Sex and sex toys the new vibe at hotels

An increasing number of hotel and resort guests are being caught having sex on plainly-visible security cameras, according to a survey by the Novotel chain.

Women are more likely to "souvenir" hotel room items than men, give smaller tips, flood bathrooms and leave their rooms in a messy state, a hotel chain survey shows.

The survey, carried out in 30 Novotel hotels and resorts in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji, also found couples were more often getting caught having sex on plainly-visible security cameras, in pools, spas, saunas, hallways, stairwells, bars and even in storeroom cupboards hotel corridors, stairwells.

"In each hotel surveyed, more guests are being 'caught out' than a decade ago and this level of exhibitionism perhaps comes from the sense of freedom and anonymity that comes with being in a hotel," communications manager Peter Hook said.

Though customers were welcome to take the little soaps and shampoo bottles with them when they left, some guests were checking out with a range of "not acceptable" souvenirs, including robes, toilet paper, cushions and hairdryers, Mr Hook said.

Women staying in hotels were watching more porn than in previous years - accounting for 12 per cent of all sex movies watched in 2009, compared to 8 per cent in 2000 - and were much more likely to eat chocolate from the minibar.

Men, who remained the major consumers of porn however, preferred minibar beer.

Aside from the frequently left-behind items - mobile phone chargers, lingerie and assorted sex toys - housekeepers also reported finding fake limbs, a snake, a nun's habit, false teeth, a two-metre hand-carved statue, a riding crop, and a baby.

The baby was returned to its parents, Mr Hook said.

The survey findings also reported one incident, in which a hotel staff member was hit in the head by a sex toy thrown off a balcony by a jealous husband.

- NZPA