Why Some Hotel Guests Store Their Luggage in the Bathtub
At first glance, it sounds absurd.
You walk into a hotel bathroom and see suitcases stacked neatly inside the bathtub. Shoes tucked into the corners. Clothing bags balanced on the rim. Toiletry kits perched safely away from the drain.
Your first thought might be:
Why on earth would anyone put their luggage in the bathtub?
It feels counterintuitive. Bathrooms are for showers, not suitcases. Bathtubs are wet, slippery, and about as far from “luxury storage” as you can get.
And yet, for many seasoned travelers, this habit isn’t strange at all.
It’s intentional.
It’s practical.
And once you understand the reason behind it, you may never store your luggage on a hotel floor again.
The Habit That Looks Weird—Until You Know Why
This practice isn’t about convenience or saving space. It’s not a quirk or superstition.
It’s about protection.
Specifically, protection from one of the most dreaded problems a traveler can bring home—something no five-star rating can fully guarantee against.
And no, it’s not theft.
It’s not water damage.
It’s not even germs in the way most people think.
The real reason is far smaller, far sneakier, and far more persistent.
The Uninvited Guests No One Talks About
Hotels, no matter how clean, are high-turnover environments. Hundreds—sometimes thousands—of guests pass through the same rooms each year.
With them come:
Clothes
Bags
Shoes
And occasionally, things they didn’t intend to bring
Among these are pests that have evolved to travel with humans remarkably well.
The most infamous of these?
Bed bugs.
Why Bed Bugs Are a Traveler’s Worst Nightmare
Bed bugs are not a reflection of cleanliness. They don’t care if a hotel is spotless or grimy. They don’t discriminate between budget motels and luxury resorts.
They care about:
Warmth
Carbon dioxide
And access to humans
That’s it.
They hide in:
Mattresses
Bed frames
Headboards
Upholstered furniture
Carpets
Curtains
And yes—luggage.
Once they hitch a ride home, they can turn a single vacation into months of stress, expense, and emotional exhaustion.
This is why experienced travelers take precautions that seem odd to the uninitiated.
Why the Bathtub Is a Strategic Choice
The bathtub isn’t chosen at random.
It offers several key advantages that make it one of the safest places in a hotel room for luggage.
1. Smooth, Non-Porous Surfaces
Bed bugs have difficulty climbing smooth surfaces like porcelain and fiberglass.
Unlike:
Carpets
Fabric chairs
Bed skirts
A bathtub offers little grip and fewer hiding places.
2. Distance From Common Hiding Spots
Bathtubs are usually isolated from:
Beds
Upholstered furniture
Baseboards
This physical separation reduces the chance of pests reaching your luggage.
3. Easy Inspection
White or light-colored tubs make it easier to spot:
Bugs
Droppings
Shed skins
If something doesn’t belong there, you’ll see it.
4. No Fabric
Bed bugs love fabric. A bathtub offers none.
Why Not the Floor, Bed, or Luggage Rack?
Many people assume luggage racks are the safest option. They are better than the floor—but they’re not foolproof.
The Floor
Carpeted floors are one of the riskiest places for luggage. Bed bugs often hide in carpet edges and baseboards.
The Bed
Placing luggage on the bed is one of the worst choices. The bed is ground zero for potential infestation.
Upholstered Furniture
Chairs and sofas are prime hiding spots for pests.
Luggage Racks
While helpful, they:
Are often placed near beds
May have fabric straps
Aren’t always thoroughly cleaned
The bathtub bypasses all of these risks.
Who Uses This Trick?
This isn’t something most people learn casually. It’s passed along quietly in certain circles.
People who commonly use this method include:
Frequent business travelers
Flight attendants and pilots
Travel nurses
Backpackers
Pest control professionals
People who’ve had bed bugs once and never want them again
Once you’ve dealt with an infestation, you tend to adopt habits that may look extreme—but feel completely reasonable.
The Psychology Behind the Habit
The bathtub trick isn’t just practical—it’s psychological.
Travelers who store luggage in the tub are often:
Highly aware of risk
Focused on prevention rather than reaction
Willing to look “odd” to avoid bigger problems
It’s a quiet act of self-protection in an environment where control is limited.
“But What If I Need to Use the Shower?”
Good question.
Most people who use this method:
Unpack only essentials
Keep luggage in the tub until inspection is done
Move items one at a time after confirming the room is clear
Some even:
Inspect the mattress seams
Check the headboard
Look behind the nightstands
Only after feeling confident do they move their belongings elsewhere.
Is This Overkill?
To someone who’s never experienced bed bugs, it might seem excessive.
But consider this:
Bed bugs can survive months without feeding
They can hide in seams smaller than a credit card
Infestations can cost thousands to treat
Compared to that, storing luggage in a bathtub is a minor inconvenience.
Prevention always feels dramatic—until it feels necessary.
Other Unexpected Travel Safety Habits
The bathtub trick is just one of many habits seasoned travelers adopt.
Others include:
Keeping luggage zipped at all times
Storing clothes in sealed bags
Avoiding hotel drawers entirely
Washing travel clothes immediately after returning home
Leaving suitcases outside the bedroom at home
These practices aren’t about fear—they’re about experience.
Why Hotels Rarely Talk About This
You won’t see signs in hotel rooms suggesting this practice.
Why?
It creates anxiety
It implies a problem
It raises questions hotels would rather not answer
Instead, hotels focus on:
Cleanliness messaging
Routine inspections
Professional pest control
Most do their best. But no system is perfect.
What To Do If You Find Signs of Bed Bugs
If you inspect your room and notice:
Small reddish-brown bugs
Black spots on sheets or mattresses
Shed skins
Do not unpack.
Immediately:
Notify hotel staff
Request a room change (not adjacent)
Keep luggage sealed
Consider laundering clothing on high heat
And yes—keep your bags in the bathtub until resolved.
Is This Only About Bed Bugs?
Mostly—but not entirely.
Bathtubs also protect against:
Spills
Dirty floors
Moisture from air conditioning leaks
Crawling insects
It’s a surprisingly versatile safe zone.
Why This Trick Is Becoming More Popular
Social media and travel forums have brought this once-niche habit into the open.
People share:
Horror stories
Before-and-after photos
Costly lessons learned
As awareness spreads, so does prevention.
What once looked strange now looks smart.
Should Everyone Do This?
Not necessarily.
But if you:
Travel frequently
Stay in multiple hotels
Use shared accommodations
This habit may save you from a problem you never want to deal with.
It costs nothing.
It takes little effort.
And it significantly reduces risk.
The Moment It Makes Sense
For most people, the bathtub trick doesn’t make sense—until one day, it does.
Usually after:
Hearing a friend’s story
Seeing photos online
Or experiencing a problem firsthand
After that, it stops feeling strange.
It starts feeling obvious.
Final Thoughts: Strange, Smart, and Surprisingly Logical
Storing luggage in a hotel bathtub may look odd.
It may feel inconvenient.
It may even feel unnecessary.
But it’s one of those travel habits that exists because someone learned the hard way—and decided to never repeat the experience.
In a world where travel already comes with enough unpredictability, this small, simple habit offers peace of mind.
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