
Luxury hotel guests keep stealing mattresses - prostoalex
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/luxury-hotel-guests-keep-stealing-mattresses-survey-reveals
======
neaden
For the actual information from the survey see this link:
[https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/the-surprising-
things-...](https://www.channel3000.com/lifestyle/the-surprising-things-
stolen-from-luxury-hotel-rooms/1149593225)

49 out of 1,157 hotels in the survey reported having a mattress stolen.

"Whereas many four-star hotels have taken to tagging their items to trigger
alarms when smuggled off the premises, five-star hotels are less likely to
confront thieves or to report the theft to police, Keilmann told CNN.

"In a lot of cases, they don't report it to the police, because they don't
want to be connected to crime," Keilmann said."

This makes me think that these people are only staying at the hotel to steal
things and choosing hotels accordingly, presumably using a stolen credit card
as well to make them harder to track.

~~~
dmix
It’s funny the lengths they’ll go to not have the police walking around the
hotels and potentially getting in the news.

People can be so touchy with the thought of crime being done in a hotel. I
know the sort of person (hotel guest) who would overreact to that sort of
thing.

~~~
Spooky23
Hoteliers are always in a balance between seeing or not seeing things. Guests
are too. Hotels service the public, and people's outlook on life vary greatly.

If you have a bunch of cops getting to know everyone every time a lamp is
stolen at a fancy hotel, they may recognize the escort at the bar, or notice
some person of note with someone other than their partner. Usually hotels have
security folks who interface with the police only when necessary.

One time I was at a beach resort where there were 4 big groups: an association
of retired DEA or FBI agents, Chick-Fil-A franchise operators regional
meeting, a (very) large same-sex wedding complete with a troupe of drag queen
dancers, and a CBD-oil MLM scheme sales meeting. Everyone was best off minding
their business!

~~~
smokey_the_bear
I was once at a hotel for a high school quiz bowl tournament. There was also a
(very drunk) darts competition, and a Shibari meetup (Japanese bondage +
furries?).

There were some awkward elevator rides.

~~~
cbanek
If this was in Chicago, pretty sure I was there for this. It was indeed a very
interesting time! If not, I think it's hilarious that this could have happened
multiple times!

~~~
skyyler
Once a year, the furries gather in Chicago.

It's quite a sight.

------
RcouF1uZ4gsC
> The club offers more than a 100 resorts in North America and the Caribbean
> to their owner-members.

The caption explains a lot. It seems these aren’t necessarily the full service
luxury hotels with the fully staffed reception and bell service 24 hours a
day. These seem to be time shares which are glorified condos. I have stayed at
these before. While they are nice, there is not the level of service that you
get at a full service hotel. For example, There is no bellman, instead they
provide trolleys for you to being up your own luggage. The cleaning staff only
come between stays, the reception desk is only open during business hours,
etc.

Given this, a lot more stuff make sense. It would be trivial to load up a
trolley with the mattress and take it where you want it. At night, there is
not a lot of people around so it would be easy. The cleaning staff don’t come
everyday so it would be be some time before the missing mattress was noticed.

~~~
apacheCamel
Couldn't they just figure out who stayed in the room last? Or am I missing
something entirely?

~~~
zwayhowder
I returned to my room in a hotel I stayed at frequently while housekeeping
were still in there. I chatted to the staff got an extra towel and more tea
and only when they left realised I was in the room one floor below mine, that
I'd stayed in the week before. Housekeeping don't know who the guests are if
you walk into the room confidently they won't say anything at all.

