I recently stayed at the Best Western. The hotel itself was clean, and I initially appreciated the quiet space it provided for focused study. However, my experience was significantly overshadowed by a disconcerting issue involving the loss—and eventual recovery—of my Apple AirPods.
I had studied in my room using my AirPods for approximately 90 minutes before checking out. It wasn’t until the following day that I realized they were missing. I used Apple’s Find My tracking feature and was shocked to discover that my AirPods were no longer at the hotel. Instead, they appeared at a private residence approximately 1.5 miles away, where they were active intermittently over two days.
I immediately contacted the hotel to report the situation and clearly informed the staff that I was tracking the AirPods in real time. I provided them with the exact address where the AirPods were showing activity, suggesting that they cross-reference that location with their employee roster. Despite this, I was told only that my report would be passed on and that management would follow up.
That evening, I activated Lost Mode, which allows the finder to view my contact information. No one reached out. By the next morning, the devices were no longer traceable—indicating they had either been turned off or the battery had died.
When I followed up with management the next day, I was told that my AirPods had miraculously been turned in to Lost and Found.