A recent incident from Bali has gone viral after hotel staff at Asvara Resort Ubud stopped four Indian tourists during checkout. They found that there were several items which were missing from the rooms and later discovered them inside the guests’ luggage.
In the video, staff can be seen opening the bags and taking out non-complimentary items like towels, robes, and even a hairdryer. The clip quickly spread online, and many people reacted strongly to what they saw.
Although local police said the matter was settled peacefully after all items were returned, the incident has again raised questions about hotel etiquette and what guests are actually allowed to take.
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What happened in Bali hotel incident
According to News18 reports, the incident happened at a resort in Bali, where hotel staff noticed that several items were missing from the rooms. During checkout, they checked the luggage of four Indian tourists and found things like bath towels, pool towels, robes, a hairdryer, a doormat, a TV remote box, tableware, and other reusable items.
The incident caused a lot of reactions on social media, with many people calling it embarrassing. However, authorities later said that no official case was filed because all the items were returned and the matter was settled peacefully.
INDIAN TOURISTS DO NOT LEARN ðŸ¤ðŸ»ðŸ¤ðŸ»
— Tarun Gautam (@TARUNspeakss) April 21, 2026
Indian tourists, who stayed at Ubud, Bali (Indonesia) were caught by hotel-staff stealing stuff from the hotel.
Why would you go to a foreign country and do such cheap act/crime??
This is embarrassing to watch as an Indian. pic.twitter.com/ETtxJArCgl
Understanding hotel etiquette
As a tourist, it is very important to understand that paying for a hotel room does not mean you can take anything you want from there. Guests should know the difference between hotel property and items meant for personal use.
The simple rule is: you may keep small, disposable “freebies" meant for personal use during your stay, but not anything that is part of the room’s fixtures, reusable equipment, or shared property.
Items you are allowed to take home from your hotel room
Some items in a hotel room are complimentary, which means guests are allowed to use them and take them home. These usually include mini toiletries like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, lotion, and shower caps. Disposable slippers are also allowed since they are meant for one-time use.
Guests can also take small items like tea, coffee, sugar sachets, and bottled water kept in the room. Along with this, small stationery items such as pens and notepads, as well as magazines, brochures, and postcards, are generally okay to carry.
Items you are not allowed to carry home
Some items in a hotel room are not allowed to be taken because they belong to the hotel. These include things like towels, bathrobes, bed sheets, pillows, blankets, and doormats, as they are used again for other guests.
Guests should also not take room items like lamps, mirrors, clocks, or decorations. Appliances such as hairdryers, irons, kettles, TV remotes, and mini-fridges must stay in the room. Even items like plates, glasses, spoons, and refillable bottles or dispensers are not allowed to be taken.
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The Bali incident shows why good manners while travelling are important. If you know what you can take and what you cannot, you can avoid feeling embarrassed and stay respectfully in a hotel.
As more people travel, such incidents remind everyone to follow simple rules and respect shared places, so the experience is better for all.
