Halloween Shenanigans: The Wildest Night at a College Town Hotel Front Desk
If you think your Halloween was wild, wait until you hear what went down at a moderate hotel in a notorious college bar town. Here, the front desk isn't just a place to pick up your key—it's ground zero for a parade of costumed chaos, questionable decisions, and the kind of stories that make you wonder if the holiday is more trick than treat.
This year, Halloween weekend brought out the usual suspects: college students looking to party, out-of-towners chasing the infamous bar scene, and a few characters that could have stepped straight out of a horror flick—or a comedy, depending on your perspective. One brave Redditor, u/Turbulent_Theory6532, decided to chronicle their front desk misadventures for the world to enjoy, and trust me, you’ll want to hear every gory, giggle-inducing detail.
You Must Be This Old to Ride
The night kicked off with an ambitious guest who, when asked for ID, handed over one stating she was only 18. At a hotel where you have to be 21 to check in, that’s a no-go. But wait—she had a backup! Out came the trusty fake ID, a time-honored tradition in college towns everywhere. The only problem? The name didn’t match the reservation. When turned away, her indignation was palpable: “But this gets me into every bar!” Sorry, lady—hotel front desks don’t run on Jägerbombs and poor judgment.
“Do You Have Coke?” (Not the Kind You Drink)
No sooner had the fake ID fiasco fizzled than a new guest approached the desk for… a slightly different request. “Do you know where I can buy coke?” she asked, with all the nonchalance of someone requesting an extra pillow. While the staff couldn’t assist with her quest for party favors, they tactfully suggested she try the local bar scene—where, as everyone knows, the door guys have their fingers on the pulse of just about everything, legal or otherwise.
The Scream Mask Stand-Off
Next up, a man in a Scream mask tried to check in while staying in character—a little too much. When asked to remove the mask for ID verification, a tense 30-second stare-down ensued. “Oh, you’re serious?” he finally realized, lifting the mask for a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reveal. “You’re ruining my mystique,” he complained. Pro tip: Even Ghostface needs to pass a face check now and then.
Practicing for the Haunt (and Scaring the Staff)
Just when things seemed to settle, a panicked call came in: “There’s screaming coming from a room!” The staff braced for the worst—was it a horror movie marathon gone wrong? Instead, it was a future scream queen practicing for her haunted house gig, covered in fake blood and mortified to learn the rooms weren’t soundproof. Who knew preparing for a haunted house could be so… horrifying?
The Creepy Room Request
You know it’s Halloween in a college town when a 60-something man checks in and asks to be placed next to a group of Mean Girls-esque college ladies. No, sir, we will not be fulfilling that request—but enjoy your night out downtown! (And maybe try not to look quite so much like you wandered in from a John Hughes movie gone off the rails.)
The Great Kush Caper
Of course, it wouldn’t be a college Halloween without some ambitious stoners. A group checked in, and the leader immediately let out a plume of unmistakable “kush kush” smoke. The front desk, no stranger to these shenanigans, gave the standard warning: smoke outside or risk the cops. Ten minutes later, the maintenance guy radioed in—the smell was “Cheech & Chong” level strong. Local police, already on a first-name basis with the hotel staff, arrived to find a smoke-filled room, a shattered bong, and several partygoers about to learn the hard way that “it’s too cold outside” is not a legal defense. Cue the arrests, the ACAB chants, and the teary girlfriends being led away by backup units.
Lessons from the Front Desk
If you ever thought working a hotel front desk was boring, think again. In a college town, especially on Halloween, it’s more like being the protagonist in your own horror-comedy anthology. From fake IDs to fake blood, from coke requests to actual cop calls, there’s never a dull moment.
So here’s to the unsung heroes at the front desk—dodging shenanigans, keeping their cool, and providing the rest of us with stories that are, frankly, better than any haunted house.
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen at a hotel? Share your own tales of travel chaos in the comments below! And if you’re ever in a college town for Halloween, remember: always bring your real ID, keep your mask removable, and for the love of all things spooky, don’t smoke indoors.
Happy haunting, folks!
Original Reddit Post: Halloween Shenanigans