The European Hotel Association recently released a report detailing the most common left-behind items in hotels across the continent. Among the list were the usual suspects such as cell phone chargers and clothing items, but there were a few surprises that left hotel staff scratching their heads.
One of the more bizarre items that made the list was a set of dentures. Yes, you read that correctly. Apparently, someone was so forgetful that they left behind their very own teeth. It’s not entirely clear how someone manages to leave such an essential item behind, but it certainly provides a whole new meaning to the term “toothless grin.”
But wait, it gets even better. Another item that ended up on the list was a clown costume. Yes, a full-blown clown costume. Who stays in a hotel and decides to bring along a clown outfit? And why would they leave it behind? The mind boggles. On the bright side, maybe hotel staff can use it for some light entertainment during their downtime.
Other notable items that were left behind included a set of golf clubs, a stuffed toy giraffe, and a life-sized cut-out of David Hasselhoff. It’s unclear what kind of shenanigans the Hoff was getting up to, but we can only imagine.
Of course, there were more mundane items that made the list as well. For example, glasses and sunglasses were frequently left behind, as were books and magazines. It seems that some hotel guests just can’t resist the allure of a good read, even if it means leaving their beloved glasses behind in the process.
But back to the dentures for a moment. We can only imagine the panic that must have ensued when the owner realized they were without their pearly whites. Were they forced to gum their way through their vacation? Did they have to resort to eating only soft foods for the duration of their stay? The possibilities are endless.
The real question here is how does one go about getting their lost items back? Do they contact the hotel and hope that their dentures haven’t been thrown out in the interim? Or do they just cut their losses and resign themselves to a life without their clown costume?
One thing’s for sure, the hotel staff must have a lot of fun sorting through all the left-behind items. It’s like a real-life game of “What’s in the Box?” Except in this case, the box is a hotel room and the prize is a life-sized Hasselhoff cut-out.
In all seriousness, though, it’s understandable that people forget things when they’re traveling. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new place and forget something as essential as your dentures. But let’s hope that, in the future, hotel guests take a little more care to double-check that they have everything before they check out. Otherwise, they might just end up on the Hotel Association’s list of forgetful guests – and nobody wants that kind of notoriety.
