Unsolved Guest Mysteries‌‌

[Laura2592]

This is just for fun, but we are puzzled by some of the mysterious behaviors of guests. Share your thoughts and your own unsolved guest mysteries for others to solve!

The Case of the Married Couple Who Sleeps in Two Beds. Ricky and Lucy? They had a fight? Just want to wake up to a different view every day? Terrible snoring? We have identical mattresses in both bedrooms and state that to guests. But fairly often on a 2 night stay we will have both beds slept in. 

The Case of the Overflowing Coffee Filter. Our cleaners have a great need for this case to be cracked. We periodically have guests who leave the grinds in the drip coffee maker and the filter is full to overflowing. Do they think their coffee is stronger if they overfill the filter? Just not know how much to put in?

The Case of the Missing Cutting Board. We had a set of 3 bamboo cutting boards in various sizes and over the course of the year they all disappeared. One at a time. Who is out there collecting used cutting boards? It seems like this would be hard to pack by accident. Is there a cutting board conspiracy?

What guest mysteries would you like solved?

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Laura2592 

Henry is a really light sleeper and we have extremely different sleep patterns so at home we often end up sleeping in separate rooms since we go to bed and wake up at completely different times.  And when we travel, we always ask for a twin room (rather than a double) at hotels. 😁

And I've found that a lot of people REALLY don't know how to make coffee with a coffee maker. Based on what I've seen in the office, my guess with the overflowing grinds in filter would be that they just keep adding new grinds on top of the old (not disposing of grinds after use). And also people have no idea about the coffee grind: water ratio for making coffee. I've seen people put 2~4 scoops of ground coffee (1 scoop = 7g) for 1.5 liters of water. When the coffee came out too weak they will add 1~2 more scoops of grinds on top of the used grinds and then pour the contents of the coffee pot back into the water tank trying to *revive* it. This happens more often than you think - and people are surprised+(a little bit) offended when I tell them they are making coffee *wrong*. 

[Sarah977]

@Jessica-and-Henry0  As someone who loves a good cup of coffee, one of my pet peeves is when I have a friend visiting who gets up before me, makes a bodum full of coffee, then I get up and they say "There's coffee made". Oh good, but when I pour a cup, it's like colored water. And they say they've had enough coffee, so I have to dump the rest, what a waste, and start over with 3 times the amount of coffee they used.

[Geri26]

My addition to the mix is the burnt pots and pans. All of the pots and pans.  Obviously burn one, can't get it clean so use another.  Don't adjust heat on stove top and burn another. And so on....

I always ask if guest has used electric stove top before and explain pots need to be taken off while element cools a bit. 

Not happy that guests burn the pots and pans but really, really annoyed that they hide them in the back of the pantry so not noticed until its opened to restock.

I've also found the guests who burn the pots and also the ones who mark down at review time - it as if they know they have done the wrong thing and are pre-empting a poor review from me..

[Russell49]

I had a lame guest urinate in a drinking glass when the toilet is like 10 steps away. Obviously he didn't get a good review.

[Laura2592]

@Russell49 the mystery there can be filed under "What is WRONG with people???"

[Russell49]

@Laura2592 Isn't that the truth! lol

[Bryan10]

I once had a guest who mysteriously rearranged my entire garden. He was a very nice chap and we got on well (I host in my home), but I got back from work one day to find literally everything moved around the garden - pots, plants, chairs, tables, decorations). It took me months to find everything. I figured he was a feng sui inspired nest-maker. 

However, I can relate to the coffee maker situation as a host. I'm English and I drink tea which we make by boiling a kettle, and there are so many times that I have been stumped by coffee making machines. I end up poking, prodding around the gadget for ages, and ending up with either hot water or lots of gurgling and a big old mess. I simply don't understand them. I feel like my elderly granny to whom I showed my mobile phone in about 1997 (she said "very nice dear" and put it down on the table like it had landed from outer space). 

[Sarah977]

@Bryan10  I'm a coffee drinker, have  been all my life. But I have never used any if those hi tech coffee makers and wouldn't have a clue how to myself. I've always used simple methods, mainly a French press. Put the coffee grounds in, pour the boiling water over, wait 4 minutes and press the plunger down.

