Linen Technology Tracking from Miami, Florida, recently patented a radio-frequency identification chip that’s been designed to manage stock counts of inventory items that frequently get mislaid or stolen. Enter: hotel linen protection. You’re going to need to think twice about nicking that towel now.

The chips can be put into towels, sheets and bathrobes and are able to withstand about 300 washes. It’s hoped this will encourage guests to learn their manners again.

The chip will also aid the stock management system and William Serbin told CNN the following:

After being in the industry for many years, I understand the challenges hotels face in monitoring linen. Any given month, they can lose 5 to 20 percent of towels, sheets and robes.

That gets expensive with the rising cost of cotton. Keeping track of everything is an arduous task, and there’s never been a clear system.

The chips introduce accountability, make things easier.

The idea had come to Serbin after he gave the sensor technology used in Floridian toll roads (much like that of Jozi’s new system too) some thought.

We tweaked the technology, went through trial and error with different types of chips and put them in the correct place.

One of the three hotels using them is reportedly saving $16 000 a month by reducing the number of pool towels stolen from 4 000 to 750. That was a ridiculous 130 towels a day on average.

Clearly there is a market for this product.

[Source: CNN]