Travel experts say the safest place to put your suitcase in a hotel room isn’t the bed, floor, or luggage rack — it’s the bathtub. Bedbugs thrive in soft, warm areas like mattresses, carpets, and upholstered furniture, and they can easily crawl into bags left nearby. But they struggle to climb smooth surfaces, and bathrooms are cleaned more thoroughly, making the tub the least likely place for an infestation.
Before settling in, specialists recommend inspecting the room for signs of bedbugs, keeping luggage elevated, and storing clothes in sealed bags. Even in clean hotels, bedbugs are expert hitchhikers who can survive for months without feeding, so keeping your suitcase in the tub minimizes the risk of bringing unwanted guests home.
