January 11, 2022 6.50 am This story is over 26 months old

Lost & found: The obscure items in Lincolnshire Travelodges

From Pikachu to a cheese wedding cake
The Travelodge on Tentercroft Street.
By Local Democracy Reporter

The lost and found section of a hotel can unearth some truly unusual sights, and in Travelodge’s across Lincolnshire it is no different, with Star Trek costumes and a model of Lincoln Cathedral being just some of the bizarre findings.

Budget hotel chain Travelodge has revealed some of the interesting items left behind in its 582 hotels across the UK, including some peculiar finds across Lincolnshire.

Millions of people stay at Travelodge hotels annually, so it is only natural that a variety of characters leave things behind, from the important to the head-scratching.

Some of the more obscure finds in the lost and found sections across Lincolnshire were a model of Lincoln Cathedral, a wedding bouquet and a five tier wedding cake made from cheese, all at Lincoln City Centre Travelodge.

| Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

At the Thorpe on the Hill site, there was a 6ft Christmas tree, complete with decorations, and a handwritten book of cake recipes, while Sleaford served up a set of company accounts.

In Gainsborough there was a set of medals left behind in the same hotel where a large Pikachu figurine was forgotten about, while in Newark on Trent there was a collection of bespoke perfumes and a Star Trek costume. Nope, me either.

Lincolnshire isn’t the only place in the UK to offer up truly bizarre tales in the Travelodge Lost & Found audit for 2021, as a newlywed couple in Birmingham were in such a rush to catch their honeymoon flight that they left behind their Nikah Nama (an Islamic marriage certificate).

Perhaps most alarming of all was in Manchester Central Travelodge, where a Pomsky dog called Beyoncé was left behind. The owner thought her sister had put Beyoncé, no not that one, into her carseat, and only realised her error 50 miles into their journey home to Leamington Spa.

Shakila Ahmed from Travelodge said: “In 2021, following Freedom Day, we welcomed back millions of customers to our 582 UK Travelodge hotels including our hotels in Lincoln, and we saw a significant increase in bookings.

“This has led to a range of interesting items being left behind by our customers across our UK hotels. This year’s Lost & Found audit includes a rise in
holiday themed items, wedding props, precious sentimental items, smart gadgets and beloved pets.

“When it comes to why so many of our customers forget their treasured items, it’s basically due to us all being time poor, juggling multiple tasks and being in a
hurry to get from A to B. In the rush, valuable possessions are easily forgotten.”