Note to Hotel Towel Thieves...

New York Times: Hotel guests may want to think twice now before walking off with that bathrobe. Linen Technology Tracking, a company in Miami, has patented a washable RFID chip that can be sewn into towels, robes and bed sheets, allowing hotels to keep track of their linens.

So far, three hotels — in Honolulu, Miami and Manhattan — are using the chip, said Linen Technology Tracking’s executive vice president, William Serbin. He said the hotels did not want their names used.

Mr. Serbin added that rising cotton prices were a motivation: “A bath towel that might have cost $5 last year could cost $8 or $9 now. High-end hotels want to watch those assets.”

The Honolulu property, which introduced the technology last summer, has reduced theft of its pool towels from 4,000 a month to just 750, saving more than $16,000 a month, Mr. Serbin said.

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. With inconsistent room occupancy, some hotels have been buying new linens less frequently, Mr. Serbin said.