Over the years, I’ve left so many things behind in hotels, at airports, and on airplanes, and rarely have I ever been reunited with them. But my long-lost Apple AirPods Pro have returned, marking a rare hotel lost and found success story.
A Hotel Lost & Found Sucess Story
You might recall I recently stayed at the Casa Cipriani in New York City. The morning I checked out, I began my day as I often do at the gym, followed by the sauna and steam room.
I use Apple AirPod Pros when I exercise and I had taken them off and placed them in my locker. After the sauna and steam room, I showered and put on a hotel robe, grabbing the AirPods and placing them in the pocket of the robe.
That was my mistake.
I forgot that I had placed them there and when I got to the room, took off the robe and put on some clothes. Shortly thereafter, I checked out.
It wasn’t until several hours later that I needed to make a phone call, reached into my pocket for the AirPods, and found they were not there. I looked in my bag…also not there.
Then it hit me…it was in the robe. I was already at JFK Airport and my flight was about to leave. I used Apple’s Find My app to see if they were still at the hotel, then phoned the hotel (which promised to look) and followed up with an email.
A couple of hours later, while I was onboard the flight to Frankfurt, the hotel wrote back stating that the headphones had been located and asking me how I wanted them shipped.
I was relieved and told them to send it as cheaply as possible since I would be out of town for the next week.
When I returned home, the AirPods had arrived via FedEx.
CONCLUSION
I’m still pretty bad at leaving things behind (at least it wasn’t the passport this time…), but I’m happy to report that I’ve been reunited with my AirPods. Considering the number of items I’ve left behind over the years, I do wonder when I’ll learn to better inventory my things before I depart…
Thank you Casa Cipriani for keeping my AirPods safe and sending them back to me.
Have you been successful in being reunited with a lost item you left behind at a hotel?
Left my wife’s jacket in the closet at the JW in Houston. Didn’t notice til we were close to the airport and not enough time to turn back. Phoned up and told them we’d be back the following week in Houston for a night. Came back to Houston the next week and sure enough, they had located it and kept it for us.
Follow up to that, we’ve also left my wife’s iPad in a hotel in Villamoura, Portugal and a Fire Stick remote at a Marriott in Amsterdam, all successfully returned. We’ve also left our passports in the safe of our hotel in London. We’ve been very lucky in regards to having things returned. Also, very forgetful at the same time.
I am very particular with my personal belongings and rarely lose anything. I travel light and use a Rimowa amenity bag for all my cables and small electronics including the Air Pods. BTW, you can set up Find My app to alert you when the Air Pods are left behind. It works really well.
A slight error frequently made on blogs. “Then it hit me…it was in the robe” should be “Then it hit me…they were in the robe.”
Whew! Good thing you called right away – I’d have been afraid they went into the laundry.
I’m very good at leaving books on the plane lolllll. Left my passport once and realized after leaving the gate. Ran back and they wouldn’t let me back on the plane. Thankfully an attendant found it for me (sigh of relief)
I am frankly amazed that people manage to use wireless earphones without losing them all the time, I wouldn’t trust myself to notice if one fell from my pocket, or indeed my ear.
There was a story several years back on the items left behind in hotel rooms. One of the biggest offenders were phone chargers, cell phones, wallets, and keys. Since the chargers were of minimum value, the guest would blow it off.
The reporter picked up on the story when she politely inquired at the front desk if they had a spare charger as she had left her’s at home. The clerk at the front desk pulled out a shoe box filled to the brim with various chargers and offered any one of them as gratis. As for anything else left behind in the room, the hotel charged a flat $50 shipping fee. I would image it would be $75 today.