When I first say the group of hotel “Do Not Disturb” signs in a tray on the auction table, I was surprised and curious about why someone would bother to take them. But the more I thought about it, I found it to be an unusual way to remember a pleasant trip or vacation.
It wasn’t much different from the times when I used to pick up match covers after eating a meal at a restaurant. I was not a smoker, but I took them as a reminder of those places.
The traveler who took home these hotel door hangers was probably like-minded, but his or her adventures were likely much more exciting than mine. I’m not sure what happened to my match covers, but if they’re around somewhere I’m sure my family will toss them just as this collector’s family had done.
The 50 or so door hangers were from a variety of countries with the same routine message. All appeared to have some age on them, indicating that these were trips made long ago for either business or pleasure.
It seems that door hangers have been around for a while. It’s not clear when they first arrived, but they are believed to have been widely used beginning in the early 20th century. They were likely used in luxury hotels in this country, according to Ed Flores, a collector who manages a website for others like him. Before then, hotel maids knocked on the doors and walked in to clean the rooms.
Now, hotels appear to be getting creative with quirky and cutesy messages on the hangers, and guests seem to love them so much that they are taking them home as souvenirs (probably packed alongside the hotel’s generous supply of shampoo and soap). Here are some of the most unusual in this country, and others from hotels around the world.
The most interesting door hangers in the auction lot were those noting repairs that needed to be done.
Do you take home hotel door hangers as souvenirs?
Here’s a sampling of the ones at auction:
