Hotel gives stuffed animal a vacation after toddler accidentally leaves it behind

A hotel chain decided to get creative when they found out that a toddler left behind a beloved stuffed animal.

The toddler’s father recently took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to show off an email that he received from a Holiday Inn Express. “Guy, my toddler left his toy at an @IHGhotels while traveling. We called them, and they said they would get it in the mail for us. This morning I opened my email and had this from them,” the tweet began.

“Please repost and help them get some recognition for awesome customer service!”

The father was sent something that looked like a children’s book with many photos of the stuffed animal placed in various locations throughout the hotel with the title, “My Adventure at the Holiday Inn”.

The message included the toy sitting at the front desk, getting snacks, and even fitting in a workout on the treadmill “to make sure he was strong so he could get home faster”.

“He was so excited and even asked for directions! He used the computers in the lobby to look up how to get to you, but he got distracted by pictures of squirrels! Silly dog!”

“We are happy that he is headed home to you! It has been such a pleasure having him here!” the hotel’s story concluded.

“He was really upset that it was missing as it’s one of his favourite toys,” the father said about his son in an interview with People. “The message changed his outlook on the situation. He was so happy to see how much fun his snuggle puppy was having and wanted me to read it over and over so everyone could hear.”

After the father had posted the sweet story to X, many people went on to leave comments about how heartwarming they thought the gesture was.

“Some things never change, the ‘little things’ a little time invested in kindness, go a really long way. Well done to the team at your hotel! This is how brand loyalty is built. One customer at a time,” one comment wrote.

Some commenters even shared their own similar experiences.

“I left my Teddy Bear at a lunch counter when I was that age,” one commenter explained. “I freaked. So I can imagine this situation quite well. The kind people had him waiting for my dad to bring home. Bless you and your family and the kind people at the hotel.”

Another commenter agreed, writing, “They are super awesome! I left my dog’s favorite toy behind and they mailed it back to us! We always stay with them when we travel.”

“I left my contacts and medication at the extended stay in Silicon Valley. They overnighted everything to me. I was surprised,” another story about the hotel chain read in the X comments.

Even the hotel itself ended up noticing the post and left a comment themselves. “Thank you and your family for letting us have a little extra time with your friend. Please give him lots of hugs from us when he makes it back home!” the comment read.