Bored Panda got in touch with Melissa Hanks and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. First, we wanted to know about some red flags guests should look out for when booking a hotel. "Always check the most recent Google reviews. If there aren't any recent good reviews you may want to stay clear of booking that hotel. Pictures on the hotel website should show the inside of the rooms and amenities. If not they maybe hide how they appear because they are not in working order or rooms are outdated."

We also wanted to hear if she had any horror stories from her time as a manager. "I don't have any horror stories but a bizarre one. I was covering the night shift for one of the employees and I had a hotel guest come down to the front desk in just a towel holding an ice bucket. He forgot his key and locked himself out. I gave him a new key and he went back up to his room. No joke 2 hours later he came down again in just a towel but this time was holding a soda bottle> I can he was completely embarrassed. He said he left the door slightly open and was quickly purchasing a soda across the hall from the vending machine. When he went back the door had closed. A few days later when he was checking out I said to him since he loved our towels so much he was more than welcome to keep one!"

.She left us with some final thoughts. "As a hotel guest it is important to remember even during the most frustrating moments that hotel staff are likely doing everything they can to ensure you have the best stay possible so please be nice. Being irate with staff helps no one. In fact, being kind can benefit you. I have personally given guests discounts and free upgrades just for being nice and understanding. "

After looking at all these suggestions, it almost seems like no one is cleaning hotels. Many will claim that a room is cleaned daily, or at least between guests, but anyone who has lived with other people will know that the word “clean” can have a variety of meanings. Add in personal preferences and standards and it becomes increasingly hard to determine what exactly the word means.

For some, chemicals, intensive scribing, and polishing are the bare minimum, while others sort of kick dust under the counter and leave it at that. At home, this is bearable, but when you think about the number of people who rotate through a hotel every day and what state they may be in, no wonder people who know the behind-the-scenes details are pretty wary. 

While less-than-clean beds can be an issue, particularly if we add bedbugs into the mix, the real danger is absolutely unsanitary eating conditions. Coffee machines, dishes, and other amenities that are in public use tend to not be in the best of conditions, since no one feels particular ownership over them. 

This also then extends to the cleaning, naturally. The items we use at home are as clean as we prefer them to be because we generally spend money on them and want the best for ourselves. But an item that exists for everyone to use just gets the most cursory of washes, as it’s just another task on someone's daily list of duties. 

So perhaps treat a hotel less like a luxury resort and more like a public pool. You can still get some utility out of it, but take a few precautions when it comes to stuff that hundreds, if not thousands have used and touched. Remember, not only do different people have different standards of cleanliness, some people are downright malicious and a hotel room is the perfect place for them to vent their personal issues.

So like in everything from restaurants to contractors, it can be jarring to learn what goes on behind the scenes, but ultimately the information is useful, as it can help you make good decisions and avoid all of the disasters waiting to happen, like the examples given here.