Fancy hotel holds amnesty to reclaim stolen stuff

Managers of the opulently Art Deco Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City are pleading with past guests to return some of the items that have "gone missing" over the years. And in return, they won't call the cops. All manner of items have taken a walk since the hotel opened as the Waldorf in 1893. According to marketing manager Matt Zolbe, its demitasse teaspoons, salt and pepper shakers, and bread plates have been especially popular with guests, along with just about anything that can be easily dropped in a purse. "Some guests will take pretty much anything, even if it's bolted down," Matt said. Some have even unscrewed and purloined the Deco grillwork from air-con and heating ducts, and even guest room doorbells and brass mail-slots. Any goods returned will take their rightful place in the hotel's archive, with the very best put on display in the hotel's palatial lobby.