Working in hospitality is famously stressful, but out of all the places you can choose from in the industry, hotels probably take the cake—cherry on top included. The stuff that happens there is definitely not for the weak.
So when Redditors asked hotel workers to share the wildest things they’ve seen on the job, people had plenty of stories to tell. From ruined furniture and unexpected animals in guest rooms to outrageously demanding visitors, it all comes with the territory. Read on for some of the craziest ones, and grab your popcorn.
#1
We had an elderly (70s) couple stay with us once who were the absolute best. We offered a complimentary dinner around 6 p.m., and the wife had come over to the front desk and brought me a plate of dinner, saying "You're far too skinny to get any girls, young man." I thanked her and ate it, while her husband walked up, gave her a leash, and she left to go walk the dog outside while her husband and I talked about what they were doing in my neck of the woods. They go back to their rooms about half an hour later, and I go about my business. Around 8:30, he calls down crying, saying his wife won't wake up. I go up there, calling 911, but I found that she had passed away, sleeping on his shoulder, while they were watching Wheel of Fortune. I wept like a girl that night, and kept him company while he tried to call his children, who weren't picking up their phones.
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39points
#2
Nothing too freaky, but heartwarming.
I worked at the reception once at the most luxury hotel in town and one day a rich man (kinda famous locally) came in asking for the restaurant and what was on the menu, i gave him instructions and then he left... a few minutes later he comes back with a homeless man and walk into the restaurant with him inviting him for breakfast.
Later, my boss comes into asking who let the hobo in, a coworker explains him what happened and the rich man jumps in and starts arguing with my boss.
TL;DR: Rich man invites a hobo for breakfast at luxury hotel and the manager goes nuts.
I worked at the reception once at the most luxury hotel in town and one day a rich man (kinda famous locally) came in asking for the restaurant and what was on the menu, i gave him instructions and then he left... a few minutes later he comes back with a homeless man and walk into the restaurant with him inviting him for breakfast.
Later, my boss comes into asking who let the hobo in, a coworker explains him what happened and the rich man jumps in and starts arguing with my boss.
TL;DR: Rich man invites a hobo for breakfast at luxury hotel and the manager goes nuts.
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27points
#3
Ducklings. The guest said the mother had [passed away] and started looking after the ducklings herself. We found them in the lodge bathroom. After that they were kept in someone's office till the right people came to collect them.
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26points
#4
Cats. Cats everywhere. And a $100 tip with a not that said, "thanks for taking care of these guys, be back in a week."
She didn't come back.
She didn't come back.
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24points
#5
I was working at a luxury hotel and we had a fairly big name band staying with us. There were no noise complaints, and they seemed to be perfect tenants. When they left and we went to clean the room, EVERY SINGLE PIECE of furniture was nailed to the ceiling in roughly the same configuration that it was in on the floor. I found it to be quite amusing. Management didn't.
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24points
#6
Oh man how did I forget about Bear Bear!
All inclusive adults only resort. Wife Wrote to us prior to arriving that she was bringing her child, a stuffed bear called Bear bear, who needed a car seat from arrival at the airport for in the taxi.
- management were forced to "bearsit" when she and her husband needed alone time
- she cried when the bear was sitting at the front desk and accidentally fell over on his face and no one fixed him
- we offered a complimentary "candle light dinner" to make up for our ignorance
- all their reservations were for 3, and they ordered additional plates of lobster/steak for the stuffed bear
- it was his birthday during his stay, and another team member had to bring in a stuffed beat to be his date while he "drove" "her" in our company Cadillac Escalade.
- bear bear needed to be babysat but was a "party animal" and they would order extra drinks for him.
- bear bear wore a rasta hat with dreadlocks and swam in the pool.
All inclusive adults only resort. Wife Wrote to us prior to arriving that she was bringing her child, a stuffed bear called Bear bear, who needed a car seat from arrival at the airport for in the taxi.
- management were forced to "bearsit" when she and her husband needed alone time
- she cried when the bear was sitting at the front desk and accidentally fell over on his face and no one fixed him
- we offered a complimentary "candle light dinner" to make up for our ignorance
- all their reservations were for 3, and they ordered additional plates of lobster/steak for the stuffed bear
- it was his birthday during his stay, and another team member had to bring in a stuffed beat to be his date while he "drove" "her" in our company Cadillac Escalade.
- bear bear needed to be babysat but was a "party animal" and they would order extra drinks for him.
- bear bear wore a rasta hat with dreadlocks and swam in the pool.
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24points
#7
A friend of mine worked at her parents hotel. One of the guests alerted her to a bad smell on one of the floors. She went up and traced the smell to one room. When she opened the door, a very large man was sitting on the end of the bed facing her and looking at her. She asked him what was going on, but he didn't answer. Turns out he'd had a heart attack a few days prior while putting on his socks. It was Christmas Day when she found him.
Tl;dr: awkward eye contact with a corpse on Christmas.
