"I'm Sorry To Tell You This...": This Former Hotel Manager Is Revealing The Things You Should (And Shouldn't) Do After Checking Into Your Room

Checking into a hotel room can feel so luxurious, and it's always a treat to have your own little home away from home whether you're visiting a familiar destination or exploring a new part of the world. But as former hotel manager Melissa Hanks knows all too well, hotels have secrets too.

Recently, Melissa (@melly_creations) has been dishing about what to do (and not do) when you check into a hotel room on her TikTok, and it's extremely helpful info if you have a trip coming up.

In one video, she shares three things she always does when checking into a hotel room, saying, "The first thing I do, is I check that these vents are clean."

Next, she says, "I always check the bed for bed bugs."

And third, Melissa says, "If the bed has some kind of overlay cover like this or one that just drapes along the bottom, I never sleep with this because I'm sorry to tell you they do not get washed every time someone stays in a hotel."

@melly_creations / Via tiktok.com

And in a couple more videos, Melissa also shares the things in a hotel room that she simply will not use. First, she says, "As a former hotel manager and an avid coffee drinker, I will not use Keurigs in a hotel room. And this is why. On top of the fact that I've seen other things other than water being brewed, even though the housekeeper may rinse it out or wash the outside, that tube right there never gets cleaned."

She continues, saying, "While we're on the subject of things I don't use, I will never use these refillable shampoo and conditioner bottles in the tub that are like this where people can put anything in it. I've seen Nair and god knows what else in there."

Melissa also shares that if they aren't sealed in plastic, those glasses in your hotel room might not be as clean as you think. "There are some hotels where they have the glasses and I would not use those unless I washed them out completely myself first."

Finally, she reveals that the ice bucket in your hotel room may have a secret (and disgusting) past. "I will not use an ice bucket at all. People use these for things that you don't even want to think about. I've cleaned out puke from them." She says that if she does need ice, she'll fill a clean plastic bag or use a clean cup from her room to scoop it up.

And in the comments, other current and former hospitality workers are sharing why they think Melissa is absolutely right, like this commenter who wrote, "I worked in a motel and the maids use [the] same rags for bathroom cleaning, floors, and mirrors as wiping down coffee pots."

Another person chimed in, "I was a hotel housekeeper for 3 weeks. They told me to just remake the beds, not strip them. I don't trust hotels at all."

Another person wrote, "I found chicken noodle soup in a Kuerig! Also don't use the ice buckets. I've seen people use them as everything. From a bowl to in the bath."

And one person shared a story that will personally haunt me forever. "When I was an EMT, we would get called to accidental amputations and the fingers or etc would be on ice in the ice bins."

Seriously never looking at an ice bucket the same way. "Ice bucket = puke bucket, bloody underwear soaker, dirty condom holder and the list goes on. I used to clean hotels when I was younger."

Even the ice machines themselves are suspect according to a commenter who wrote, "I have worked several hotels and WILL not use the public ice machines AT ALL."

Another person shared, "My fiancé works maintenance at a hotel and he cleaned all the ice machines, but he doesn't remember his manager at his old hotel ever cleaning them."

Melissa told BuzzFeed that she worked in hospitality for 15 years, with experience in a couple of different hotels. And she says that even paying up to stay in a five-star hotel won't necessarily mean you get a cleaner room, especially when it comes to bed bugs. "Hotel housekeepers are not required to check for bed bugs so it can easily be overlooked."

And in addition to avoiding the things she mentioned in her videos, Melissa advises travelers to "Bring a small pack of disinfectant wipes and wipe down the TV remote before using it." TBH, after reading the comments on her videos, I will be wiping down EVERYTHING in my next hotel room.

HBO / Via giphy.com

Finally, she said, "If you have a good stay at a hotel and your room was clean be sure to tip housekeeping to show your appreciation. They are the backbone of the industry. They work hard and during the summer months are likely to be working very long days." Even though you might be feeling grossed out about hotel rooms in general after reading this, housekeepers aren't the ones to blame — instead, guests should be holding owners and management accountable for cutting corners on cleanliness to save a little cash.

Follow Melissa on TikTok, and if you're reading this in a hotel room while drinking Keurig coffee out of an unwrapped glass, I'm very, very sorry!!