A survey of the housekeeping departments of 19 ...

A survey of the housekeeping departments of 19 Novotel hotels in Australia and New Zealand has confirmed what many have long suspected - men are more likely to lock themselves out of guest rooms than women.

But in a blow to gender stereotypes, it was discovered that female travellers use twice as many towels as men and leave rooms less tidy than males. Men are also much less likely to souvenir hotel amenities than women.

Not surprisingly, men are more likely to send a shirt out to be ironed than females and 80 per cent more likely to watch adult movies.

A typical male will most likely order a hamburger from room service (salad for women) and have a beer as their beverage (diet Coke for women).

The survey found men were twice as likely as women to lock themselves out of a room - frequently when they were in a state of undress. Room service staff offered a word of wisdom - never hand a room service tray to a man in a towel!