12 Times Insiders Revealed Hotel Secrets That Can Startle Even Frequent Travelers

There’s a whole other side to the hotel world — one that’s rarely seen by guests and carefully guarded by staff. But sometimes, the truth slips through the cracks. From late-night confessions to jaw-dropping revelations, these 12 stories from hotel insiders will change the way you check in forever.

• In the times you used hotel shampoos and conditioners, has your hair been damaged? © Frequent-Branch-4128 / Reddit

Most hotel shampoos are just regular shampoos you can buy at the store. One big chain uses Paul Mitchell products, other hotels use other brands. © Unfair_Finger5531 / Reddit

• I worked at an international "family chain". So, low-to-mid level hotels. If you find a hotel on one of those discount sites, call the hotel. Hotels pay a rate to the website for every room they book.
  If they're not expecting a full house, they will often accept an offer for a room ever cheaper than the web rate (or maybe throw in extras or an upgrade or something) because without having to pay the website for the room they're still making more money than if you book online.

Also, don't rely only on online booking if a hotel says they're full. Not every room is available for the web rate, because they don't want every room selling for the discounted price. Our hotel only had 10 of 100 rooms available to Orbitz/Expedia/etc.
The official "company" reservation page had more, but we still held rooms in reserve for walk-ins even when the place showed full online. It's worth giving a place a call to ask in person if you're having trouble finding a room in a packed area. © Unknown author / Reddit

• During housekeeping, hotels use different colored cloths to wipe your drinking glasses, cutlery, toilets and sinks to avoid contamination. They just didn’t bother separating these cloths after wiping and moving to the next room. © curry-sauce / Reddit
• A well-known luxury hotel and resort chain keeps a database of you. They get pictures from the internet and basically stalk you to create a profile. They put what you ordered to eat, how many towels you needed, what drinks you liked, your kids' names and birthdays, address phone number.
  Everyone working in the hotel has access to this database and can see your information. It's not all good stuff, either. © Ch3wbacca1 / Reddit

• Ever stayed in a hotel for more than one night and your keys quit working on the second night? A lot of times the people at the front desk will tell you that they were "demagnetized" because you kept them in your wallet next to your others cards, or too close to your cell phone.
  Really, this is an excuse to avoid admitting their mistake. What likely happened is the person who made your keys probably only activated them for one night (the default setting), instead of for the total nights of your stay. © skibblez_n_zits / Reddit
• I only work as a housekeeper at a regular 4-star Hotel, but probably about 25% of people either bleed or leave stains on the beds. It's truly atrocious how disgusting people are, especially when they know someone else is cleaning it up. Even the wealthier guests. © kpo987 / Reddit

• Read the fine print when you book a room. 95% of the time, you are only guaranteed A ROOM, and you may not end up getting the king or double you booked. © spanky34 / Reddit
• It's pretty common to have a dead guest. There's a standard procedure for it and we take care of it quietly. © Why_am_I_here033 / Reddit
• I used to be a hotel valet. The people that tip the most are the ones driving regular cars, not the nice Porsche. © or1on / Reddit

• I've worked in several nicer hotels and here are some tips:

The glasses for toothbrushes are not always washed since the cleaners are in a hurry, often they are just held under the tap and rinsed (if even that). Check for lip prints.

If there is a coffee mug with freeze-dried coffee, check to see that it's not been standing too long before using (lots of dust inside).

The remotes for the TV are rarely cleaned.

Many things such as fans, heaters and even bathrobes might be something stored in one place in the hotel, if you need something you should ask for it, it's not always in every room.

Check the seals on the things in the minibar.

Maybe everyone knows this, but if you want fresh towels, you should put the towels on the floor. If you hang them, they will not be changed, and you'll have to ask for new ones. © Roslagen / Reddit

• I worked for the Ritz-Carlton for a few years. In my orientation, the HR rep told everyone that each employee has a special allowance of $1,500 to make sure they can help the guests feel like their stay would be memorable.
  There was a story about a guest who lost his Rolex and asked the front desk if they had seen it, or one of the maids took it and complained a lot. When the guest finally left, the guy from the front desk went out and purchased the guest a new Rolex and was reimbursed fully by the Ritz. The guest was extra happy and is now returning to the same property every year.
  So, every Ritz-Carlton employee in the U.S. has a $1,500 account for guests if needed. Not many people know that. © junglepiehelmet / Reddit
• As someone who currently works at a major hotel in a very popular city, I may have seem insight.
  1.) the duvet stories are mostly true. If it looks clean and not wrinkled, then it stays without being washed. If there are obvious stains, then it's removed.
  2.) most times you book with a third party (i.e. Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity) your room type is not guaranteed (unless you pay more) so don't take it out on the front desk agent. © BayHarbourButcher / Reddit

Behind every great stay is a little knowledge and a lot of curiosity. So go ahead — check in with confidence, rest easy, and let every journey feel just a bit more informed.

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