When a brand-new hotel housekeeper walked into her first shift, she expected messy beds, wet towels, and forgotten socks. What she didn’t expect was to find multiple guests storing their suitcases… inside the bathtub.
It happened more than once — and one guest even placed their luggage in the tub right in front of her. Confused and a little awkward, she wondered:
Are they hiding something? Distrusting housekeepers? Or is this some strange travel ritual?

The truth is far more practical — and surprisingly smart.

Guests aren’t trying to hide their belongings at all. They’re protecting them.

Most seasoned travelers put their luggage in the bathtub because it’s the safest place in the entire hotel room from… bed bugs.

Bed bugs can’t climb smooth porcelain surfaces. That means the tub is one of the only places where your suitcase can’t be reached, crawled into, or infested. And once bed bugs get into your luggage, they travel home with you — causing thousands in extermination bills and weeks of stress.

Travel forums, pest-control experts, and even flight attendants quietly recommend this trick. Travelers do it especially when staying in older hotels, motels, or during peak travel seasons when rooms turn over quickly.

Some guests even keep their bags there only temporarily while they inspect the bed, mattress seams, headboard, and furniture for signs of bugs. If everything looks safe, they move the luggage out.

So no — they’re not suspicious of you. They’re just being careful.

For many travelers, the bathtub is the last “bug-proof safe zone” in a hotel room… and the simplest way to avoid bringing home an unwanted souvenir.