When you check into a hotel, you probably place your suitcase on the luggage rack, a chair, or perhaps the closet floor. But occasionally, you may come across a surprising sight: a guest’s luggage sitting inside the bathtub. It may look unusual, even inconvenient—after all, tubs are designed for showers, not suitcases. Yet there’s a very practical reason behind this quirky travel habit.
The Real Fear: Bed Bugs
The number one reason seasoned travelers put their bags in the tub is protection from bed bugs. These tiny, resilient insects hide in mattresses, upholstered chairs, curtains, and even carpet edges. Once they crawl into a suitcase, they can travel home with you and infest your bedroom, becoming an expensive and stressful problem.
- Hotels are vulnerable. Bed bugs don’t discriminate between budget motels and luxury properties. Even five-star hotels occasionally deal with outbreaks, as the bugs spread easily through guest turnover.
- Luggage is the perfect target. Bed bugs are attracted to fabric and dark hiding places. A suitcase left on the floor near the bed offers ideal shelter.
- The bathtub is a “safe zone.” With its slippery, non-porous surface, the tub is one of the few places in a hotel room where bed bugs have difficulty climbing. Any movement would also be easy to spot against the white porcelain.
For cautious travelers, the bathroom is the first stop: they put their luggage in the tub while they inspect the bed, headboard, and room with a flashlight for signs of pests.
A Defense Against Water Damage
Another practical reason some guests choose the tub is protection against leaks. Hotel rooms may look spotless, but unexpected water issues happen more often than one might think:
- A leaking air conditioning unit near the window.
- A fire sprinkler malfunction.
- Overflow from the room above.
- Condensation or rain seeping through poorly sealed windows.
Guests who have experienced soaked luggage once often become extra careful in the future. The bathtub, designed to contain water, becomes the safest spot in the room.
Hygiene Concerns
Some guests worry less about bed bugs and more about general cleanliness. Carpets, upholstered chairs, and luggage racks are not always sanitized between stays. A bathtub, however, is usually cleaned daily with disinfectants. To a hygiene-conscious traveler, this makes it a more reassuring option for temporary storage.
Psychological Comfort and Routine
Beyond practical reasons, there’s a psychological dimension. Traveling often strips people of their normal routines and sense of control. Small rituals—like placing luggage in a bathtub—help restore a feeling of safety and consistency. Even if the risk of bugs or leaks is small, the act of storing luggage this way can reduce anxiety and make a guest feel more secure.
Expert Advice: What Travel Professionals Recommend
- Inspect before you unpack. Bed bug experts advise always checking the bed seams, mattress edges, and headboard for small black spots or reddish stains before bringing luggage near them.
- Use the luggage rack wisely. If provided, place your suitcase on the metal rack, but pull it away from walls and furniture where bugs might hide.
- Try protective covers. Specialized suitcase liners and encasements provide an additional barrier.
- Keep items sealed. Packing cubes or large resealable bags help reduce the risk of pests getting into clothing.
The bathtub method is not officially recommended by hotels, but pest control experts acknowledge that it is one of the safest temporary places to put luggage during inspection.
If you’re someone who travels often—or simply worries about bringing unwanted pests back home—this habit may be worth adopting. At the very least, it provides peace of mind while you settle into your room. Once you’ve inspected and feel confident the room is safe, you can move your bag to a more convenient spot.
What seems like an odd quirk is actually a smart precaution rooted in experience. Guests who place their luggage in the bathtub are not being eccentric—they’re protecting themselves from potential bed bug infestations, unexpected leaks, or hygiene issues.
So the next time you see someone’s suitcase sitting in the tub, you’ll know: it’s not random, it’s strategy.
