When Celebrities Check In: Tales of Entitlement, Awkwardness, and a Very Uncomfortable 'Date
When you work the front desk at a hotel, you expect to deal with a little bit of everything: sunburned tourists, missing key cards, and the occasional towel emergency. But every so often, something truly bizarre checks in—sometimes in the form of celebrities who think the world (and your fitness center) revolves around them.
This is the story of a humble oceanfront property, two fame-hungry sports stars, and that moment when “customer service” turns into “wait, should I call the manager?”
When NASCAR Meets the NBA: The Odd Couple Arrives
It started with a big sports memorabilia show rolling into town, flooding the area with both excited fans and a pair of “celebrities.” The original poster (u/FCCSWF) introduces us to our stars: “JR,” a NASCAR driver, and “DW,” a retired NBA player—an unlikely duo who seemed determined to squeeze A-list treatment from a modest beach resort.
Their expectations? Let’s just say they didn’t align with oceanfront reality. According to the post, the two strutted around the property, fishing for attention wherever possible. The pièce de résistance: they asked the front desk to close the fitness center “while they were working out.” (Spoiler: that never happened.)
The Reddit community loved this bit of entitlement. One of the top comments, from u/SkwrlTail, summed it up: “Can only do so much sometimes.” Another user, u/amanuensisninja, shared a similar experience: “Our GM was at the desk when someone asked for a private gym session. She replied, ‘Good news, the gym is open 24 hours, we have an open two hour slot at 3am, but it won’t be private.’” That’s customer service with a side of sass.
And if you’re wondering how to guarantee gym privacy? u/PonyFlare offered this brilliant suggestion: “If you book and pay for every single room in the hotel, you can ensure that no other guests will be using the gym.” That’s one way to keep the riffraff (and everyone else) out.
Enter: The Manager’s Daughter (And the Awkward Date)
On day two, things got weirder. The manager’s daughter—who, to the OP’s surprise, was 18 (not 16 or 17 as initially assumed)—was hanging out as she often did during summer breaks. She was buzzing with excitement about a new date.
Guess who her date was? Yes, our two “celebrities.” Cue the awkwardness.
The OP describes watching the trio drive off together, torn between minding their own business and sounding the alarm. Unsure of the daughter’s age, the OP called the general manager. The GM’s response? “She is 18 and what was he supposed to do?” As u/PibbleLawyer noted in the comments, “It didn't make it better that she was 18? Sadly, Dad has zero control at that point.” The consensus: legal doesn’t always mean comfortable, and sometimes, all you can do is awkwardly sidestep the situation.
Celebrity Entitlement: A Comedy of Errors
After this incident, the OP admits their “customer service skills ended for those two clowns.” Who can blame them? One user, u/antonio3988, picked up on the OP’s general vibe, joking about “serious ‘I hate sportsball’ vibes,” to which the OP dryly replied, “I didn’t participate.”
The story resonated with other hospitality veterans. u/JellyfishFit3871 chimed in with their own brush with fame: a rock star who rented out two entire floors, prepaid for smoking fees, then just slept on the tour bus—“the easiest group booking I ever dealt with.” OP responded, sharing a tale of a famous guitarist whose beer belly was never captured in publicity shots. Apparently, not all celebrities want the spotlight at the gym—some would rather nap on the bus.
As for the gym-closing request, u/tetsu_no_usagi suggested a creative workaround: “Sure, that will be $1,000 from each of you, per hour or any part thereof.” (Alas, the OP simply ignored the request, and the topic was never raised again.)
Lessons from the Front Desk (or: Why Hospitality Workers Deserve Medals)
What’s the moral of the story? Maybe it’s that celebrity entitlement knows no bounds—or that working the front desk is a crash course in people skills, quick thinking, and the fine art of keeping your cool when faced with the bizarre.
The Reddit community offered plenty of empathy and advice. Many agreed with u/SkwrlTail: sometimes, you just have to hope everyone gets what they want (or, in the case of the “odd couple,” perhaps not). Others, like u/PibbleLawyer, pointed out the limits of parental control and the uncomfortable realities of adulthood.
And maybe, just maybe, the best advice is to keep a sense of humor. “I don’t know the rules for name dropping...I have good celebrity stories too,” OP admitted. To which u/jbuckets44 wisely replied: “Tell the stories without specifying the names, though you can mention what industry they work in.” After all, the best front desk tales are anonymous—unless you’re the one who had to (not) close the gym.
Your Turn: Have You Served a Celebrity?
If you’ve ever worked in hospitality—or just witnessed some VIP antics—what’s your wildest story? Did you ever have to turn down a ridiculous request with a straight face? Do you think celebrities should get special treatment, or should they check their egos with their luggage?
Share your thoughts below—or, as the Reddit crowd might say, “spill the tea!” The front desk is always open… just don’t ask us to close the gym.
Original Reddit Post: Celebrities, I guess