I don't get why everyone wants these huge machines taking up space on the counter, with multiple parts to clean, requiring "pods" (more garbage), and running vinegar or some sort of cleaner through them regularly, because they have been shown to breed bacteria if that isn't done. 

Coffee making doesn't have to be some head scratching mystery. It can be quite simple. People just seem to love unnecessary gadgets. 

[Lorna170]

I had a guest once who removed everything in my kitchen cabinets and drawers and stacked it in the second bedroom closet.  She was staying for a week and brought her own pots and pans, utensils, cutlery and dishes.  I can appreciate wanting to use kitchen things you are familiar with, but ...???

[Laura2592]

@Lorna170 that would reeeeallly freak me out. To see knives stacked up in a bedroom closet? Something very creepy about that!

[John5097]

@Laura2592 That would be the mystery of the make believe hubs. I have a guest apartment where I live in the other unit, so I think some solo travelers fabricate a husband. One in particular let me know the lock wasn't working, and if the hubs couldn't figure it out, well then it must be dead on batteries. I asked if it would be ok if I opened the door to check to see if  I could fix it, as it had never had a problem before. She said her and the hubs would be out so that would be fine. I didn't even need to open the door. It worked fine. So I'm starting to wonder about this guest. Later I get a message that the hubs had a nose bleed and got on the pillowcases and if I had any stain remover or bleach. I left them by the door for her and told her not to worry about it that I expected some mishaps. So check out comes around and waiting and waiting, not responding to messages, and finally an hour after check out I go knock on the door. No hubs in sight. One warm spot on the bed and only one towel and washcloth used for a 3 night stay! After all of that she was the only guest to ever not give me a perfect rating on cleanliness. Trash bin is filled with empty wine bottles and cigarette butts. Said she didn't smoke but hubs did outside, although cigs had lipstick on them. 

[Laura2592]

@John5097 how incredibly mysterious!

I had a guest who wore a wedding ring and was celebrating a milestone birthday alone. Kept referring to "him" in conversation as though it was a couple staying in the space (she had booked for one).  We ended up having to go to over during the stay and it was clear that there was only one person there. Just...odd. My own husband thought her husband had probably passed away and that was her way of dealing with it. Or that he was a ghost who came with her on trips. There was also quite a bit of wine consumed. We both felt sad for her and have never known what to make of the situation. 

[John5097]

@Laura2592 thats pretty interesting theory. I've had more than one only use a single towel and washcloth before and no sign of a guy. I thought it was a strategy to protect themselves so as not to appear alone. I don't watch guest come and go, or have any kind of camera. But I think they kind of let me know they are traveling alone, once they get here they know its safe after a few nights. Oh, and she didn't look like the pic in the profile. I suspected it was her sister who booked if for her. I have no idea, that's what I thought. The only thing that bothered me was the 4* review on cleanliness, which kind of caught me off guard because she ruined a few pillow cases. I could see her having lost a husband or someone close to DUI or the hubs had a motorcycle. I've had friends like that. That's also a reason why some people travel. I've had other guest mention that was the reason to spend time with a friend who just lost a family member. Its defiantly plausible and understandable that someone would still mention their late spouse maybe as coping strategy. Even for a guy the world treats you completely different when you are by yourself. I actually can't believe how well my hosting experience has been, all thanks to my guest's reviews. I could defiantly see how someone might mention their lost spouse, maybe as a virtual experience, not wanting to admit being alone, and so used to the security of a partner.  

[Laura2592]

@John5097yes I can see how a woman traveling alone would make up a partner especially if she were staying in a man's space. But to carry on with it when it was clear she was there solo seems....odd.

[John5097]

@Laura2592  I get a lot of solo women traveling and only a few make up a partner. They are odd and do something else like check out an hour late or leave a blanket outside when it’s raining. There are so many other places to stay they colluded have just stayed somewhere else. Then why do something that would require my attention? Some guest just have some odd quirks but everything else is in perfect condition. I have some other guest much more interesting though not as odd or quirky. Kind of keeps it interesting!