There are numerous adorable stories on the internet about hotels returning children's left-behind items, like this one about a teddy bear, but the reality is—sometimes your child just leaves something behind and you need to contact the hotel to send it back.
Here's our not-so-adorable story but one that still has a very happy ending.
THE MISSING ITEM
My daughter has had this brown and pink blanket since birth. It was what we wrapped her up in on her very first flight, it was her stroller blanket, it was her roll-around on the ground mat. It is her everything. She is ten now and still sleeps with “Brown Gaga” every night. (She was obsessed with colors at a young age, hence Brown “Gaga.” Not sure where the Gaga part came from. Gaga also goes by the nickname Gagie to add further detail to this “Missing Persons report.)
As usual, packing up three children after six days of fun in the sun in Oahu at the Four Seasons at Ko'Olina was a bit of a mad scramble. I managed to pack up their suitcases and mine, but I left them largely on their own to assemble their backpacks. And in the dash to get out the door and into the rental car, Brown Gaga was left behind.
GONE GAGA
Except we didn't know it right away. Two days after we got home, my daughter mentioned it was missing but we just assumed we tossed everything in the laundry and that Gagie would turn up. But by the third day with all the laundry done and no Gagie, we knew she was missing.
I first called the Honolulu Airport Lost and Found. Amazingly, someone answered and checked the Lost & Found bin. Sadly, no sign of Brown Gaga. Then I filed a lost and report with United Airlines online to check the plane since my daughter said she thought she took it out on the plane.
Lastly, I emailed the concierge at Four Seasons Oahu and sure enough, four days after we checked-out, we learned that housekeeping had stored Brown Gaga in their lost and found.
REUNITED
The concierge then sent a form email requesting to have the blanket shipped backed to us for about $18. Not too bad. Brown Gaga was returned a few days later and we had a happy ending.
LESSON LEARNED
Even if your children seem like they are old enough to pack up themselves, make sure their most treasured items are indeed packed away. 😊
