Where would you find a Lord Mayor's chain, an urn full of ashes, a glass eye and a pet cat? Where else, but Travelodge's Lost and Found office.
The UK budget hotel chain, today announced the mysterious objects left behind in its hotels in 2007. With nearly seven million staying with Travelodge each year, some of the booty left behind also include: keys to a Bentley motor vehicle, a six foot by six foot remote control helicopter, a child, a suitcase full of diamond jewellery and a lucky charm Buddha. (The owner returned from Dubai to collect it because he was experiencing bad luck without it.)
Guy Parsons, Travelodge Chief Operating Officer said: "Each year our lost and found departments provide plenty of revelations. From a lucky charm Buddha to Bentley car keys, our customers' lefts behinds demonstrate what a cross section of people we serve. Whether they are making a quick stopover in one of our city hotels or a long weekend in the country, the property left behind can tell a million tales."
The ten most bizarre items left behind at Travelodge in 2007 include:
1. A Lord Mayor chain
2. An urn of ashes
3. A blue glass eye
4. A pet Persian cat called Princess
5. A child
6. A suitcase full of diamond jewellery
7. A lucky charm Buddha necklace
8. Keys to a Bentley
9. Six foot by Six foot remote control helicopter
10. A family heirloom antique gold necklace worth 12,000
The Travelodge lost and found office has noticed an increase in electrical gadgets and game consoles being left behind by customers in 2007 with the most popular items being: Sat Nav, iPod, Blackberry, Playstation, Nintendo DS and laptop.
The most common items left in a Travelodge room in 2007 include:
1. Mobile phone and chargers
2. Clothing items
3. Hen / Stag accessories / adult toys
4. Books
5. Toiletries
6. Laptops
7. Electrical gadgets - Sat Nav, Ipod, MP3 players, digital camera
8. Jewellery / watches
9. False teeth / limbs
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For further information, please contact:
Shakila Ahmed
Travelodge Press Office
T: 01844 358 703
E: pressoffice@travelodge.co.uk
Notes to editors:
- The lost and found items were calculated from property left from January 2007 to December 2007 across all Travelodge Hotels.
- Annually over six million customers stay with Travelodge