Have you ever lost something in a hotel room?

• Men are more forgetful than women
• Smaller possessions are most likely to be left behind

TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2016 /CNW/ - Did you ever get that sinking feeling while travelling because you left something behind in your hotel room? You're not alone; a new Choice Hotels Canada^® survey* reveals that nearly half of Canadians admit to leaving a personal belonging in a hotel room while on the go.

The Leger survey questioned Canadians on their travel habits and found that 43 per cent have forgotten personal belongings in hotel rooms when they're away from home.

Albertans were the most forgetful of all, with 51 per cent saying they've left belongings behind while only 32 per cent of Quebecers have done the same.

"It's easy to forget items in your hotel room," said Julie Chan-McConnell, Director, Marketing and Loyalty at Choice Hotels Canada. "If it's important or valuable, our hotel staff do everything they can to return the belonging to its owner, but more often people leave minor items behind like toothbrushes. If you check into one of our hotels and are missing a toothbrush or other small personal items, the front desk will be happy to help find or source a replacement."

We forget the little things

It turns out toothbrushes are the most common belonging travellers forget in hotel rooms (18 per cent), but the next most common are phone chargers (15 per cent). A lot of people would rather have dirty teeth than an uncharged phone. If you're one of them, always check your hotel room's electrical outlets before you depart.

So what else are people forgetting? Here are the most common personal belongings people reported as lost during a recent hotel stay:

• Sunglasses (14 per cent)
• Books (10 per cent)
• Hats (9 per cent)
• Makeup (8 per cent)
• Shoes (7 per cent)
• Toys (7 per cent)
• Prescription glasses (6 per cent)
• Goggles (2 per cent)
• Wallets (2 per cent)

Men forget more often than women

Women probably won't be surprised to learn that men are more likely to report they've forgotten personal belongings in hotel rooms. While only 38 per cent of women say they've left items behind while travelling, 48 per cent of men say they have done so.

Harried parents also forget personal belongings when they check out of their rooms. People with children have a higher than average chance of leaving items behind in hotels, with 50 per cent saying they've done so.

Youngsters are just as forgetful

They say people become more forgetful as they age, but that obviously doesn't include leaving belongings behind in hotel rooms; older respondents were a lot less likely to do so than younger ones. Only 32 per cent of travellers over 65 years old say they have left personal belongings in their hotel rooms while a substantial 56 per cent of those under 34 have done so.

While being forgetful happens from time to time, an easy thing to remember is the Choice Privileges^® rewards program. The redesigned program awards travellers with instant gift cards, which can be used right away to replace lost items while travelling. Choice Hotels also recently announced enhanced "Your Extras" partners, where guests can earn special rewards for midweek travel, including 500 bonus points or 100 airline miles (with participating carriers), making it easier to earn instant gift cards.

About the survey

An online survey* of 1,576 Canadians was conducted between Tuesday, May 24 to Thursday, May 26 2016 using LegerWeb. A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/- 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

About Choice Hotels:

Choice Hotels Canada™ is the nation's largest hotel franchisor with 340 properties currently open or under development. We are affiliated with Choice Hotels International, Inc^®, which franchises more than 6,300 hotels in 35 countries and territories worldwide. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection^®, Cambria^® hotels & suites, Comfort™, Comfort Suites^®, Sleep Inn^®, Quality^®, Clarion^®, MainStay Suites^®, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel^®, Econo Lodge^® and Rodeway Inn^® brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 27 million members and counting, check out our Choice Privileges^® rewards program to see how you can reap the benefits of being a member of the Choice Hotels^® family. All hotels are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information.

SOURCE Choice Hotels Canada Inc.

energi PR: Somya Anand, T: 416.425.9143 x 19, E: [email protected]; Choice Corporate: Vicky Rivers, T: 905.206.7333, E: [email protected]