The Return of the Bargain-Hunting Nightmare: Tales from Hotel Front Desk Hell
There are two kinds of people you never forget when you work a hotel front desk: the ones who brighten your day, and the ones who make you seriously consider applying for a job at the local petting zoo instead. For Reddit user u/witchersbitch, one guest stands out as the recurring nightmare that just won’t quit—a man who treats check-in like a high-stakes bazaar and seems to believe hotel policy is more of a polite suggestion than a rule.
Well, folks, he’s back. And this time, our fearless front desk warrior has had enough. Grab your popcorn; you’re about to get a front-row seat to a hospitality horror-comedy that’ll make you want to tip your next hotel clerk extra.
When Your “Favorite” Guest Returns (and Brings the Drama)
Let’s set the scene: An ordinary shift at a hotel, and u/witchersbitch is manning the late desk. Suddenly, a familiar face appears—a man infamous for haggling room rates as if he’s shopping for carpets in Marrakech. Last time, he tried to negotiate prices, grilled the staff for upgrades, and generally made life difficult. This time, he picked the wrong agent to mess with.
The fun begins when the guest (let’s call him “Bazaar Bob”) expects a discount, which a new coworker had unfortunately already granted. Strike one. Then, Bob insists on paying at check-out, blithely ignoring the hotel’s five-year-old policy of upfront payment. Strike two. He even demands an itemized bill at check-in, though the hotel’s Opera Cloud system (shout-out to all the hospitality pros who just groaned in solidarity) can only provide that at check-out. Strike three.
Rude, Ruder, Rudest: The Customer Service Olympics
But Bazaar Bob doesn’t stop at making life miserable for the staff. He turns to the next guest in line and asks if they “also have such trouble” with the front desk agent—as if u/witchersbitch is personally running an extortion racket. Rude, right? That’s not just breaking the customer code, that’s shredding it, setting it on fire, and mailing the ashes to corporate.
At this point, our beleaguered clerk has had enough. No more Mr. Nice Front Desk. Bob is issued a final warning: Cut the nonsense, or get kicked out. The guest, of course, claims he never has these problems “anywhere else in the country” (the universal refrain of difficult customers everywhere). He also drops the classic “my wife works for a major airline” power play, as if that entitles him to a penthouse suite and a foot massage.
No Upgrade for You! (And Please, Just Leave)
The story doesn’t end with threats and finger-pointing. Tired of Bob’s antics, u/witchersbitch puts their foot down: No upgrade, no special treatment, and a polite request to take his attitude elsewhere. In fact, the hope is that Bob “hates his room”—since he’s only getting the standard class this time, not the superior digs he usually demands.
But here’s where the story turns from frustrating to feel-good: The same shift also brings back some genuinely delightful regulars—guests who pay up front, ask politely, and genuinely appreciate a complimentary upgrade. It’s a reminder that for every Bazaar Bob, there are guests who make hospitality worth it.
What Can We Learn from Hotel Hell?
This story isn’t just a hilarious slice of front desk life. It’s a masterclass in setting boundaries, standing your ground, and reminding us all that being a decent human gets you a lot further than bullying the person who holds the room keys. Policies exist for a reason, and no one is above them—no matter how many times their spouse flies standby.
For hospitality workers everywhere, this is a rallying cry: You don’t have to accept bad behavior just because someone’s on the guest list. And for the rest of us? Maybe next time we check in, we’ll remember to say thank you—and save the haggling for eBay.
Over to You: Guest Nightmares or Front Desk Faves?
Ever had a guest (or customer) who made you question your career choices? Or maybe you’ve seen a front desk hero turn a nightmare into a win? Share your stories in the comments below! And don’t forget to tip your hotel staff—they’re the real MVPs of the travel world.
What’s your wildest hotel guest story? Let us know! And if you enjoyed this tale from the trenches, hit that share button—bad guests are universal, but so is laughter.
Original Reddit Post: my favourite guest is back