Money, clothes, mobile phones and jewelry are the most common items guests leave behind in the rush of checking out. But in some instances, housekeeping come across some very strange things.

THE FAIRMONT SINGAPORE

The items: One guest had left a goldfish; another left tubes of fake blood.

What happened to them? A room attendant adopted the fish, while the fake blood was presumably thrown away (or perhaps, kept for the next Holloween party).

NOVOTEL HOTEL FIJI

The item: A baby

What happened to it? The infant was later reunited with its parents, who, according to shocked staff, did not seem at all agitated about the incident.

THE PENINSULA HONG KONG

The item: False teeth

What happened to it? The owner rang up Housekeeping to enquire about it, and the hotel immediately sent back the “accessory” through the post.

SWISSOTEL SINGAPORE

The items: A hermit crab was found in the bathroom sink and in another room, four pigeons were discovered.

What happened to them? The crab was kept for three days by Housekeeping. The birds were apparently used in a magic show in the ballroom the day before they were found. Both were eventually sent to an animal care centre.

TRAVELODGE, the UK budget chain

The item: It has had a record number of teddy bears – 75,000 – left behind at its 452 hotels in the past year. To find out the reason behind the nation’s fascination with the toys, the company surveyed 6,000 Britons. Key findings revealed that 35 percent of adults admitted they slept with their teddy because they found cuddling their bear comforting. Also, the calming feeling of a bear hug also helps them to de-stress after a hard day. A quarter of male respondents reported they took their teddy bear away with them when going away on business. It reminded them of home and a bear cuddle helped them to nod off as they missed a bedtime cuddle from their partner.

In addition, over a quarter of adults, 26 percent, used a teddy bear hot water bottle so that they could have a warm bear hug to help them sleep. Psychologist Corrine Sweet said: “Cuddling a teddy bear is an important part of our national psyche as it evokes a sense of peace, security and comfort. It’s human nature to crave these feelings from childhood to adult life, which is why 35 percent of British adults sleep with their teddy bear. It’s not surprising, then, that taking a cuddly bear on a business trip is so popular, even among men.”

…AND STRANGER THAN FICTION

 In Australia, a female guest checked out, leaving her partner hand-cuffed to the bed following a tremendous row the night before.

Divya Hiranandani