The hotel usually provides toiletries, towels, pens, hairdryers and bathrobes. When they leave, many guests grab something and leave a little something with them. Is that legal?
Anyone who leaves a bathrobe with them when leaving a hotel in Germany is committing a criminal offense. The same applies if only the shampoo or a pen from the hotel that was opened during your stay ends up in your luggage. Such theft can have consequences.
Products may be used during the stay but must remain in the hotel
“Shampoo bottles, soaps, cosmetic items or bathrobes are provided for use in the hotel room, but not for use at home[n] bathrooms,” explains lawyer Jörg Schwede in an article for the Rechtsanwalt.de platform. Nevertheless, according to Statista, guests in German hotels often leave a hairdryer, a bathrobe, care products or even furniture with them – preferably in 4-star hotels. Apparently, even the mattress is missing after some guests leave, as WELT reported a few years ago.
According to Schwede, according to the current legal situation, you can be punished for theft simply by taking a ballpoint pen with you. If the hotel decides to pursue the theft, it could result in a civil lawsuit and a criminal investigation.
Some hotels are stricter than others when it comes to prosecuting theft
However, how minor thefts are actually handled differs from hotel to hotel: Tassilo Keilmann is a hotel tester for the Wellness Heaven Hotel Guide and explains to WELT that hoteliers generally do not want to alienate their guests with a lawsuit. In his experience, minor thefts would result in the guest being charged for the stolen product or nothing happening at all, rather than a lawsuit. In keeping with this, Schwede explains that hotels often expect thefts from the start and plan for them. Some products are even specially labeled with permission to take away. Anke Cimbal, press spokeswoman for the Best Western hotel chain, also agrees. Opposite t online But she also says: “Theft will definitely be punished.”
So if you want to make sure you don’t end up in the dock, it’s better to leave your bathrobe – no matter how fluffy it may be – at the hotel or buy a similar one in the hotel shop.
Editorial team finanzen.net