~~~
lotsofpulp
Proper procedures are for all doors to always be closed, even while working in
the room, and never to let anyone into a room without verifying their identity
unless they have their own key.

~~~
ghaff
Perhaps we can conclude that "proper procedures" aren't always followed. I'm
shocked. (Not.)

------
murgindrag
The stealing remotes / batteries line bugs me a lot more.

If I'm in a hotel room, and something has dead alkalines, I'll toss the
batteries, and try to make it very obvious the batteries were removed so they
can be replaced for the next guest. That's not theft. I really can't imagine
anyone stealing batteries.

I've never taken a remote, but I do sometimes find a hotel keycard in my
luggage when I get home. I stay at the same hotels, so I tend to return them,
although sometimes a few months later. Small items like that tend to be
misplaced or lost by absentminded guests (and possibly even employees). I
can't imagine anyone taking a remote on purpose. What would be the point? Most
are specific to a given TV model, and wouldn't even work with a TV back home.

There is natural shrinkage which happens everywhere (especially my sock
drawer). If someone takes a mattress, coffee machine, or towel, that's theft.
If someone tosses dead batteries or misplaces a small item, calling that theft
just seems mean. It's attributing bad intentions to something which is just
part of life.

~~~
atomwaffel
> If I'm in a hotel room, and something has dead alkalines, I'll toss the
> batteries, and try to make it very obvious the batteries were removed so
> they can be replaced for the next guest. That's not theft.

I agree it’s not theft, but the correct thing to do is probably to ask the
front desk if they could replace the batteries, like you would for a light
bulb. That way, the batteries can (hopefully) be disposed of properly and you
get a working remote control.

~~~
gsk22
In my city, the current recommendation is to simply throw alkaline batteries
in the garbage - no special disposal. Only rechargeable batteries require
special disposal. This goes against what I was taught growing up, but then
most recycling isn't as green as we were led to believe.

------
remmargorp64
I've always thought it was weird how people have no problem sleeping on a
hotel bed that has been slept on by potentially hundreds/thousands of people
(and will even steal those mattresses), but they would never dream of buying a
used mattress that even one person has slept on.

~~~
smabie
It's illegal to sell a used mattress in most places, so we don't really know
if people care. I personally wouldn't have a problem with a used mattress.

~~~
stordoff
Which jurisdictions are these? Googling "used mattress illegal" returns this
post as the seventh result, and most of the other results (such as
[https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0099-shopping-used-
mat...](https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0099-shopping-used-mattresses))
seem to indicate there are only restrictions on labelling or processing.

~~~
smabie
“For example, in many places, old mattresses that have been recovered with new
ticking (strong, tightly woven cotton or linen fabric) can be sold as long as
they are sanitized or disinfected in some way before sale. In other states,
only certain parts of mattresses, such as the springs, can be reused.“

------
technofiend
Linen theft is enough of an issue that some hotels invested in RFID-tracking
to cut down on loss.

[https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/05/rfid_tags_pro...](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/05/rfid_tags_prote.html)

[https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2015...](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2015/02/06/yes-
your-hotel-knows-that-you-just-stole-that-towel-because-they-sewed-a-
microchip-in-it/83191436/)

~~~
jojo2000
In that case RFID is used to keep track of how many times the linen was
washed. This way, you'll never get premium linen/towel if you are in an eco
room =]

------
stickydink
Friends of mine recently opened an Italian restaurant. It's not low-end,
$20-25 plates. They have a huge problem with people stealing salt and pepper
shakers, silverware, ($1 IKEA) candle holders...

------
thunderbong
>> guests will most likely attempt to take the mattress at night when the
reception desk isn’t open.

But even then, how the heck do they lug a mattress out?

~~~
dharmab
It's amazing how many places you can go with a polo shirt or high visibility
best and a contractor's clipboard.

~~~
dsfyu404ed
Ditch the clipboard for the kind of tools an electrician or HVAC tech would
carry. Best to look like you're there to be helpful, not to snoop around and
impose fines.

~~~
DonHopkins
I've gotten into trade shows at Moscone for free by pushing a hand truck into
the loading dock. If you look exasperated, people will get out of your way and
point you in the right direction.

~~~
anon9001
I've always wanted to do stuff like that. You sound like you have some
experience. What actually happens if you get caught? Will you be arrested?

