Dan Marsula, Post-Gazette Click photo for larger image.

Thieves recently lugged a 176-pound, 18-karat gold bathtub from an upscale Japanese inn without getting caught. That may be the height of brazenness, but hoteliers say there is practically nothing that can't "walk" out of a guest room.

Towels, bathrobes, pillows, bed linens, light bulbs, desk lamps, radios, ironing boards, rolls of toilet paper, TV remotes -- even an occasional flat screen monitor -- have all been lifted by larcenous guests.

It's not as though anyone stashed the glittering basin, valued at $987,000, in their suitcase and strolled out the front door of Hotel Mikazuki in Kamogawa. But that's the tactic favored by hotel guests who leave their room with bags that are heavier than when they came in.

Guest thefts cost more than $100 million a year in the $115 billion hotel industry, according to Joe McInerney, president of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

The Omni William Penn deterred a thief who was dragging a floral arrangement out the Grant Street exit in 2001, said Bob Page, director of marketing for the hotel. The person was not a hotel guest.

But he said theft at the Downtown landmark is rare -- just an occasional towel or robe. "We have pretty tight security. There is always someone walking around. It is difficult to get something out of a hotel. A hotel is a 24-hour operation."

He is amazed that the thieves in Japan got the massive tub out of the hotel without being spotted.

A manager of the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel, Downtown, said they only have occasional theft of towels and robes. The hotel puts a note in the closet that tells guest they can buy a robe for $65. "Our entrance is one way in and one way out," said Tom Hemer, director of sales and marketing for the Renaissance. "We don't have an issue here. We have cameras throughout the hotel."

But he recalls working at another Pittsburgh hotel 10 years ago and was stunned to learn that someone was trying to walk out the front door with a plush lobby chair that cost about $1,000. A guest also tried to walk off with a floral arrangement in the lobby, so that hotel affixed the vase to the table.

	Associated Press A glittering bathtub made of gold, worth $987,000, was stolen from the 10th floor of a hotel south of Tokyo on May 30. Click photo for larger image.

Sometimes people will lift something whimsical. Andrew Sliben, director of sales and marketing for the Sheraton Station Square, said he hasn't seen any serious theft at the hotel. But someone stole a "quiet" sign posted at the elevator -- the sign had a woman saying "shhh" and asking guests to please be quiet between 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

"We joke that she is the 'Shhh Lady.' You say, why would anyone take that?"

Last fall, someone stole a 20-foot banner proclaiming "You are in Steeler Country." The security camera caught the banner being moved, but it wasn't big enough to catch the face of the Steeler-rabid thief.

Owners of the Morning Glory Bed and Breakfast on the South Side said they have only had a few isolated incidents of theft in 10 years -- a throw over the piano and a cane in the hallway. Tom Eshelman, co-owner, thinks most B&B patrons would never think of stealing.

"In a hotel, some people have the attitude that you can do as much as you can get away with. That doesn't happen at a bed-and-breakfast. It is a personal touch."

The hotel industry, however, has become more adept at preventing theft by the small percentage of dishonest guests, and has come a long way since the days when thieves would truck up to a hotel room and empty it out. Mr. McInerney, who has run numerous hotels over the years, said hotels today are constructed with corridors that lead to a lobby rather than rooms that lead to the outside. Other hotels secure valuables in place, and some have taken their names off robes or glassware to reduce the cachet.

The other deterrent is the industry's transition to strictly credit card transactions. "Having a credit card on record is good insurance," Mr. McInerney said. "At check-in, hotels run a credit report of the card to make sure it's valid and has sufficient available balance. They freeze a portion of that balance to cover likely charges, but it also essentially provides them with a line of credit if something turns up missing after the guest departs."

While Japanese police have no idea who absconded with the golden tub, it is easier to track theft of ordinary room items.

Cleaning staff are trained to inventory items in rooms and report anything that's missing, and Mr. McInerney says hotels have become much more aggressive about posting after-charges to a guest's credit card. Being billed for a robe or hair dryer that found its way into a suitcase certainly dissuades would-be thieves.

On the other hand, many hotels try to differentiate themselves by providing high-end toiletries and other upscale amenities meant to be used by guests during their stays and taken upon departure.

But not everything is fair game. One hotel chain says to follow the rule of S's: soaps, shampoos, shower caps and slippers are yours, but not sheets or shower curtains.

With the prices hotels are charging, many guests consider taking home a tiny bottle of shampoo or lotion as only getting their money's worth.

Any item that has been partially used is not a problem, especially because it will likely wind up in the trash if left behind.

"Anything with a broken seal must be thrown out," Mr. McInerney said. "so guests are welcome to take them home. On the other hand, taking extra bottles off the attendant's cart constitutes theft."

But shampoo pilfering isn't exactly something most hotels enforce. "I take them too," Mr. Hemer of the Renaissance said. "We do not consider it theft."

Sometimes, guests take extra toiletries to give to charity. Marjorie Wells, a 74-year-old retired nurse in Midlothian, Va., and other church members collect hotel shampoo, conditioner and moisturizer -- add their own toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant -- and give the toiletries to the homeless. They belong to a charitable group called Caritas.

But she still regrets the one time she took a souvenir for herself 50 years ago -- a wooden hanger with the logo of the Swiss hotel where she was staying.

"It made a great souvenir, but now I wish I hadn't. It was such a cheap payment for my integrity."

An informal poll on Post-Gazette.com confirmed that most people are comfortable taking home toiletries but not other items.

Of the 468 readers who responded, the most commonly taken items were toiletries, 74 percent (345); pens, tablets and other stationery, 11 percent (50); unused packets of coffee and tea, 6 percent (28); sewing kits and shoe wipes, 4 percent (18); hangers, 1 percent (4); and Do Not Disturb signs, 2 percent (9). Only 2 percent (9) admitted to tucking a towel or robe in their suitcases and three readers said they took ashtrays, coasters. None walked out with shower caps or slippers.

While it's unlikely a guest will be dunned for snagging a few extra bars of soap, more hotels are making it easy to purchase amenities they've enjoyed during their stay. Hilton, Marriott and Starwood chains peddle their bedding, towels, even bath accessories online. It's become big business, generating an extra $500 million in annual revenue.