AnnaMaria
It was my first day working as a hotel housekeeper, and I wanted everything to be perfect. Every corner had to shine. I checked the room twice, smoothed every wrinkle from the bed, wiped every surface until it gleamed, and made sure the mirrors sparkled. I wanted to make a flawless first impression.
But as I moved from one room to the next, I began noticing something that didn’t make sense. Guests — business travelers, families, even solo visitors — were all doing the same odd thing. They were keeping their suitcases inside the bathtub.
At first, I laughed it off as coincidence. Maybe they didn’t want to clutter the floor. Maybe they needed extra space. But then it kept happening — in room after room. Some guests even left their bags in the tub while they were still staying there. That’s when I realized it couldn’t just be random.
The next morning during our team briefing, curiosity got the best of me. I raised my hand and asked casually, “Has anyone noticed that guests keep their luggage in the bathtub? Is that… normal?”
To my surprise, no one looked confused. A few coworkers even exchanged knowing smiles. One of them, Maria, who had worked at the hotel for almost ten years, chuckled and said, “Oh, that’s not weird at all. They’re just being careful.”
I frowned. “Careful about what?”
“Bedbugs,” she said simply, as if that explained everything. “They can’t climb smooth surfaces. So a lot of travelers who’ve had a bad experience before will store their luggage in the tub to avoid bringing any back home. It’s their way of staying one step ahead.”
Her words sank in slowly. What I thought was just an odd habit was actually a clever little trick — one born from experience and maybe even from past misfortune.
Later that week, while cleaning a suite, I met an elderly couple who were just packing up. Their neatly closed suitcase sat right there in the bathtub again. My curiosity got the better of me. I smiled and asked, “Do you always keep your luggage there?”
The husband looked at his wife and laughed softly. “Oh yes,” he said. “We learned that the hard way years ago. We once brought home a few tiny stowaways from a vacation — bedbugs. It took months to get rid of them. Ever since then, we always keep our bags in the tub. It’s the only place they can’t crawl to.”
His wife nodded. “It sounds silly, but it gives us peace of mind.”
I smiled, this time understanding more than ever. What had looked like a strange ritual was actually a story — a story of learning, adapting, and never wanting to repeat a painful mistake.
From then on, every time I saw a suitcase in a bathtub, I didn’t think of it as strange. I thought of the stories behind it. Each one belonged to someone who had learned something on the road — a piece of hard-earned travel wisdom tucked quietly between hotel stays.
It made me realize something important. Traveling isn’t just about exploring new places. It’s about collecting small lessons that make the journey smoother. Every traveler, whether they know it or not, becomes a little wiser with every trip.
Now, whenever I check into a hotel myself, I still think back to that first day on the job. I unpack my essentials, hang up my clothes, and then I glance at the bathtub. It’s empty, clean, and waiting.
And before I even lie down to rest, I lift my suitcase and place it right inside the tub — not because I’m scared, but because sometimes, wisdom hides in the smallest, strangest habits.
It’s funny, really. What once looked like an odd quirk now feels like a secret shared between travelers — a quiet understanding that sometimes, the best protection doesn’t come from luxury or luck, but from learning the lessons others have left behind.
So the next time you check into a hotel and see an empty bathtub, you might think twice before filling it with water. It might just be the safest place in the room.
