idea of the story
The idea is to create " Lost & Found " items exhibition at hotels for guests who leave things voluntarily as memory of nights spent at the hotel .
How ideas was produced
One of the things that makes a hotel guest feel connected to a place is the beautiful memories they experience there.
This inspired the idea of emotionally connecting guests to the hotel by having them leave behind an item as a keepsake linked to the special memory they had during their stay.
These items are then displayed in an exhibition within the hotel.
Purpose of imaginative news story and its importance
The idea serves as a non-traditional marketing campaign for hotels, by creating an exhibition of guests’ donated items and producing the donation videos to promote the hotel.
The result would be a stronger emotional bond between guests and the hotel, encouraging them to return every year on the anniversary of their stay.
About imaginative news
It is anything imagined including ideas , expressed through a journalistic news story, Read more about imaginative news.
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Hurghada Hotel Launches the First “Voluntarily Lost & Found Museum” After a Story That Went Viral
A major hotel in Egypt’s Red Sea city of Hurghada has announced the launch of the country’s first-ever museum dedicated to items voluntarily left behind by guests.
The unique exhibit, titled “Lost & Found – Voluntarily,” is located in a special area within the hotel’s reception and has quickly become a tourism attraction.
The idea gained massive attention after a video about the initiative went viral on social media, prompting one of Egypt’s most popular talk shows to host the hotel’s CEO, who revealed the story behind the concept.
A Businessman’s Forgotten Camera… The Spark That Started Everything
The CEO explained that the idea began months earlier during the stay of a well-known businessman who was attending an investment and tourism conference in Hurghada.
When the guest checked out, he accidentally left behind his digital camera.
As per hotel policy, the camera was placed in the Lost & Found department, and the team attempted to contact the owner.
The CEO said:
“We tried calling him several times, but his phone was switched off. After many attempts, our team decided to record a simple video showing the camera and mentioning the guest’s name, kindly asking him to return to collect it.”
Unexpectedly, the video gained huge traction online. The businessman eventually saw it, returned to the hotel, thanked the staff, and appeared in a follow-up video showing the camera being handed back to him.
Then came the surprise.
“After filming the handover, he insisted on leaving the camera as a gift to the hotel, as a gesture of appreciation. We tried to refuse, but he insisted—so we asked him to document this on video as well.”
A Comment That Turned Into a Real Museum
One of the many comments on the viral video jokingly suggested:
“Why don’t you create a museum for items people leave voluntarily?"
The joke sparked real excitement, and many people loved the idea.
Soon after, the hotel officially established the first-ever ‘Voluntarily Lost & Found Museum.’
How the Museum Works
For every item donated by a guest, the hotel record a video of guest donation , took a permission to stream it at social media ,
Then we show his donated item at the exhibition as follows :
- Photo of the hotel guest
- The guest’s name
- Dates of nights spent at hotel
- The item that was voluntarily donated
- Donation video QR code
- A dedication message from the guest to the hotel, stating that they gifted the item along with a note about the wonderful memory they had during their stay , ended with his signature
What the Collection Includes
The museum now displays various items, each with its own story, including:
- pen left by a German tourist
- handkerchief left by an American tourist
- book left by an English visitor
- And of course, the famous camera that started it all
A Viral Campaign and Massive Publicity
The hotel launched promotional videos showcasing the idea and the museum’s collection.
These videos went viral as part of a creative marketing campaign that offered:
A free night’s stay for any guest who donates an item to the museum during specific promotional period .
According to the CEO:
“Occupancy rates increased dramatically within weeks, and the story was covered by both Egyptian and international newspapers.”
What began as a simple incident has grown into one of Hurghada’s most charming and unusual tourist experiences—inviting visitors not only to view unique items, but maybe… to leave a part of their own story behind.
