The Secret Power of Hotel Front Desks: Petty Revenge, “Haunted” Suites, and Why You Should Always Be Nice
Picture this: You strut into a hotel lobby, luggage in tow, ready to demand the royal treatment. Maybe you’re a bit early, maybe you’re in a mood. You toss out a few snarky comments, slam a demand for an upgrade on the desk, and think, “Well, that’ll show them.” But what if I told you that front desk clerks wield powers you can’t even imagine—and sometimes, their revenge is as subtle as it is satisfying?
Welcome to the world behind the reception desk, where kindness is currency, and entitlement might just land you in a room with a… shall we say, colorful history.
The Tale of the "Vomit Suite": Where Rudeness Earns You a View (and a Secret)
On Reddit’s r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk, u/Big_Air3392 pulled back the curtain on a truth every hotel insider knows: Not all rooms are created equal. Sure, they may look pristine, but some suites have stories only staff whisper about. In this case, it’s a gorgeous forest-view king suite—once the unfortunate site of a guest’s technicolor yawn. Despite heroic cleaning efforts, the room’s reputation lingers long after the stains are gone.
So, when an impatient, entitled guest stormed up to the desk demanding early check-in and a free upgrade (after berating staff, of course), u/Big_Air3392 saw an opportunity for a little poetic justice. The result? A key to the infamous “vomit suite.” As the OP put it, “Enjoy the view, chump.”
But was this true revenge, or just a harmless secret? The community was divided. As u/CaptainYaoiHands quipped, “So you rewarded him for being a douchebag.” Others, like u/randijackson949, pointed out that while the suite’s past might haunt staff, guests are none the wiser: “I guarantee the entitled customer is not going to suffer a bit!”
Even the OP admitted in the comments: “It was ‘revenge’ only from my perspective. Honestly, I wish I could have just canceled his reservation… but at my new hotel the policy is different. They’re focused on getting more guests, so they tolerate behavior like that.”
The Secret Room Hierarchy: Good Rooms, Bad Juju, and the Ultimate Petty Revenge
If you’ve ever wondered why your supposedly “upgraded” suite feels a little… off, you’re not alone. Many commenters shared tales of their own hotel “bad rooms.” As u/LOUDCO-HD dramatically revealed, some rooms carry more than just a lingering odor: “Once, a guest in an Ambassador Suite complained about a stain and terrible odor. We found a decomposed body in the Murphy bed above.” That suite, forever known as the “Dead Hooker Room,” became the go-to for rewarding the most disagreeable guests.
Others, like u/Due_Presence_6770, confessed to having a stunning condo suite that was never supposed to be rented at all—thanks to a series of unfortunate deaths and a reputation for being haunted. “Did I ever get petty revenge on a horrible guest and put them in that room? Maybe.”
And this isn’t just macabre humor. Front desk staff see the worst of human entitlement—often enabled by timid management. As u/bloodyriz noted, “My manager doesn’t…want to lose clients even douchebags. So, your manager wants to set the bar low to start with.” The result? Sometimes, the only tool left is the secret room assignment shuffle.
Kindness Pays (Literally): How to Win the Front Desk Game
If you’re a frequent traveler, here’s your golden rule: Be. Nice. To. The. Front. Desk. Period.
As u/Sunshinegemini611 wrote, “I always suck up to the FD. They hold all the power in my view. Then again, I’ve been a server so I understand how awful the public can be.” The perks of politeness? Champagne, fruit baskets, and surprise presidential suite upgrades.
Even those who merely empathized with staff found themselves unexpectedly rewarded. u/JobobTexan recalled, “While checking in I asked how the clerks day was going…The clerk gives me my room key and says thanks I needed that and smiles. I get to the room and find out she has upgraded me to a presidential suite. Karma is real bitches!!”
Meanwhile, as u/wanderingdev pointed out, the opposite approach is a surefire way to sabotage your own stay: “I just don't get these people who arrive early and think there will magically be a room for them. I always approach with an apology… Probably 50% of the time the room is ready to go… if not? No big deal.”
The Weekend Manager Mystery (and Why Hotels Run on Chaos)
You’d think weekends—prime time for check-ins and mishaps—would have managers on duty. But as the comment section revealed, that’s rarely the case. u/krittengirl lamented, “I will never understand a hotel where the manager does not work weekends. This is the prime busiest time and also the time when the most things tend to go wrong.”
Other front desk warriors chimed in about penny-pinching owners and the expectation that staff handle chaos solo: “My GM/Owner puts Scrooge to shame,” wrote u/darthreuental. “A weekend manager means he has to hire somebody to fill the role for only 2 days a week. So yeah, that's not happening.”
The result? Front desk agents are the unsung heroes, wielding power, patience, and sometimes, a little petty revenge.
The Final Word: Don’t Be the Chump
Whether you believe in haunted suites, bad room mojo, or the cosmic justice of the “vomit suite,” there’s one universal truth: Treat the people who hold the keys to your comfort with respect. You never know what secrets your “upgrade” might hold—or what perks your kindness might unlock.
Got a horror story or a heartwarming hotel upgrade moment? Share it in the comments below! And next time you check in, remember: The front desk is always watching.
Original Reddit Post: Don’t mess with someone who gives you a roof over your head