Simon Cowell: 'The Unauthorised Biography', 'Ooh! What a Lovely Pair' by Ant & Dec and 'The Storm: The World Economic Crisis and What It Means' by Vince Cable are the top three most readily discarded reads in UK hotel rooms a new report has revealed.
The annual 'books left behind index' by hotel chain Travelodge has revealed, topping the 2010 charts of its 'books left behind index' is 'The Unauthorised Biography' of music mogul millionaire and TV talent judge Simon Cowell. In this biography journalist, Chas Newkey-Burden lifts the lid and reveals what makes Mr Cowell the most influential player in the British and American entertainment industry.
In second place is the biography 'Ooh! What a lovely pair' by Britains most successful television duo Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly - better known as Ant & Dec. The book reveals a wealth of behind the scenes anecdotes from when the two Geordie lads first met in 1989 on the set of Biker Grove to becoming TV's hottest personalities.
The man who became Britain's poster boy of the credit crunch for his prescience and wit, Vince Cable has made third place with his best seller titled: 'The Storm The World Economic Crisis and What It Means' in which he explains the causes of the world economic crisis and how we should respond.
Listed below are the rest of the top ten reads left behind in Travelodge hotels over the last 12 months:
1. Simon Cowell The Unauthorised Biography Chas NewkeyBurden
2. Ooh What a lovely Pair Ant Dec
3. The Storm The World Economic Crisis and What it Means Vince Cable
4. The Lost Symbol Dan Brown
5. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Steig Larsoon
6. Breaking Dawn The Twilight Saga Stephenie Meyer
7. The Girl Who Played with Fire Steig Larsson
8. Eclipse Stephine Meyer
9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest Steig Larsson
10. Eat Pray Love Elizabeth Gilbert
Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: "In the last 12 months we have had over 20,000 books left behind in our 452 hotels. Interestingly this year more thriller books have been left behind in Travelodge hotels than ever before. Celebrity biographies have maintained their position within the forgotten books index but we have seen a big decline in 'Chicklit' books being left behind by customers. It seems Britons want a thrilling mystery in their lives.
"It's no surprise that Simon Cowells biography has topped our 2010 books left behind index as the nation is fascinated by this music mogul, TV producer and entrepreneur. People are intrigued on what makes him tick as has the Midas touch. Ant & Dec's biography came in second place. These two Geordie boys have won the hearts of Britons, they have been voted among the top 50 TV's greatest stars and people just cannot get enough of them. In third place was Vince Cable's book explaining the rational behind the credit crunch and this book has been a big hit with our business customers.
To obtain a better insight into why customers leave their books behind in Travelodge hotels, the hotel chain surveyed its hotel managers and findings revealed the top three reasons why customers leave their book behind are
1. They have finished reading the book and rather than carrying it back home they have left it for someone else to read.
2. They have genuinely left the book behind because it was hidden in the bed covers or fallen out of bed
3. They got bored reading the book and decided to leave it behind in the hotel room rather than carrying it around with them
To further investigate the nations desire to read in bed, Travelodge surveyed 6,000 British adults regarding their bed time reading pattern and findings revealed:
- Four of ten adults read in bed as it helps them to relax which aids a good nights sleep
- More women at 49 in contrast to 27 of men read in bed
- One in ten men prefer to listen to an audio book in bed
- One in ten women like their partner to read out loud to them in bed
- Fiction, autobiographies and romantic books are the most popular bed time reads
- A third of Britons reported they will take a best selling book away with them on holiday or on a business trip in order for them to look cool and up to date.
- A quarter of adults reported they argue regularly about lighting in bed as one partner wants to read and the other partner wants to go to sleep.
- One in ten adults reported they will wait for their partner to go to sleep and then put the light back on so that they can continue to read in bed.
Other key findings from the study among 452 Travelodge hotel managers revealed
- Hotels in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, London and Edinburgh had the most copies of Simon Cowells biography left behind.
- Hotels in Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh had the most copies of the Karma Sutra left behind.
- Hotels in Central London, Edinburgh and Cardiff had the most business books left behind.
- Hotels in Glasgow, Peterborough, Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Aberdeen and Blackpool had the most copies of English phrase books left behind.
- Leeds Central Travelodge had a suitcase of Mills & Boon books left behind which belonged to a high¬flying businessman.
End
For further information, please contact:
Shakila Ahmed
Travelodge
Notes to editors
The bedtime reading survey was conducted in July 2010 with 6,000 British adults
On average at least one book is left at a Travelodge hotel
452 hotels one book per week 452
In one month 1808 books are left behind which equates to 21,696 over 12 months.
Books that customers do not require are donated to the local charity shop