Who doesn't love to check into a fancy, clean hotel room after a day of traveling? There's nothing better than unpacking your luggage, taking a steamy bath, and laying down on a fluffy white pillow that was prepared especially for you. Often, guests assume they know a great deal about the place they're staying at. They do a quick Google search and then book a room without a second thought. Nonetheless, very few people understand what happens behind the scenes, regardless of what they believe. There are many things you'd probably like to know, even if they turn out to be disgusting or worrying. Hence, we've decided to share some well-hidden secrets no hotel wants its guests to discover. After reading this list, you won't see them the same way!
You never know what happens behind the scenes
There's nothing better than a good night away at a hotel. You can pamper yourself by ordering room service, making the most of complimentary toiletries, and helping yourself to the always full minibar. However, many things are going on behind the scenes that you don't know about. And they can negatively affect your stay.
For example, there can be complex conflicts between the housekeeping department and the front office. When that happens, you may find that your room isn't as tidy as you'd expect after checking in. Of course, you can't be ready for everything. Fortunately, there are a few secrets we can share with you.
The worst rooms will always be given to those customers
Making a reservation with a discount may seem attractive. You spend less money on accommodation, which means you can use it for something else. Nonetheless, bargain hunters always receive the worst rooms. It may seem unfair, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, hotels earn the slimmest profit from this kind of reservation.
When you make reservations through websites, the hotel assumes you're a person who chooses them because of a deal instead of their quality. Since internet guests only won't book a room again unless they get a discount, hotels believe it makes sense to save the best rooms for guests willing to pay the total price.
The cleaning staff uses your bathroom
The most private place in your room is the bathroom. Apart from expecting it to be clean, you'd never want to share it with anyone but your roommate. We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but let us tell you that you aren't the only one who uses your room's toilet.
Some cleaning staff members have confirmed that they sometimes use the guest's bathroom to freshen up. Maids are likely to use your toilet when they're super-busy and don't have enough time to go to the staff toilets. They know they aren't supposed to, but there's nothing you can do when nature calls.
Coffee makers are always dirty
Some hotel rooms have coffee makers on them. Making a coffee at the hotel is cheaper than going to a restaurant, but that doesn't mean it's worth it. The cleaning staff rarely wash these machines properly; instead, they swirl the coffee pots in water or clean them with the same cloth used for the bathroom floor.
This fact is gross, and you may want to spend a few extra dollars on buying a coffee somewhere else. However, if you still want to prepare coffee in your room, you should clean and disinfect the machine before using it. It could've been sitting around collecting dust for weeks before you arrived.
The cleaning staff may take naps in your bed
In the morning, the cleaning staff always knocks at your door and asks if you need room service. So, you'll let them in while you take a coffee downstairs. Since maids are professionals, you'd expect them to do everything fast. However, they may take longer than expected to leave your room spotlessly clean on some occasions.
When maids are tidying up a large suite, they're given extra time to clean it. If they finish early, they may lay in the bed and take a nap. Although hotels strictly prohibit this behavior, we can't blame the cleaning staff for breaking the rules when they're tired from working all day.
It happens a lot in hotels, but no one will tell you about it
Have you ever thought about how many people stay in hotels daily? If you understand the way population counts work, it makes perfect sense that some of these people would die while they're in their room. This information also means that hundreds of people have probably passed away in the hotel you're staying in.
The hotel staff knows what rooms have housed deceased guests, but they won't share those tiny details easily. Actually, people rarely find out the backstory of their room. You may think we're creepy for thinking about people who perished at hotels, but you can't deny it's a fact worth knowing.
Be careful what you watch on pay-per-view
Now that most hotels offer free Wi-Fi, you'd think that the days of relying on pay-per-view for in-room entertainment are over. Nonetheless, if you're the type of person who still orders movies straight from the TV, you know that there's a slight chance that the hotel staff can tell what you watched.
People don't seem to understand how complex the pay-per-view TV systems are. Not only do employees know what you watched on TV, but they might also be able to see how long you watched it. In other words, there's no way you can weasel out of an extra charge by saying you “accidentally” selected adult content.
Hotel safes aren't as safe as you'd expect them to be
When you go to a hotel, you'll probably find a safe in the wardrobe. It's never a good idea to leave your valuables out in plain sight, so it's better to keep them in the safe. Nonetheless, there's a slight chance you can still get your things stolen, even if you're staying in a five-star resort.
No hotel room safe is entirely secure. All hotels have a “special way” to open the safe in case a guest forgets their code or loses the key to the safe. For example, some safes use a master card or key, while others have a unique override code to open the door.
Concierge recommendations are totally biased
When you travel to a foreign city and have no idea where to go, the concierge is the first person you go to. They can always give you recommendations for restaurants, tours, and any other kind of entertainment. However, you must know that these suggestions are rarely unbiased and honest.
Some hotels have relationships with local attractions and lunch spots. They'll get a commission if you head wherever the hotel staff recommends. Other concierges simply say the favorites that the hotel suggests. Still, that doesn't mean that the hotel staff thinks the attraction or lunch spot is worth your while.
The true price of a ‘free’ hotel breakfast
It's a fact that hungry travelers love free continental breakfasts. There's no better way to start your morning than eating a tasty plate of eggs and waffles. So, many hotels attract guests by going all out with their morning spreads. But did you know that those delicious meals aren't free?
Most importantly, the cost of the meal is bundled into the price of your room. Then, there are a few hidden costs of your complimentary breakfast. These free servings mean fewer jobs for waitresses, more disposable plates and cups polluting the planet, and some health consequences of having less-than-nutritious food in the morning.
The hotel staff checks on your social media before your check-in
Nowadays, almost everyone has an Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook profile. At high-end hotels, the staff will probably look up their guests on Google and social media to see who they are. This action may sound a bit creepy, but the reason behind it is to make your stay more comfortable.
Even at lower-end hotels, the front desk employees might have some downtime while waiting for new guests to arrive. So, they may look for you if you've left a good impression on them during your check-in. Then, they may surprise you with one or two complimentary amenities based on your online profile.
Hotels will always give priority to these people
Imagine you decide to travel to a place you don't know yet and book a hotel a few months before the trip. You also pay in advance to ensure you'll have somewhere to sleep. However, when you get there, the front desk tells you that they don't have room for you.
Although you may think this situation is unlikely, it can happen to you if another guest has a higher social status and needs a room. Hotels don't want to annoy their loyal guests, so they'll have you hauling your suitcase across town until they find you another hotel where you can stay.
The filthiest object in your hotel room
It'd be great to end your day watching a movie on TV before going to bed. Still, you should think twice before touching the remote with your bare hands. According to some studies, the dirtiest item in every hotel room is the TV remote. Can you believe such a small thing is full of bacteria?
Since the cleaning staff never bothers to disinfect the remote, you'll have to do something about it yourself. If you have a clear plastic bag at hand, you can place the item there to avoid contact with germs. Another option is to sanitize it with alcohol, which should kill any bacteria living on its surface.
The cleaning staff may pry into your belongings
As you probably know, there's little to no privacy when you stay at a hotel. Not only do maids enter your room daily to clean it, but they also go through your things. More often than not, they have fun trying to figure out what kind of person you are based on your belongings.
You can be sure that the cleaning staff will pry into your stuff at least once during your stay. Nonetheless, this privacy violation poses a significant risk to maids. If a hotel staff member is caught touching or using a guest's personal effects, they may be sanctioned or even fired.
The hotel staff may get lazy and skip doing their job
When you stay at a hotel, you expect its staff to satisfy all your whims. You want the best attention in the world. After all, that's what you pay for. However, you'd be surprised to know dozens of employees skip doing their daily tasks because they feel lazy or tired.
For example, some maids reuse the sheets when they don't feel like cleaning the room. Front desk employees, for instance, don't want to go through the reservation process, so they'll tell you there are no vacancy rooms. It might sound unfair to you as a guest, but that's how the hotel industry works.
You can take as many toiletries as you want
Some people think they're sneaky when they grab small bars of soap, shampoo and conditioner samples, and other toilet articles and hide them in their purses. They don't realize that the hotel staff leaves complimentary toiletries in their bathrooms for a reason—they expect you to take each of those things with you.
Hotels often throw away half-used toiletries because they can't reuse them with future guests. Besides, they work as free advertising if they feature the hotel's logo on the side. However, that doesn't mean you can take home robes or towels from the bathroom; that'd be considered stealing, and you might get in trouble.
Your luggage is usually moved around in the worst way possible
When you go on vacation, almost all your belongings travel inside your suitcases and bags. Some fragile things inside them, such as your laptop or your perfume bottles, need to be handled with care, or else they'll get broken. Unfortunately, the hotel staff doesn't care much about your luggage's content.
After you arrive at the hotel and finish the check-in process, the staff will keep your luggage in a small room. When it's time to take it to your room, they'll toss small bags as if they were toys and sit on big suitcases. In short, they'll move everything in the worst way possible.
Hotels don't provide quality alcohol
Some people love to order cocktails while they're staying in a hotel. They're a great way to add some romance to your date if you're on vacation with your significant other. Although these alcoholic drinks are often overpriced, they rarely taste as good as those you'd order at a restaurant.
The truth is that the hotel staff always tricks their guests when they ask for a drink. If they see a drunk person, they give them the cheapest alcohol they can find for an exorbitant price. And if they offer unlimited alcohol to hotel customers, those drinks are often watered down.
Try not to drink from hotel glasses
After an exhausting traveling day, we bet you're tempted to quench your immense thirst with the hotel's signature glasses in your room's bathroom. You'd think the cleaning staff washes them with soap before you arrive. We can't blame you for that; they look spotlessly clean at first glance, after all.
However, housekeepers often rinse them off fast and dry them with a not-so-clean hand towel. There are more unorthodox methods in some hotels, such as using furniture polish to leave them sparkling. In our opinion, you shouldn't drink from glassware in hotel rooms. Instead, buy bottled water or ask for sealed, plastic glasses.
Staff members may take revenge on rude guests
As a guest, you never know how powerful are those who work as the hotel staff. They can change your room, solve any problem you have, offer extra perks or amenities, and even serve you free meals. However, if you don't act nicely to them, they'll ensure that your stay is less pleasurable.
Like us, staff members can't control their vengeful desires when treated discourteously. Maids, for example, report to their colleagues who should receive the worst cleaning service for being mean or not tipping well. Many hotel employees work as unified units. So, if you insult a single person, you'll effectively offend everyone.
The hotel employees may snack on your room service
Some hotels provide excellent room service. You can choose between a great variety of drinks and snacks, and ask the staff to bring the food to you through a phone call. There's nothing more soothing than being treated like a royalty member. Unless, of course, someone steals your food when you aren't looking.
You probably won't believe it, but there's a slight chance the hotel staff snacks on your meal when you ask for room service. If you're an avid internet user, you may be able to find a few stories about employees who don't buy lunch because they eat off the plates they take to guests.
There are many steps to follow before handing you a room key
If you stay at hotels often, you probably know that you need to wait a few minutes before getting your room key. It may seem like a waste of time, especially when you're tired after a long traveling day. Nonetheless, there's an understandable reason behind all the check-in process hassle.
Before the front desk hands you the room key, they must follow around twenty-six different steps. Most of the time, they enter your information into the hotel system, verify your identity, and check whether you qualify for a rate or not. Then, they select a room perfect for your needs and ensure it's clean.
Bed bugs are pretty common
We have bad news for germophobes: the hotel might not launder all the bedding between guest check-ins and check-outs. While the cleaning staff may clean the sheets daily, blankets only get washed once a week. And it's even worse with bedspreads. They're not cleaned unless there have visible stains.
Bed bugs don't discriminate between a first-class resort or a low-rate motel. You could encounter them anywhere if the cleaning staff doesn't launder the bedspreads and blankets regularly. What you should do, then, is fold them and put them on the floor or a chair. That way, maids will change them for clean ones.
Not every room is the same
When you call a hotel to make a reservation, the front desk staff will always assure you that all the rooms are equal when they're in the same price range. Let us tell you that statement isn't true at all. Some rooms have bigger TVs, a larger bathroom, and more comfortable beds.
If you want to stay in a better room, here's a piece of advice for you. Ask for it nicely, and don't forget to grease the wheels a bit with a generous tip. That way, you might be able to snag a more comfortable room or even get a room upgrade.
You will receive solutions for your problems if you complain smartly
Although most complaints are delivered to the hotel's front desk, it's important to remember that they probably have no idea about what's going on. We recommend that you outline the problem briefly and offer a solution if you can come up with one. Then, ask the staff whom you should speak with to solve the issue.
Never threaten the hotel staff or scream at them. That rude attitude will only lead to being ignored, no matter how much you complain. The only way the front desk will immediately help you with whatever problem you have is if they see that you're kind and respectful to them.
Stay away from the hotel kettle
Most hotels offer electric kettles to their guests. Although you'd be tempted to prepare a cup of tea with them once you've settled in your room, we wouldn't recommend doing so. There's a widespread belief that all hotel kettles are commonly used to wash dirty clothing—particularly stinky underwear and socks.
On top of that, the cleaning staff rarely washes electric kettles thoroughly. If that doesn't make you feel sick to your stomach, here's another disgusting rumor. Some people say that men pee on the kettles. After reading that, we're sure you have plenty of reasons to stay away from those appliances.
Make your requests before 5.30 p.m.
Since the hotel is open all day, you'd think that the cleaning staff is always available. However, you can't ask for maid service at any moment. Like any other hotel worker, maids have a fixed schedule. They clean hotel rooms from early morning until 5.30 p.m. or so.
To be honest, this fact isn't a great secret. Nonetheless, many people don't know about it. Hence, it's important to remember that you should ask for an extra towel, clean bedsheets, or more toiletries before the cleaning staff clocks out. Otherwise, you'll have to wait longer to receive any requested supplies.
The hotel staff knows if you're cheating on your partner
Is there anything more dishonest than cheating on your spouse? Probably not. Cheaters often choose hotels to stay with their lovers for a few hours without being discovered. They often think the front desk staff doesn't have a clue about what's going on when they check in. But they're terribly wrong.
Fortunately, the hotel staff couldn't care less about their guests' private life. They won't judge for going to the hotel once or twice a week and paying for the same room in cash. So, if you're a cheater, don't waste your time trying to be discreet. You aren't fooling anyone
The cleaning staff can lose their privilege to clean VIP rooms
Sometimes, high-end hotels receive celebrities in their most expensive suites. It must be pretty exciting for a maid to meet a famous person, even though they have to clean their room. Still, did you know that the cleaning staff may lose their privilege to work with VIP rooms if they break the hotel's rules?
When a maid gets busted prying on your belongings, sleeping on your bed, or being rude to a guest, they automatically lose their VIP room cleaner membership. If their infractions are severe, the hotel may dock their hours, reduce their salaries and make them clean cheaper or less desirable rooms.
Sometimes, hotels don't respect your dietary restrictions
When you have strict dietary restrictions, you need to ensure that the hotel you stay in pays attention to them. Whether you're vegan, lactose intolerant, or allergic to certain foods, your meals should be prepared following special sanitizing and cleaning procedures. Unfortunately, not every hotel is willing to go the extra mile for a non-standard guest.
For example, if you're vegan, your food may be prepared with the same utensils as meat and chicken, and no one would tell you about it. If you're allergic or lactose intolerant, you have to be very specific with your dietary guidelines and insist that the kitchen personnel follow them.
No one really respects “do not disturb” signs
The “do not disturb” sign on a door handle should always be respected. They indicate that a guest needs some privacy while staying at the hotel. Although it certainly means that the cleaning staff shouldn't enter the room, some still knock at the door or call your room to make sure you don't need their service.
Maids are instructed to clean the rooms, change the towels, and provide you with clean sheets every day at a specific time. While some are patient enough to come back later when they see the sign, others don't want to wait until you announce you're ready for them to do their job.
Staying in a five-star hotel doesn't mean you'll have a cleaner room
We all know that hotels are classified with a system involving stars. Some people, for example, choose to go to a five-star hotel whenever they have the chance. There's a widespread belief that hotels with higher ratings and more positive reviews provide a better service to their guests, such as cleaner rooms.
Nonetheless, hotel rankings are usually established by biased publications. Sometimes, the three-star hotel down the street is cleaner and more comfortable than the five-star resort. Instead of using the arbitrary star system to make decisions, take the time to read former guests' reviews. That way, you may find a diamond in the rough.
Beds don't get cleaned as often as you think
When you go on vacation, you hope to stay at a place that allows you to rest safely. You want a clean bed to rest your head on at night. Hence, you'd expect the staff to change the bedding for you and keep it free of creepy crawlies chasing you in the dark.
According to researchers, luxury resorts often change the sheets after guests leave a room. However, cheaper hotels only change the sheets every three or four days. Some low-end motels even get as far as washing them once a week. So, you should always check your sheets before lying on them.
The cleaning staff uses the same cloth to clean every surface
Hotel maids often roam the hallways with trolleys full of cleaning products. When you see them coming, the first thing that comes to mind is that they'll leave your room spotless and free of germs. And there's no reason to doubt that since they take a long time to finish their job.
Nonetheless, you'll be surprised to hear that most cleaning staffs use a single cloth to clean the whole room. This means the floor, the bathroom counter, the toilet, and the bed stands are cleaned with the same rag. You should definitely take wet wipes with you next time you stay at a hotel.
You can get rid of some fees by asking politely
Hotels always add fees and small charges to your bill. Apart from making the cost of your room bump up considerably, these “extras” are often hidden. They can be basic amenities you asked for during your stay, such as a few bottles of water, or the use of common areas, like the tiny gym or the pool.
Fortunately, you might be able to get out of paying some of these fees with a bit of polite persuasion. Suppose you didn't use specific amenities or some services were out of order or didn't function well during your stay. In that case, the hotel might scratch the charges from your bill if you ask nicely.
Any bad behavior will be noted on the hotel's system
Besides checking on your social media to get information about you, hotels also keep track of your behavior. And we aren't just talking about noting your likes and dislikes. We're talking about how you treat the hotel's property and act with the staff. So, be careful with what you say and do.
If you shout to the front desk staff, trash your room, break something that belongs to the hotel, or simply act like a demanding jerk all the time, your actions will be put down in a hotel record. Every time you make a reservation, the front desk will know how you behaved last time you stayed in the hotel.
Hotels don't pay the cleaning staff extra if your room is a mess
Most people think it doesn't matter if the hotel room is a disaster because the cleaning staff will take care of it later. However, that's quite a selfish thought. Not only do maids have more work to do, but they also don't get paid extra for needing more time to clean your messy room.
Most hotels pay their cleaning staff based on the number of rooms they offer service to during the day. So, they frequently knock on every guest's door and try to clean many rooms. If you want to be more considerate to them, keep your room tidy and leave them a tip whenever possible.
Touching the minibar can cost you extra
Minibars are tiny refrigerators that sit inside some rooms. If you went to a hotel that had them, you might have been tempted to grab something to drink or eat from one of them or even store your own drinks and food on them as a matter of convenience. Still, you should think twice before doing so.
Placing things inside a minibar or picking up a snack may cost you a lot. Many hotels have automated minibars that sense what you move inside them. Fortunately, you can ask them to reverse the charges if you haven't consumed anything; just remember to review your bill before checking out.
The cleaning staff never scrubs the tubs
When you go to a high-end hotel, you find many luxuries in your room. One of them is the bathtub, which sometimes has a hydromassage. However, if you're thinking of taking a relaxing bath in the tub, think twice before doing so. Those bathroom appliances aren't as clean as you think.
The cleaning staff doesn't have enough time to scrub the tub every time they clean a bathroom. Instead, they wipe it down and sanitize it with a spray bathroom cleaner. If you're worried about germs, it's better to take a shower. But be careful with touching the bathroom curtain—those don't get changed often enough.
If you're unlucky, you may find a body under the bed
We wish the idea of “finding a body under the room's bed” were just an urban legend to scare innocent tourists. Nonetheless, some criminals choose hotels as their favorite hot spots. They may murder a victim, hide them under the mattress and leave the room without the staff noticing it.
Fortunately, finding human remains doesn't happen very often. Still, there are many stories of people who found corpses rotting beneath the bed before the hotel staff could do something about it. We don't want to scare you with this fact, but you should check under your bed when you enter your room.
Here's a trick to cancel your stay without paying the cancellation fee
Everyone knows that you should cancel your reservation 24-hours before your check-in. Otherwise, the hotel will charge you an exorbitant (and unfair) cancellation fee. So, if you're forced to change your plans out of the blue and don't want to fork out the extra money you have to pay, follow this clever trick.
To skip cancellation fees, ask the hotel to move your reservation to a few weeks later first. After two or three days, cancel the new reservation over the phone. Since the reservation date is now different, you can get most of your money back. If you're lucky enough, you may even get to recoup the entire deposit.
Don't leave anything behind because the hotel staff won't notify you
There isn't a word that can describe the sinking feeling in your stomach when you look for something in your suitcase only to find out that it isn't there at all. Then, you realize it's hundreds of miles away, forgotten in the closet or the bathroom counter of your hotel room.
Unless you call the front desk staff right after you leave, you'll probably never see what you forgot in your room again. Hotels don't know whether you'll be able to come back for your belongings or not. So, they often keep them, give them to new guests that need them, or simply throw them away.