Why Some Hotel Guests Store Their Luggage in the Bathtub

When you first walk into a hotel room, the usual spots for your suitcase are clear: the metal luggage rack, maybe an empty chair, or perhaps the floor inside the closet. However, travelers who are very cautious might do something that looks quite strange: they place their suitcase right inside the bathtub.

This practice might seem awkward or unnecessary—after all, a tub is made for bathing, not for bags. But there’s a surprisingly smart and very practical reason behind this unusual travel habit. It all comes down to safety, cleanliness, and peace of mind.

The Main Concern: Protection Against Bed Bugs

The biggest and most important reason experienced travelers use the tub is to protect their belongings from bed bugs. These tiny insects are a huge headache. They are very hardy and like to hide in many places, including mattresses, upholstered furniture, curtains, and even the edges of the carpet.

The worst part is that once these pests crawl into a suitcase, they can easily travel home with you. This can lead to a full-blown infestation in your own house, which is both expensive to fix and very stressful to deal with.

• Hotels Are Vulnerable: Bed bugs do not care if a hotel is cheap or a fancy five-star resort. Even the most luxurious properties sometimes have to deal with outbreaks. Since the bugs can easily spread from one guest’s items to the next, any hotel is at risk.
• Luggage Is the Perfect Target: Bed bugs are naturally drawn to fabric and dark, cozy hiding places. A soft suitcase left on the floor near the bed is an ideal spot for them to settle down.
• The Bathtub Is a “Safe Zone”: The surface of a bathtub is usually smooth, hard porcelain. This slippery, non-porous material makes it extremely difficult for a bed bug to climb up or hide. If a bug were to try to crawl onto the bag, it would also be easy to see it against the bright white surface.

For travelers who are extra careful, the bathroom is often their very first stop. They will “put their luggage in the tub while they inspect the bed, headboard, and room with a flashlight for signs of pests.” This is a key step to keeping their bags safe while they quickly check the rest of the room.

A Strong Defense Against Unexpected Water

Another solid, practical reason guests use the tub is to guard against water damage. While hotel rooms usually look clean and dry, unexpected water problems can happen more often than people realize. If your bag is on the carpet and a leak occurs, your belongings can get ruined.

Examples of water issues include:

• A leaking air conditioning unit located near a window.
• A surprise fire sprinkler malfunction or accident.
• An overflow from the sink or tub in the room right above yours.
• Water or rain seeping in through a poorly sealed window.

Guests who have ever experienced soaked and damaged luggage are almost always extra careful afterward. The bathtub, which is literally designed to hold and contain water, becomes the safest and most protective spot in the whole room for temporary storage.

General Cleanliness and Hygiene

Some guests are concerned less about pests and more about general cleanliness. Items like carpets, chairs, and luggage racks are not always cleaned or sanitized very deeply between every guest’s stay.

However, a bathtub is usually cleaned and disinfected thoroughly every single day by housekeeping staff. For a traveler who is focused on hygiene, placing their bag in the bathtub feels like a much cleaner and more reassuring option than putting it on a rack or on the carpet.

A Tool for Psychological Comfort

Beyond the practical reasons, there is also a psychological side to this habit. Traveling often takes people away from their normal routines and can make them feel a little out of control. Creating small routines and rituals—such as deciding to place their luggage in the bathtub—can help a person restore a feeling of consistency and safety. Even if the chances of bugs or leaks are very small, the act of storing luggage this way can lower anxiety and help a guest feel more secure as they settle in.

Expert Advice for Safer Travel

Travel and pest control professionals have a set of clear steps for travelers who want to avoid unwanted hitchhikers:

• Inspect Before You Unpack: Experts strongly advise that you always check the seams of the bed, the edges of the mattress, and the headboard for any small black dots (waste) or reddish stains (crushed bugs) before you bring your luggage close to the sleeping area.
• Use the Luggage Rack Wisely: If your room has a metal rack, use it, but pull it away from the wall and any nearby furniture where bugs might be hiding.
• Consider Protective Covers: You can buy special liners and protective encasements for your suitcases that create an added barrier against pests.
• Keep Items Sealed: Using things like packing cubes or large, resealable plastic bags can help reduce the risk of pests crawling into your clean clothing.

While the bathtub method is not officially recommended by hotels, pest control specialists acknowledge that it is certainly one of the safest temporary spots to place your luggage while you conduct your room inspection.

What seems like a strange or random thing to do is actually a very smart precaution that comes from real-life experience. Guests who put their luggage in the bathtub are not being odd—they are simply taking steps to protect themselves from possible bed bug infestations, unexpected water damage, or general cleanliness issues.

So, the next time you see a suitcase sitting in the tub, you’ll understand the reason: “it’s not random, it’s strategy.”