18 Hotel Employees Just Got Real About The Secrets You Could ONLY Know If You've Worked In A Hotel

Recently, we asked current and former hotel employees in the BuzzFeed Community to share the secrets guests have NO idea about. Here's what you'll want to keep in mind before you embark on your next stay:

1."I used to work as a housekeeper, and we would reuse the comforters multiple times and only change them if there was a stain."

2."Have a reservation (not pre-paid/third party) that you need to cancel but you're past the cancellation date/time? Here's a workaround I have offered to some of my nicer guests: Call the hotel. Be polite to the person on the phone. Give them your reservation information and tell them that your plans changed and you need to push back your arrival date. If the rate you booked allows it, most front desk agents will do this for you. Change your arrival date to something a week or two out. Then, call the hotel back in a day or two and cancel the reservation."

—technicallyworking23

3."Never use glass coffee mugs in a hotel without a kitchen. How are these mugs getting cleaned? Never lay your food directly on a microwave plate. I'm sure housekeeping isn't putting these plates in dishwashers daily."

4."15-year veteran in hotel industry here. To this day, it boggles my mind at how disgusting people treat hotel employees. I wish people knew to treat us with respect. Want to cancel a reservation with no fee even if it's due? Be upfront and ask nicely. Want to request a free upgrade if it's available? Ask and don't expect it! I've intentionally denied things like that if you're rude AF to me."

—Anonymous

"Being NICE is the key to getting almost anything you want! I worked as a front desk person in various forms for 10 years. Every day was a barrage of me smiling ear to ear while being yelled at, put down, and condescended. If we make a mistake and you call to scream at ME about it, I will do the very bare minimum to 'make it right.' If we screw up and you call me politely about it, I might upgrade you to the penthouse if I have it available. So BE NICE, and you will be shocked at how far it'll get you!"

—Anonymous

5."Getting free upgrades is easy. We have the suites. Check in around 4 p.m., be friendly, and ask. If I'm having a rough day, a smile and a please go a really long way."

6."I work at a luxury hotel. What people don't understand is we are constantly sending emails with guest updates, which include if a guest is rude, abrasive, or threatening. We pride ourselves on recognizing most guests, so we know who you are and that you've been rude to other staff even if we didn't assist you directly."

7."Never use your debit card at check in. Authorizations go through and sometimes do not clear at the same time as your final charge. They are [very hard] to remove, most times requiring a lengthy three-way call with you, a hotel manager, and your bank."

—Anonymous

8."Want to avoid hefty cancellation fees? Book direct with the property and avoid third party booking engines. 90% of the reservation booked on those websites get no flexibility if you run into owing penalties. If you book directly with the hotel, it's much easier to get out of the booking as you're considered a 'direct' client. Not only that, you can typically get more discounts if you book direct!"

—Anonymous

9."If you want your sheets changed, just ask. People will spill things or damage their sheets to get them changed. Just ask. Who changes their sheets every day anyway?"

10."The hotel concierge has more connections and is smarter than Google. DON'T ask the concierge a question and then Google in front of [them]."

—Anonymous

11."Positive feedback in comment cards boosts morale. People are always quick to write negative reviews."

12."If you ask if there was a dog in the room before you, we will likely say no as housekeeping deep cleans the room after any pets stay in the room. Of course, this doesn't apply if you specifically request an allergy-free room. Pets generally exist on the lowest hotel floors, so if you want to ensure that you get a pet-free room, go higher."

—Anonymous

13."One thing I learned while working at a hotel is sometimes you can get a better rate without making a reservation if you're willing to gamble. The key is to call the hotel and ask how many rooms are available. If the hotel has a lot of rooms left, the desk clerk is more likely to lower the room rate in order to fill that room."

14."The hotel concierge doesn't have a desk full of FREE things."

—Anonymous

15."Tip: Free upgrades are given to top-tier members and often people who have 4+ people registered to a room. We will likely opt for those reservations before giving it to someone with one or two people registered to the room. If you want a better chance at an upgrade, tell us how many people you actually have in the room!"

16."The bedspreads and decorative pillows almost *never* get washed. The carpets are filthy. Generally, the bathroom is the cleanest part of a room. Let that sink in."

—nachomamaaah

17."If you leave your room trashed, that gives us less time to work on our other rooms on our charts, and therefore, all rooms suffer in cleanliness. Don't be a slob."

18."When booking, I always put down that I am celebrating a friend's birthday or an anniversary. You may get a treat in your room or complimentary upgrade."

—Anonymous

Hotel employees: Do you have any other secrets to spill? Share them in the comments!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.