12 crazy things people have seen in hotel rooms

For most of us, the image of a hotel room conjures up thoughts of bubble baths and room service, clean sheets and continental breakfasts. Sure, maybe we forget a toothbrush or a spare sock now and again, but we always re-use our towels to save water. But for others, hotel rooms are dark places, full of mystery and strange objects left behind by previous guests. Feeling squeamish already?

“Yes, a left foot was left under a bed. (How did the guest forget that?) This was in London. I called the front desk. A security person came and put it in a large garbage bag, as he did not want to leave the room with a body part. I must say, it still bothers me to this day.”—Jim Angelton

Maybe the previous guest just wasn’t very good at dancing! You know, they had two left feet?

Not checking for items left behind by previous occupants is just one mistake hotels make. Check out these 12 gross things some hotels do to save money.

“I was taking a slow boat down the Mekong Delta from Thailand to Laos and we stopped for the night in a small village along the Mekong. We wandered towards the nearest hotel and didn’t worry much about standards. My girlfriend and I had a drink or two by the beach and enjoyed the sunset, then went back to our room, which was bare bones.

“We put up the mosquito net and turned out the light, which is when we noticed something moving. I got out of bed and got my torch and shined it on the wall, which is when I noticed the largest tarantula I’d ever seen in my life. It must have been the size of both of my hands combined. I opened the door and politely shooed the guy out of the room, mustering all the braveness I had within me. He begrudgingly left, but now, regardless of country, I always do a good old tarantula check.” —Christopher Mitchell, travel blogger 

Although tarantulas may give you the creeps, they are harmless to humans, and many people even keep them as pets!

“There was a bag with a motorcycle helmet hidden behind the bushes. Patrol turned it in and I logged it in our system. If no one claims their item after 30 days, we have to go through the item and determine if it can be donated. So while doing so, I came across a box and when I opened it I found the urn, which is incredibly unusual. We then had to contact the coroner’s office to try and locate the owner and the urn was then returned to the family.” —Katharine Moffitt, Pechanga Resort & Casino Lost & Found

“I stayed at a hotel outside of Boston. Upon entering my room, I found a giant container of lighter fluid thrown askew, all of the appliances removed from the bathroom, and the smoke detector disengaged. There was garbage everywhere. It looked like the room had been completely ransacked.” —Gianna Sollitto

No hotel his perfect, here are 10 red flags that you’re staying in a bad hotel.

“When my grandson checked in, we thought it would be just the two of us sharing a room. We weren’t expecting a ghost. It was probably about 2am when we heard the hangers in the closet rattling. Other than that the room was still. ‘Grandpa, someone is moving the hangers, but no one is there,’ my grandson told me. ‘Yes, it appears that way,’ I replied. Soon after we could hear the footsteps of someone pacing back and forth on the carpet outside the bathroom door. Very distinct footsteps.

“I suppose we shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, we were in Gettysburg, one of the most haunted places in the US, and in a hotel situated right where some of the fighting took place. Shortly after our ghost was gone, we even heard the distinct sound of a Civil War cannon reverberate on nearby Cemetery Hill. We got more history that night than we ever bargained for.” —Don Allison

Like the sound of a haunted hotel? Check out these 10 abandoned hotels that will give you the chills.

“An environmental services team member found it in a glass of water by one of the slot machines. There was a man with an eyepatch who came in after he realised he had lost it and asked if we found it. They had all the proof they needed to give it back to him.” —Jessica Newton, media and public relations specialist at Pechanga Resort & Casino

You know that saying, “I’d lose my head if it wasn’t screwed on?” Well, for some people it’s more literal than figurative.

“I had a guy who said his microwave didn’t work. I went up to the room and found he had locked a plate of food in the safe.” —Reddit user BurgleBoy

We respect a man who takes his food safety so very seriously. Do you know what we take seriously? Secrets that hotels won’t tell you about.

“For my brother’s wedding in a small rural town in Canada, we booked the only motel available. When we arrived and were given a key, there was a naked man already in bed! They had given us the wrong room. When they gave us the right room, it had been straightened but not cleaned. The telling clue? Skidmarks on the white towel.” —Angela Grace. 

“I was working at a luxury hotel and we had a fairly big-name band staying with us. There were no noise complaints, and they seemed to be perfect tenants. When they left and we went to clean the room, EVERY SINGLE PIECE of furniture was nailed to the ceiling in roughly the same configuration that it had been on the floor. I found it to be quite amusing. Management didn’t.” —Reddit user EyesWideStupid

Ah, the timeless pranks of rock’n’roll. Sometimes you just need to unwind after a two-hour guitar solo.