Light fingered guests proving costly

Forget the sachets of shampoo and conditioner, it's the theft of pillows, hair dryers, television remotes and towels that have Bay motel and hotel owners angry.

Bennetts Tauranga Motor Inn owner John Pidduck said some people acted as though taking items were included in the room fee.

"If you factored it into your pricing then it would probably be another $10 per night."

Some guests even swapped items for their older and worse-off item from home.

"They actually take their own pillows into the motel and swap them out for my new ones," said Mr Pidduck.

"People would help themselves to the hair dryers," he said, now choosing to hold them at the office to prevent theft from the rooms.

"They swap towels as well."

Co-owner of Academy Motor Inn Gladys Simmons said she has also had to deal with people stealing towels.

"They just take them as souvenirs."

Manager of Fountain Court Motel, Donna, said the most bizarre theft she noticed was people switching new can openers with their cheap ones from home.

Tauranga Motel Association president Gail Fagan said there would always be a bit of theft in the industry, however had not experienced too much of it at her Bay Palm Motel apart from a rug taken from one of the rooms.

Other motel owners in Tauranga said they protected themselves from theft by collecting credit card and contact details so any theft could be followed up.