It's hard not to be jealous of a teddy bear that was given a free luxury vacation after it was left

Star Power
2019-01-14T17:13:00Z
  • A family's trip to Hawaii was almost ruined when they returned home and discovered that their son's beloved polar bear toy, Sutro, was nowhere to be found.
  • Anna Pickard, the mother of the child who lost his toy, emailed the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, where they'd been staying, to see if anyone had found it.
  • Julien Woerpel, the hotel's Director of Housekeeping, had not only found Sutro, but gave the toy an extended vacation.
  • By the end of its trip, the plush toy had enjoyed everything from a manicure at the hotel's spa to a tour of the resort.

Anna Pickard and her family had just arrived home from a vacation in Hawaii when they'd realized that something was missing. Her son's beloved plush polar bear, Sutro, had seemingly not left the island with them.

Pickard quickly emailed the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, where they stayed during their visit, to see if anyone had found the bear.

As it turns out, the bear was not only in safe hands, but was also enjoying the vacation of a lifetime thanks to the hotel staff.

It didn't take long to find the teddy bear. But before mailing the toy back, hotel staff wanted to reassure the Pickard family that Sutro was safe.

Diann Hartmann, the Director of Marketing Communications at the Grand Hyatt hotel, told INSIDER that she was the first to see Pickard's email.

"[Pickard] emailed the hotel’s general email asking if a polar bear who answers to 'Sutro' had been found," Hartmann told INSIDER. "I forwarded it on to our Director of Housekeeping, Julien Woerpel, a father of young children himself, who confirmed Sutro was safe and sound with his new friend 'Kauai' the Hawaiian Monk Seal."

Sutro and Kauai lounged on a chair overlooking the ocean. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Speaking to CNN, Hartmann said that Woerpel reached out to Rachel Bower, the Hyatt's Assistant Executive Housekeeper, for help.

Together, the two employees took the bear around the hotel, and snapped photos of it enjoying everything the resort has to offer. They then sent the photos to the Pickard family to "show [the child] that his bear was just having so much fun on his Kauai vacation that he wanted to stay longer," Woerpel told CNN. 

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Sutro enjoyed many of the hotel's amenities, including a manicure and a tour of the grounds

The bear started his journey at the hotel's front desk, checking into its room and accepting a room key.

The two plush toys were photographed in various rooms at the resort. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Sutro also got a tour of the hotel grounds from a landscaping employee.

The employee held Sutro in front of an arrangement of plants. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Arguably the most relaxing part of its extended stay, Sutro spent some time in the hotel's spa. The toy even appears to have gotten a manicure.

Sutro looked up at the manicurist who works at the Hyatt spa. Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Since the photos went viral, Hartmann said that her hotel has recieved tons of enthusiastic phone calls.

"A simple act of kindness goes a long way," Hartmann said. "I received calls from so many people who are taking the time to look up Grand Hyatt Kauai, call, and say, 'Thanks for brightening my day,' or 'You just don’t hear about enough kindness in the world,' and 'I remember when I was a child and lost my stuffed animal.'"

To find out more about the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, visit the hotel's website here.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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