Tl;dr: awkward eye contact with a corpse on Christmas.
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20points
#8
I was working Front Desk at a Holiday Inn, and a group of six sailors on shore leave check in for the night. Usually these kinds of groups are rowdy and megadrunk, so I told them, "Look guys, I know what's up with these shore leave groups, so I put you in a room far from the other guests - BUT, you still have to keep it down." They assured me very respectfully that they would be VERY good that night.
About an hour later, the room calls down and asks us to punch up a card for a woman who would be arriving. Shortly after, a tall leggy woman in a trench coat walks up, requests a key, thanks me politely, and enters the elevator.
Another hour later, the woman calls down and asks for six razors, six towels. There is no noise in the background whatsoever.
Another hour hence, the woman in the trench coat leaves, and it was then I noticed her shiny black dominatrix boots. Judging from the housekeeping report the next day, she/they tied each other up, shaved their pubic zones, and left a big pubey mess in the sink. "Very good" indeed. ಠ_ಠ.
About an hour later, the room calls down and asks us to punch up a card for a woman who would be arriving. Shortly after, a tall leggy woman in a trench coat walks up, requests a key, thanks me politely, and enters the elevator.
Another hour later, the woman calls down and asks for six razors, six towels. There is no noise in the background whatsoever.
Another hour hence, the woman in the trench coat leaves, and it was then I noticed her shiny black dominatrix boots. Judging from the housekeeping report the next day, she/they tied each other up, shaved their pubic zones, and left a big pubey mess in the sink. "Very good" indeed. ಠ_ಠ.
18points
#9
My roommate works front desk at a Marriott... One night a guy comes back to the hotel, drunk, at 9pm. Around the elevators is a large mirror. He kicks the thing with a running start and shatters it.
He saw it in a movie once and wanted to try it. The mirror costs $2,000 to replace. He wasn't even upset. He just said, "Don't tell my wife.".
He saw it in a movie once and wanted to try it. The mirror costs $2,000 to replace. He wasn't even upset. He just said, "Don't tell my wife.".
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17points
#10
A goat dressed like Abraham Lincoln.
There's no more story here, at least none that I know. Working as a cleaner in a hotel, went to clean a guest's room, dreading it since they'd been there for a stag do, found the goat. Don't know how it got there, or how it was removed, but it made a good story for a while.
There's no more story here, at least none that I know. Working as a cleaner in a hotel, went to clean a guest's room, dreading it since they'd been there for a stag do, found the goat. Don't know how it got there, or how it was removed, but it made a good story for a while.
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17points
#11
I was working at a low budget motel in a ski town. My shifts consisted of mundane tasks like changing light bulbs, fixing clogs, etc. etc. I got a call from one of the maids to come to a room because "the lighting is weird". I asked her to expand on that and she said that the room just looked strange. Uh ok... I arrived at the room and sure enough with the lights on and the curtains closed the room was bathed in an weird yellow glow. I look up at the ceiling light expecting that the bulb is underpowered or the fixture is shorting out and instead find that the glass globe surrounding the bulb is filled right to the brim with [urine]. Someone actually unscrewed the 3 screws holding it up, [urinated] in the globe and (I imagine) carefully put it back. The worst part was that the bulb had actually been submerged in [urine] and had warmed it back up.
TL/DR Man changes the mood lighting of his accommodation with urine.
TL/DR Man changes the mood lighting of his accommodation with urine.
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16points
#12
Not me, but a mate of mine worked at an Ibis in Sydney (cheapish hotel brand in Australia, unsure where else) as a temp cleaner. Not really disgusting or weird, but the residents had decided to cover the floor in the bathroom with mayonnaise, and the same with the mirrors.
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15points
#13
Weirdest thing I ever found was a [deceased] woman. She was anorexic and had taken too many laxatives. Her body was halfway to the bathroom, and there was a...trail...from the bed to her body.
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15points
#14
There was this one guy who stayed at least one night every week and he always requested the same room. We thought he was maybe making [illegal] deals or something so we searched the room after he checked out one day.
Turns out he was hiding a blowup doll under the mattresses. We threw it away and he only came back once after that. I kinda felt bad for him.
Turns out he was hiding a blowup doll under the mattresses. We threw it away and he only came back once after that. I kinda felt bad for him.
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14points
#15
My family is in the hotel business. One day a particular room just started to stink to high hell for no apparent reason. We checked *everywhere* multiple times looking for the source of the scent, no dice. We sprayed *everything* in the room numerous times with deodorizer to no avail. Left the room open daily for months to air it out without any change.
Finally, we somehow tracked the smell to the table lamp. We were dumbfounded, asking ourselves how it could be emanating from there. [Jerk]had broken the thing, put a fish in it, and glued it back together. My brother actually applauded this guy's ingenuity. He got us good, and I ain't even mad at that.
