Where would you find an Indian wedding necklace made of £50 notes, a tartan wedding dress, a golf buggy, a 5ft wedding cake piñata, two tickets to Houston, Texas, a British shorthair blue kitten called Rocky and a life-size Yoda doll?
Where else but Scotland Travelodge Lost & Found offices?!
Today, the UK’s first budget hotel chain, Travelodge, has revealed some of the interesting items left behind in its 582 hotels – including its 44 hotels in Scotland during the last 12 months.
With millions of people annually staying in a Travelodge hotel across the length and breadth of the UK detailed below are some of the unusual treasures that have been left behind in Travelodge’s 44 Scottish hotels
- A 5ft wedding cake piñata
- A castle made of shortbread
- A 5ft family tree piece of artwork A Newspaper from 1998 when Scotland last reached the World Cup
- A doctor’s coat
- A Burberry trench coat
- A wall flower made from Scottish flowers
- A 55 year-old stamp collection
- Diamond Rolex watch
- A Bonsai tree
- DJI inspire Drone
- A kaleidoscope
- A collection of Scottish football cards
With the Staycation being a top holiday choice in 2021, Travelodge hotel staff north of the Border have reported a significant rise in holiday items being left behind in their hotels during the last 12 months.
Some of the interesting finds include a suitcase full of shortbread left at Glasgow Queen Street Travelodge, a large jar labelled ‘Loch Ness Fresh Air’ at Inverness Central Travelodge, a treasure chest full of Scottish souvenirs at Edinburgh Central Travelodge and a diary documenting one holidaymaker’s Scottish adventures in the summer of 2021 when travelling from Glasgow to Fort William.
The 2021 Scottish Travelodge Lost & Found audit has also revealed a growing trend of wedding-related items being left behind by brides, grooms and wedding guests across the company’s 44 Scottish hotels. A newlywed couple staying at Edinburgh Airport Ratho Station Travelodge were in such a rush to get to the airport to catch their honeymoon flight to Houston, Texas, that they left behind their flight tickets in their hotel room. Luckily the hotel manager whizzed over to the terminal and reunited the couple with their tickets
A bridesmaid staying at Glasgow Queen Street Travelodge had the important job of bringing the bride’s Indian Wedding necklace made of £50 notes to the ceremony which she forgot, due to being too focused on her ‘bad hair day’. Luckily, the hotel receptionist arranged for a taxi to transport the traditional valuable wedding necklace in time for the vital ceremony.
A forgetful groom staying at Edinburgh Central Travelodge PLUS was in deep trouble with his new bride when he forgot to bring the bespoke 5ft wedding cake piñata to the wedding reception. Luckily, the hotel team, who love a challenge, stepped in and got the wedding cake piñata to the reception in time for the cake-cutting ceremony!
At Fort William Travelodge, the hotel manager had to go on a special mission to reunite a bride with her tartan wedding dress that she forgot to take to her wedding. The bride left the vital dress on the bed and only realised when she got make-up and hair ready at the wedding venue. Luckily, the hotel manager managed to save her big day.
Beloved pets still remain a firm favourite on the Travelodge Lost & Found inventory report. The 2021 audit includes a British shorthair blue kitten called Rocky being left behind at Dumfries Travelodge.
Rocky’s owner drove from Newcastle to pick Rocky from a specialist breeder and broke up the journey by staying over at Dumfries Travelodge. On departure morning, Rocky’s owner thought her sister had put him into her kitty car seat and they only realised when they were 50 miles into their journey back to Newcastle.
With more road warriors staying at Travelodge hotels than ever before, the hotel chain has seen a rise in items being left behind by workers across all sectors. This includes a doctor’s coat left behind at Glasgow Govan Travelodge Plus, a professional golfer forgetting his golf buggy at Elgin Travelodge, a leading topiary artist forgetting his prized 5ft family tree piece of artwork which was due to be exhibited at Dundee Strathmore Avenue Travelodge. Plus a philatelist left his priceless collection of 55 year-old stamp collection at Aberdeen Bucksburn Travelodge.
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: ‘In 2021, following Freedom Day, we welcomed back millions of customers to our 582 UK Travelodge hotels including our 44 properties in Scotland, and we saw a significant increase in bookings.
‘This has led to a range of interesting items being left behind by our customers across our UK hotels. This year’s Lost & Found audit includes a rise in holiday themed items, wedding props, precious sentimental items, smart gadgets and more. This includes a life-size Yoda, an Indian wedding necklace made of £50 notes, a tartan wedding dress, a 5ft wedding cake piñata and a British shorthair blue kitten called Rocky.
‘When it comes to why so many of our customers forget their treasured items, it’s basically due to us all being time poor, juggling multiple tasks and being in a hurry to get from A to B. In the rush, valuable possessions are easily forgotten.’
Listed below are the top 25 interesting items left behind at some of Travelodge’s 44 hotels in Scotland during 2021.
Here are the top ten most popular items left behind in Travelodge hotels during 2021:
Chargers for mobile phones, smart devices, kindles and laptops; Mobile phones, tablets and Kindles; Books; Teddy Bears; Toiletry bags with contents; Jewellery; Clothing; Toys; Business papers / notebooks / presentations; and gifts / presents.
All items left behind in Travelodge hotels which have not been claimed within three months are donated to the local British Heart Foundation Charity Shops, Travelodge’s nominated charity partner.
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