The Mystery in the Hotel Room
It was my first morning working as a hotel housekeeper, and I wanted to make a flawless impression. I double-checked every corner, smoothed out every wrinkle in the sheets, and made sure the mirrors sparkled without a single streak.
But as I moved from room to room, something kept catching my attention. Nearly every guest — business travelers, families on vacation, even solo tourists — had placed their luggage in the bathtub.
At first, I didn’t think much of it. Maybe they wanted to keep the floor clear, or perhaps they didn’t want to track dirt into the closet. But as the day went on, I realized it wasn’t just a coincidence. It was deliberate. Guests who hadn’t even checked out yet had their suitcases sitting safely inside the tub.
By the third room, my curiosity got the better of me.
The Question Everyone Else Already Knew the Answer To
During our morning team briefing the next day, I finally asked about it. I tried to sound casual, like I was just making conversation.
“Has anyone noticed that some guests are putting their suitcases in the bathtub?”
I expected laughter or confusion. Instead, my coworkers exchanged knowing looks. Maria, one of the senior housekeepers who’d been working there for nearly ten years, smiled and said, “Oh, that’s not strange at all. They’re just protecting their luggage.”
“Protecting it?” I asked. “From what?”
She chuckled. “From tiny, unwanted visitors. Bedbugs don’t climb smooth surfaces. Keeping bags in the tub helps make sure the little pests can’t hitch a ride home.”
Her explanation made perfect sense. What I had mistaken for an odd travel quirk was actually a clever form of self-defense — a trick learned the hard way by those who’d once had to deal with the nightmare of bringing bedbugs home.
A Lesson from Experienced Travelers
Later that week, I met an older couple staying in one of our suites. They were warm, polite, and clearly seasoned travelers. As I tidied the room, I noticed their large suitcase neatly placed in the bathtub.
I smiled. “So you’ve heard of the bathtub trick too?” I asked.
The husband looked up from his newspaper with a grin. “Oh, we learned that one the hard way,” he said. “Years ago, we stayed at a hotel during a road trip. We didn’t notice anything at first, but a few days after getting home, we realized we’d brought some very small, very unwelcome guests with us. It took months — and a lot of money — to get rid of them. Since then, we always put our bags in the tub. Old habits, I suppose.”
His wife nodded in agreement. “It gives us peace of mind. We’d rather look a little strange than repeat that ordeal.”
I laughed softly, but her words stayed with me. There was something admirable about their quiet wisdom — a kind of knowledge that only experience can teach.