Finally, we somehow tracked the smell to the table lamp. We were dumbfounded, asking ourselves how it could be emanating from there. [Jerk]had broken the thing, put a fish in it, and glued it back together. My brother actually applauded this guy's ingenuity. He got us good, and I ain't even mad at that.
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14points
#16
I worked in a reservations office for a hotel associated with an amusement park. Occasionally,I would cover the front desk. Usually, I had late shifts at the desk and one night around 1AM I get a call from some parents looking for their daughter and her boyfriend. Apparently, they had gone to the park earlier were supposed to be back after the park closed. At this time the park had been closed for more than an hour. After a quick search of the hotel. Someone (not me) found the girl and her boyfriend going at it in the bathroom stalls in the public bathrooms in the entrance to the hotel. When we called the parents the mother was in total disbelief talking about how her good Christian daughter would never do something like that.
TL;DR Good Christian 16 year olds go missing. Found being far from Christian in the public bathrooms.
TL;DR Good Christian 16 year olds go missing. Found being far from Christian in the public bathrooms.
13points
#17
While working for Holiday Inn I received a call down at the Front Desk from our Honeymoon Suite saying that the room had a strange smell. Without really thinking too much about it I said I would get housekeeping to come and ozonate the room for them.
About 15 mins later they call down again, say the smell is pretty bad and can they switch rooms. My manager and I move them to another suite and then go up to the room to investigate the smell. We are in the room for half an hour, trying to figure out what this was.
Eventually we opened the bottom dresser drawer and found a log of [feces] rolled up in a towel that had apparently been sitting in that drawer, overlooked by housekeeping, for over a week.
When we called the guest to tell him we would be charging him for extra housekeeping costs as well as the towel that had to be thrown away, he simply replied, "I was dissatisfied with the continental breakfast"
*Just to clarify, the room had been unoccupied since the pooper had made his deposit, so it wasn't difficult to track down the guilty party.
About 15 mins later they call down again, say the smell is pretty bad and can they switch rooms. My manager and I move them to another suite and then go up to the room to investigate the smell. We are in the room for half an hour, trying to figure out what this was.
Eventually we opened the bottom dresser drawer and found a log of [feces] rolled up in a towel that had apparently been sitting in that drawer, overlooked by housekeeping, for over a week.
When we called the guest to tell him we would be charging him for extra housekeeping costs as well as the towel that had to be thrown away, he simply replied, "I was dissatisfied with the continental breakfast"
*Just to clarify, the room had been unoccupied since the pooper had made his deposit, so it wasn't difficult to track down the guilty party.
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12points
#18
A few years ago I dated a girl that worked the night shift at a Hampton in. It started at 11 and went through 7 am, one night she asked me to stay with her on a shift, and later we could stay in an empty room. Sounded good.
About 2 am comes around and she's up front putting in the wake-up calls for the guests and im sitting in the back office, just behind the front desk in a chair, leaned back, about to fall asleep. There's a hallway down to my left that opens up to the outside, and another door that leads into the laundry room.
Needless to say I hear a clink clink and the door opens, I'm confused because everyone should be asleep. In walks a guy in a ski-mask and boots, and a dark camo jacket. I pivot slowly in my chair, still leaned back, and raise my eyebrows at him, like... you are unexpected..
The guy sees me, pauses still for a second, like freeze-frame, and then walks right back out the door. I get up and immediately walk to the door and open it to see where he goes, he's gone.
My girlfriend gets done with the wake-up calls and comes back, im sitting down again, heart rate slightly higher than it was before.
I said "Uhm, a guy in a ski mask and camo just came through that door, i think you should call the police"
And naturally she starts losing it. Cops came, never found the guy, turns out that lock was broken, and i guess he anticipated her being alone all night.
About 2 am comes around and she's up front putting in the wake-up calls for the guests and im sitting in the back office, just behind the front desk in a chair, leaned back, about to fall asleep. There's a hallway down to my left that opens up to the outside, and another door that leads into the laundry room.
Needless to say I hear a clink clink and the door opens, I'm confused because everyone should be asleep. In walks a guy in a ski-mask and boots, and a dark camo jacket. I pivot slowly in my chair, still leaned back, and raise my eyebrows at him, like... you are unexpected..
The guy sees me, pauses still for a second, like freeze-frame, and then walks right back out the door. I get up and immediately walk to the door and open it to see where he goes, he's gone.
My girlfriend gets done with the wake-up calls and comes back, im sitting down again, heart rate slightly higher than it was before.
I said "Uhm, a guy in a ski mask and camo just came through that door, i think you should call the police"
And naturally she starts losing it. Cops came, never found the guy, turns out that lock was broken, and i guess he anticipated her being alone all night.
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12points
#19
As the owner of a bed and breakfast place for the last 8 years the craziest thing i ever found was an old battered notebook with "Why i love salad" written on the front and then literally 40-80 pages on why salad was amazing. There'd be the occasional suggestion that the author believed salad to be alive in some sense. Looked like it had been written on and off over the course of several years.
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12points
