I started working as a hotel housekeeper a few months ago. Everything seemed pretty standard — messy rooms, towels on the floor, minibar raids — until I noticed something odd.

Some guests kept their luggage in the bathtub.

At first, I just thought they were short on space, or maybe trying to keep it cool? I wasn’t sure. But one day, I asked a guest — politely — why her suitcase was sitting in the tub.

She snapped:

“Don’t move it. It’s there for a reason.”

I was confused. It felt a little rude, honestly. But then I Googled it.

Turns out, it’s to avoid BED BUGS.
Yep. People who travel often know that hotel carpets, bedding, and even luggage racks can be hotspots for bed bugs. But bathrooms? They’re usually tiled and less hospitable to those pests.

By keeping luggage in the tub, guests lower the risk of bringing home unwanted souvenirs that crawl.

So yeah… what I thought was weird turned out to be smart.

Now I never look at a bathtub the same way again.