Why the Bathtub Is the Safest Place to Store Your Luggage in a Hotel

Checking into a hotel usually starts with excitement — you toss your suitcase on the bed, peek into the bathroom, and maybe bounce on the mattress. Yet travel and pest-control experts warn that the very first thing you do could be the riskiest part of your stay. Before you unpack, the safest spot for your luggage isn’t the luggage rack or the carpet — it’s the bathtub.

That may sound strange, but the logic is simple: bedbugs. Even upscale hotels can harbor these tiny hitchhikers, which hide in fabric and wood, waiting for new guests. According to pest control company Orkin, bedbugs move quickly across floors and furniture, and can climb into bags left on beds or carpets overnight. Because hotels see constant guest turnover, even one infested suitcase can spread the problem across multiple rooms.

Bathrooms, however, are rarely part of their domain. Bedbugs thrive in soft, warm environments — mattresses, couches, and rugs — but they struggle to climb smooth, slick surfaces. That makes the cold porcelain of a bathtub a temporary safe zone for your luggage while you inspect the rest of the room. Entomologist Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer told Reader’s Digest she always keeps her bags in the bathroom until she’s certain the room is bug-free, adding that bathrooms see less human traffic and are cleaned more thoroughly.