Where would you find a prenuptial agreement, a set of 24 carat gold Indian Gods, deeds to a £2 million house, a set of exclusive trial yoghurt flavours that have not been launched to the public, a £5,000 Vera Wang wedding dress and a pet tarantula called Hercules - where else but Travelodge’s Lost & Found office!
Today, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, Travelodge, has announced the mysterious objects left behind in its 500 UK hotels during 2013. With over 16 million people staying with Travelodge each year, some of the booty that has been left behind includes:
· A premarital agreement
· An owl called Hedwig
· A set of 24 carat gold Indian Gods
· A pet tarantula called Hercules in a bespoke travelling box
· A six foot piece of snake skin
· A set of trial yoghurt flavours from a major supermarket chain that have not yet been launched
· A brand new Vera Wang wedding dress worth £5,000
· A six foot wooden cross
· A suitcase of Prince George memorabilia
· A pantomime script for Sleeping Beauty
· A Vertu mobile phone
· A five foot Buddha
· A wooden foot
· A folder of tax returns
· Deeds to a property
· A suitcase of Geisha outfits
· A life size cardboard cut out of Joey Essex
· Rowing Boat Oars
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: “Each year our lost and found inventory report provides plenty of revelations. From deeds to a £2 million house, a set of 24 carat gold Indian Gods and a Vertu mobile phone right through to a pet tarantula and even exclusive yoghurt flavours which have not even been launched to the public, it’s evident what a cross section of people stay in our 500 hotels.
“Our 2013 left behind register also reveals how much smart technology has become a part of our everyday lives, as we have had nearly 10,000 tablets and smartphones left behind in our hotels in the last 12 months. This is a significant increase from previous years.
“What is becoming evident after speaking to our customers is that the pace of life has become so fast and we are so eager to get from A to B that valuable possessions are easily being forgotten.”
Listed below are the most bizarre items left behind at Travelodge hotels during 2013:
Brighton - A premarital agreement from a wealthy man who lived in Cheshire which listed an extensive spousal maintenance package if the marriage didn’t work out.
Frimley - A guest who left their pet owl called Hedwig after visiting a Country Show where it was being exhibited.
Leicester Central - A set of 24 carat Indian Gods (Ganesha, Shiva, Hanuman, Durga and Lakshmi).
Colwyn Bay - A pet tarantula called Hercules.
Fort William - A 6ft long piece of snake skin from a rattlesnake.
London Marylebone - An exclusive range of new yoghurt flavours from a test team from a very well known supermarket. These flavours are not in production.
Torquay - An unworn ‘Vera Wang’ wedding dress as worn by Kim Kardashain, value approx £5,000. Unfortunately, we could not track the customer down. The hotel manager wrote to the customers via letter which was returned as ‘unknown address’ we contacted the wedding dress shop to see if customer left any details. Still no claimant.
Tewkesbury - A 6ft wooden cross that was used in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
London Marylebone - A suitcase of memorabilia to mark the birth of Prince George left by a foreign visitor.
Aylesbury Central - A pantomime script for Sleeping Beauty.
London Bank - A Vertu mobile worth £10K which was still in its packaging.
Southampton Central - A 3ft jewel encrusted Buddha that was a family heirloom. The family were moving house and stayed over in the Travelodge to break up their journey and left the Buddha behind by mistake. He was collected the following day by the haulage company.
Cardiff Atlantic Wharf - A wooden foot which was wearing an old orange sock. (The foot was a lucky charm for a method actor who took it to all of his performances so help bring him good luck).
Ashford - A folder of Tax returns for the last 20 years.
Guildford - Deeds to a £2 million house which were left beside a photo album of a large house in the country.
London Covent Garden - A suitcase of Geisha outfits for a wedding.
Chelmsford - A suitcase containing a collection of Beatles records & A life size cardboard cut out of Joey Essex from the Only Way is Essex.
Ringwood - A bus pass from the Netherlands – The owner collected the bus pass 10 months later but called the hotel every month to ensure they still had it. Interestingly the expiry date expired within the 10 month window.
Blyth - An antique family heirloom ring which dated back to the 19th Century. The owner booked a car from Edinburgh to come to Blyth Travelodge to pick up the ring when she discovered that she had left it behind.
Chichester - A diamond encrusted ring.
London Covent Garden - An iPad 3 – the couple who left the tablet flew back from Italy to pick it up. (This was left on the day the iPad 3 was launched to the public and the couple had come to the Apple store in Covent Garden to purchase it).
Cambridge Newmarket Road - A pair of rowing boat oars.
Dorking - A disabled walker aid – Interestingly the customer left without it.
Edinburgh Airport - A box of Viagra tablets. (The gentleman travelled back from Fife to collect the tablets as soon as he discovered that he had left them behind.)
Edinburgh Queen Street - A diamond sapphire ring which was used for a marriage proposal. The proposal was accepted and the pair are due to marry in 2015.
Manchester Central - A life size grizzly cuddly bear (A special courier was sent to pick up the bear as the bear belonged to a party planning company. The bear was in the city to make a special appearance at a party).
Macclesfield - A battery operated Ferrari car, which had been especially painted with a bespoke design for a little boys 5th birthday.
Portsmouth - A wedding cake made from 12 cheeses which was shipped over from France by the bridal party.
Birmingham Airport - A collection of four mannequins which were left by a designer after the Clothes Show.
Newcastle Central - A lady left behind a bag of four bespoke lipsticks. She sent a 24 hour courier to collect them and arranged for them to be sent via air mail to USA so that they arrived at the same time as she did.
Reading M4 East - A framed bespoke Mother’s Day poem from a daughter to her mother.
London Euston - A collection of sculptures made from towels replicating London’s top landmarks.
Blackpool South Shore - A gentleman left a collection of women’s wigs & a castle made from Blackpool Rock.
Warrington Gemini Park - A customer travelled from London to pick up a green dragon cuddly toy as it was very important to her little boy and he would not go to sleep without him.
Bodmin Roche - A Cornishman Digital Hornby Train Set worth £250 still in its packaging.
Birmingham Bull Ring - A life size chocolate man.
London Marylebone - A collection of ladies clothes made from balloons which were used for a carnival procession.
Listed below are the top ten most popular items left behind in Travelodge hotels during 2013:
· Chargers
· Mobile phones
· Books
· Laptops / tablets / kindles
· Pyjamas / clothing
· Toiletry bags
· Teddy bears
· Electric toothbrushes
· Bags / suitcases
· Sat navs
All items left behind in Travelodge hotels which have not been claimed within three months, are donated to local charity shops.
Travelodge has also reported that during the last 12 months, 22,648 books have been left behind in 38,000 of its hotel rooms. The most popular book left behind was the third in the Fifty Shades trilogy, Fifty Shades Freed.
Ends
For further information, please contact:
Travelodge Press Office on 01844 358 703 or email:pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk