When I started working as a hotel housekeeper, I noticed something unusual.
Several guests placed their suitcases inside the bathtub instead of using the luggage rack or leaving them on the bed. At first, I assumed they were worried about dirty carpets or spills.
One afternoon, I asked a guest whether she wanted me to move her suitcase while I cleaned the bathroom.
She immediately replied, “Don’t touch it. It’s there for a reason.”
Her reaction made me curious, so later I asked my supervisor.
She explained that experienced travelers often place their luggage inside a dry bathtub when they first enter a hotel room. The reason is simple: bedbugs.
Bedbugs are more likely to hide around mattresses, headboards, carpets, upholstered furniture, and luggage racks. A bathtub has a smooth surface with fewer hiding places, making it a safer temporary spot for bags.
Guests usually leave their luggage there while inspecting the mattress seams, sheets, headboard, and nearby furniture for dark spots, shed skins, or live insects.
The woman wasn’t hiding anything suspicious. She was simply protecting her belongings before unpacking.
From that day on, whenever I stayed at a hotel, I stopped placing my suitcase on the bed.
I put it in the bathtub first and checked the room carefully.