~~~
dharmab
Depends on the exact circumstances and local trespassing and fraud laws. Ask a
lawyer for details if you get a chance- perhaps reach out to LegalEagle, who
makes Youtube videos about interesting laws and legal situations.

------
professorTuring
I was asking myself, how would I steal a mattress in a hotel?

Probably buying a new one, the cheapest for the size, I will exchange
packaging, make the bed and... profit?

How long till the staff detect it?

~~~
chiph
Open a window, have your friend waiting down below ready to catch it?

~~~
asdff
You can open a window in a hotel?

~~~
culturestate
Like many other things, it depends on some combination of which hotel you're
staying in and where you are in the world. There are plenty of places that
would be suffocating if you couldn't open a window.

That said, if this were _my_ mattress theft scheme I'd probably prefer to
source a suite that had a usable balcony rather than worry about the windows.

------
paultopia
What I want to know is what five-star hotel doesn't have someone at the
reception desk 24 hours?

~~~
CaptainZapp
Items, like matresses, are usually stolen in hotels with direct access from
the room to the parking garage.

~~~
asdff
What the hell is the point of all this effort and drama for a used mattress?
You can find a great online order mattress for the price of a night at one of
these hotels.

------
soapboxrocket
I'm more likely to believe that its employees stealing the mattresses than
guests. And not because of social economic reasons, but because I think it's a
lot easier for employees to sneak out a mattress than a guest.

------
gatherhunterer
There is no link to the actual data in the article ([https://www.wellness-
heaven.de/wellness/study-theft-in-hotel...](https://www.wellness-
heaven.de/wellness/study-theft-in-hotels/)) and even it claims that mattresses
were the least commonly-stolen items on the list. It also provides no
information on frequency of theft. Are there 300 pens stolen for every one
mattress? Fewer than 1 in 20 4 and 5-star hotels even reported mattress theft.
Bereft of meaningful data and fluffed up with speculation, this is out of
place on HN.

~~~
andykx
Frankly, even a single mattress theft is absurd. What are the logistics of
that?

------
reaperducer
There have been a few hotels where I've wanted to take home the bed or the
bedding. (The Marriott in Brussels FTW)

Fortunately, most high-end hotels allow you to purchase their stuff online.

~~~
qes
I haven't actually measured, but I would swear the mattresses are smaller than
standard sizes as well. Every king bed hotel room I've stayed in for the past
decade is certainly smaller than my king bed at home.

Timeshares and resorts are hit or miss, personal rentals like AirBnB are often
normal mattresses, but hotels must be buying some weird hotel only stock where
they undersize the mattresses enough to save money in volume but little enough
where they feel like they can get away with still labeling them standard
sizes.

------
poulsbohemian
I'm disappointed given the headline that there wasn't any mention of the make
of mattresses that are being stolen. We bought a new mattress about a year ago
and sampled some in the $20K+ (yes!) range just for the fun of it. If these
are legit 5 star luxury hotels experiencing mattress theft, they could be of
the same cost variety. We like our much less expensive one a lot better, even
if it isn't the same model that was on the Titanic or used by royalty.

~~~
adwi
There are 10,000 mattress stores in America—for reference there are 14,000
Starbucks [0].

The markup must be sky-high to sustain that, and I‘d assume hotels buying
factory direct at a fraction of retail.

Never mind the product tie-ins mattress companies do with hotels [1] (which is
pretty genius... how often do you really get to test a new mattresses?)

[0]
[https://www.npr.org/transcripts/676543180?storyId=676543180?...](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/676543180?storyId=676543180?storyId=676543180)

[1] [https://www.serta.com/mattresses/hotel-
collections](https://www.serta.com/mattresses/hotel-collections)

~~~
fnord77
Yes, the markup is huge.

There's a local retailer that sells "natural" latex mattresses for about
$2200.

You can find sites online where you can buy all the components and make your
own latex mattress ("make" being stack the components in the outer shell and
zip it closed) for under $500 shipped.

------
gergely
Why would anyone ever want a mattress permanently that was possibly used for
sex by other people countless times?

