting to stealing from hotels.

A survey conducted by Just The Flight give a unique insight into why some people steal from hotels and why others don’t.

Guests that stole most commonly did so because they didn’t consider it stealing – 3 in 5 people believed it was expected of them by hotels. 12% stole because they didn’t believe the hotel offered value for money, while 15% admitted they took things because they didn’t think they’d get caught.

Among the reasons given by guests who didn’t steal, 35% said there was nothing they wanted, and 7% were afraid of getting caught. While 16% said they didn’t steal because it set a bad example to children, those living in households with children were just as likely as those without children to take things from hotels.

While men were only slightly more likely than women to steal things from hotels (45% and 43% respectively), the survey found younger travellers were significantly more likely to treat themselves to a hotel souvenir. While only 37% of people aged 55 and over took from hotels, this number jumped to 45% for 35-54 year olds and 47% for 18-34 year olds.