Overview
- Properties have used washable RFID tags in towels for more than a decade to deter theft, according to industry reporting.
- A photographed room notice in Europe tells guests towels are trackable and says incidents may be reported to authorities with penalties reaching €15,000.
- A case at the Nairobi Hilton was reported to have resulted in a two-year jail sentence for a guest who took two towels.
- One hotel cited a drop in monthly towel thefts from about 4,000 to 750 after tagging, claiming around $16,000 in monthly savings.
- Hotels also describe losses of high-value items such as televisions, mattresses and even lobby pianos, prompting broader loss-prevention measures.