~~~
selectodude
I'm not sure these people are at the point in their lives where they demand
un-fucked-on furniture.

~~~
optimuspaul
I'm guessing that there is also a segment of society that already-fucked-on
furniture is a plus.

------
bertab
Here is the original source (results of the survey): [https://www.wellness-
heaven.de/wellness/study-theft-in-hotel...](https://www.wellness-
heaven.de/wellness/study-theft-in-hotels/)

------
gregoriol
So five star hotels don't have... security? cameras? How can someone move
something big like a mattress or a tv out of the hotel without being
noticed?.. That's a horrible security mistake on the hotels' side!

~~~
lotsofpulp
Litigating against someone who steals from a hotel costs more than just
banning the person.

Hence, checking IDs and credit cards at hotels to make it easier to ban
people.

I'm surprised hotel chains don't have a nationwide blacklist.

~~~
ehnto
I suspect people planning to steal a mattress didn't use their real name and
credit card.

~~~
lotsofpulp
Forging government IDs and credit cards would dissuade many people, especially
with the difficult in cloning the chips in credit cards.

~~~
dylan604
Is the cloning of the chip actually necessary if the POS device is a swipe
only unit? It is amazing how many retailers/vendors still do not accept chip.
My current debit card is chip enabled, and works fine using the chip. However,
it is now old enough that the mag stripe is worn off enough that the swipe
only readers cannot read the information. I'm constantly being asked if I have
another card to use. I always sarcastically ask if they have a different POS
device to use that is modern with a chip reader.

~~~
ehnto
I'm not sure what causes it, but Australia always seems to be really
homogeneous regarding tech at the POS. As soon as NFC enabled EFTPOS was
available from the banks, it felt like everyone already had the POS machine
that could read them and chips.

I can't imagine going somewhere and having to use the swipe. Even some dinky
rural bodega will have a swanky touch screen EFTPOS machine. I am thinking the
banks must cover the cost.

~~~
qes
> I am thinking the banks must cover the cost.

Rented, like your cable box. I'm not sure who funds the initial cost of new
equipment, but as a retailer you'd just get new units in the mail.

------
DonHopkins
Maybe they just don't want room service finding all the blood on the mattress
and reporting it to the police.

------
NullPrefix
Do they swap it with a cheap model or just take it and run?

~~~
zmzrr
I assume they just put it in their suitcase when they leave? At least here
they don't check the room until you're gone. People stealing sheets and towels
is a classic.

~~~
gburdell3
Ah yes, the old "mattress in the suitcase" trick.

~~~
zmzrr
Oh my god, I feel so stupid. I don't know why I read duvet, not mattress.
That's funny though.

~~~
lucb1e
My Ikea mattress came rolled up very small. Not quite suitcase-sized, but if
you find a way to get close to such a size using simple tools (something you
can fit in a backpack or carry-on), I can see this happening. One wouldn't
need a human-size suitcase to pull that off.

Note that this is based on mental estimations of a ten year old memory. I may
be off about how small it was, but I think the estimation should be accurate
in essence.

------
quotha
1) Scratch 1 day off from your stay at a luxury hotel

2) Buy a Casper

------
systemtest
I feel guilty stealing a used bar of soap from the hotel.

I would punish myself for decades if I stole a mattress.

------
rolltiide
I’ve been thoroughly surprised by how much I can do to a hotel room that
doesn’t result in any “incidental” charges

So I’ve definitely upped the ante and I guess others have taken it to a
further extreme

I think a lot of hotels are a conduit for phantom customers as an accounting
convenience so this stuff really isnt a priority

~~~
hammock
>phantom customers as an accounting convenience

You referring to money laundering? Accounting fraud?

~~~
rolltiide
in the universe of obfuscating the origin of funds those would be subsets of
it yes, but it doesn't have to have an illicit origin

