Lost property is no laughing matter. At least, that’s how we view it. It’s serious stuff. While many might not see a misplaced umbrella or discarded wallet as the end of the world, for NotLost, it really is. That’s why we do what we do. Day in, day out, because we know it’s important.
For some, however, ‘lost property’ or ‘lost and found’ is nothing more than a good bit of branding. You might wonder how someone could take our life’s work in vain, but it happens. It’s also true that in none of these cases were we consulted. However, we’re a gracious company, and give our approval retrospectively, happy in the knowledge that our battle has helped other ventures thrive.
Naturally, we were interested in our namesakes, so let’s explore a few.
Lost Property, St Paul’s Hotel
An upcoming venture from Hilton, Lost Property St Paul’s is part of the Curio Collection, a range of upmarket hotels within the hospitality giant’s portfolio. Situated a stone’s throw from City Thameslink, the design-led space is a fair chunk of building, with 145 rooms to choose from.
It also boasts a – no doubt very swanky – restaurant, bar and cafe, offering lucky guests the opportunity to lounge in a variety of settings after a hard day of sightseeing. While it all sounds delightful, you’ll have to wait until Summer to check it out (despite a few days of relative warmth, we’re not quite there yet).
The usage of ‘lost property’ appears to be in reference to the possibility of losing oneself in the experience. From what we’ve seen so far, this looks like a fair assumption.
Opportunity for lost property management: 9/10
Lost and Found Bar – Balham
Remaining in the capital, but heading south, Lost and Found bar Balham is next on our list. It claims to be Balham’s ‘best cocktail and party venue’, and while we couldn’t verify this, we can’t deny it looks pretty good. Lost and Found offers a wide range of probably delicious and undoubtedly potent cocktails, all set to the tune of a ‘cheese-laden soundtrack. We take this to mean 90’s sing-along anthems, rather than musical homages to fromage.
There was nothing about a lost property process on their website, but you’d think any space where crowds congregate to relive the soundtrack of their youth might require a hand with misplaced items.
Opportunity for lost property management: 7/10
Lost & Found Bar – Hollywood
It seems that the love for all things lost extends far beyond our own shores. Despite the name promising to bring the glitz and glam of misplacing your umbrella to America, Lost & Found bar sadly has little to do with lost property. However, it does make up for this with some truly unusual sounding cocktails, our personal favourites being the Hedge Fund Highball and the Misunderstood.
Its stripped-back website doesn’t give us much else to comment on. We would go check it out, but we haven’t opened an LA office. Yet.
Opportunity for lost property management: 5/10
Lost and Found: Music studios
Straying into the realm of fiction, the final entry on our list is a TV show called Lost and Found: Music Studios. Broadcast on the Family Channel back in 2015, this kid-friendly sitcom tells the story of young stars trying to break onto the music scene. Naturally, it handled all the troubles that a fledgling musical talent would go through, with heart-warming coming of age themes ever-present throughout. If we’re being perfectly honest, we didn’t have time to watch it, but certainly got a Nickelodeon feel from it.
Despite the possibility of characters losing their way, and subsequently finding hope during the closing song, we couldn’t see much relevance to actual lost property. Even worse is the non-existent business opportunities this presents, as we find ourselves firmly situated in the real world.
Opportunity for lost property management: None
Speak to the lost property experts
If your business is finding lost property management a pain, then we are genuinely here to help. With a top team of dedicated professionals, market-leading software, and fantastic written content, we’re undoubtedly the best shot you’ve got.
If you’re interested, get in touch at +44(0)20 8037 3970 or drop us an email at Josh@notlost.com.