Why Savvy Travelers Keep Their Suitcases in the Bathtub

During our morning team briefing the next day, I finally asked about it. I tried to sound casual, like I was just making conversation.

“Has anyone noticed that some guests are putting their suitcases in the bathtub?”

I expected laughter or confusion. Instead, my coworkers exchanged knowing looks. Maria, one of the senior housekeepers who’d been working there for nearly ten years, smiled and said, “Oh, that’s not strange at all. They’re just protecting their luggage.”

“Protecting it?” I asked. “From what?”

She chuckled. “From tiny, unwanted visitors. Bedbugs don’t climb smooth surfaces. Keeping bags in the tub helps make sure the little pests can’t hitch a ride home.”

Her explanation made perfect sense. What I had mistaken for an odd travel quirk was actually a clever form of self-defense — a trick learned the hard way by those who’d once had to deal with the nightmare of bringing bedbugs home.

A Lesson from Experienced Travelers

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