Ethical Frugality Week: Hotel Visits
Over the upcoming week, I’ll be posting a series of articles on the ethics of frugality. How far can you take things without crossing an ethical line or diving into seriously socially unacceptable waters? I’ll be recounting some of my own stories – and some stories from readers – along the way.
“Maddie” writes in:
My husband and I stayed at a hotel for two nights recently. As we left, my husband packed all of the hotel shampoo, conditioner, coffee packs, plastic cups, soap, and so on into his bag. On the way out, he stopped in the pool room and picked up two towels. I didn’t mind the disposable items in our room, since they would likely be tossed, but I thought taking the towels was wrong and I told him so. What do you think? Is it right to take things like this from a hotel when you stay there?
As always, there are two sides to every story. Let’s look at them.
Taking such items is stealing. A stay at a hotel consists of permission to use their room and to use disposable items they offer you. It is not permission to simply take items on the premises that you want. It would be the equivalent of going to a friend’s house and taking the soap and shampoo and toothpaste and towels out of their bathroom and taking them with you.
Such items are part of the service you receive. You’re paying a substantial fee to stay there – and part of that fee is toiletry and other simple convenience products for your use. Not using them is essentially the same as paying for something at a store, then handing the item back to the store owner and saying, “No, thank you!” That’s frugal foolishness!
My ...
