Hotels track linens with RFID

The New York Times.

According to the company, a hotel in Honolulu introduced the technology, and has reduced theft of its pool towels from 4 000 a month to just 750, saving more than $16 000 a month.

But the technology isn't just about foiling thieves. The tags let properties monitor their linens in real-time, so that at any given moment, they know when they need to order more.

Time Magazine says the chip can trigger an alarm if a guest tries to take a tagged item from the premises.

William Serbin, Linen Technology Tracking executive VP explains that high cotton prices led to costlier towels which served as motivation for developing an anti-theft system.

According to Breaking Travel News, at any given month, hotels can lose between 5% and 20% of towels, sheets and robes.

With inconsistent room occupancy, some hotels have been buying new linens less frequently, the company says.