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We know some people whose entire linen closets look like they’ve been stocked from “accidentally packed” towels and robes from hotels. Well, Linen Technology Tracking, a Miami-based company, wants to put an end to the surprisingly common crime of snatching a hotel’s good linen. They’ve invented small waterproof chips that can be implanted in towels and robes to detect theft.
In Transit, the New York Times’ travel blog, reports the company has patented an RFID tracking chip that can easily be sewn into hotel linens, even bed sheets.
Company president William Serbin says the technology is being used only in three hotels right now — in Miami, Manhattan, and Honolulu — but declines to name which ones. He says the Honolulu property has seen the theft of pool towels plummet from 4,000 a month to just 750 since introducing the technology. That’s a savings of $16,000.
However, the technology isn’t used simply to keep guests honest. It can be used to service them as well, by alerting the hotel when a room might need more towels.
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