My brother traveled to England a few years ago. The night he arrived at his hotel, he took an Ambien and washed it down with a glass of whiskey. He got in bed and promptly fell asleep.

He woke up around 3:00 am standing naked in the hallway outside of his room. He had to go down to the front desk.

He was mortified, but the night audit worker didn’t miss a beat. He handed my brother a towel, asked a few questions to confirm his identity, and made him a new key.

My brother got the impression that this was not the first time the worker had dealt with this.

I work at a motel along a stream with all rooms having a balcony. At 11:05 PM, I get a call from a guest:

Guest: “When do you turn off the water? That noise is aggravating.”

Customer: “I want a room on [date].”

Me: “I’m afraid we’re fully booked for that date.”

Customer: *Gobsmacked.* “What? Why?”

Me: “That’s the same day as [Big Event].”

Customer: “Yes, I want to go to that, but why are you sold out?”

Me: “We’re sold out because everyone had the same idea as you but sooner.”

I am starting my shift as a night auditor at my hotel in downtown Chicago. About half an hour into my shift, I get a call from a panicked-sounding woman.

Caller: “Hi! I know this isn’t your usual request, but my son and his friend have finished attending an event downtown, and their ride has let them down last minute! Home is [Town too far away to walk], and I’m not in a position where I can come and get them. They just missed the last train out!”

Me: “Okay, ma’am. I think I understand. But please try to talk slower and take a breath so I can follow along.”

Caller: “Yes! Sorry! I’ve checked every hotel website I can think of, but every room is booked due to [Event], even yours!”

Me: “Yes, that is the case, I’m afraid.”

Caller: “Please, please, please, can they sit in your lobby? Just until the first buses run? I can’t stand the thought of them wandering the streets in the dark and cold all night!”

Morally, I can’t let a child be sat outside in the cold in an unfamiliar city; it’s dangerous, and if anything happened, I’d never forgive myself. So, against all of my hotel rules:

Me: “Send them over, ma’am. They’re welcome to sit in the lobby in the warm.”

Caller: “Oh, my God! Thank you! Thank you so much! They’re just around the corner! There are two of them, and his name is [Son]. Thank you! You’re a lifesaver!”

I let the teens sit in the lobby, and they were the nicest and politest guests I had had all day! They even insisted on helping me clean and set up the morning coffee. We had great conversations until 5:00 am when the first buses ran. 

I’m now friends with [Son] on Facebook, and he just started college this year!

I just bought a hotel room and was informed that the room came with free breakfast for two. I came downstairs in the morning, and as soon as I entered the breakfast area, the server gave me a dirty look and literally yelled:

Server: “What do you want?!”

I told him about the free breakfast, and he said I had to leave without explaining that I needed a coupon that came with the key card for the room. After I found this out from the front desk, I went back and gave the server the coupon.

He then said he wouldn’t serve me because there needed to be two people. Again, I had to leave, get my brother, and come back. He then proceeded to take our order: one breakfast for me and one breakfast to go so my brother could go back to sleep. My brother left.

The server then proceeded to not even offer me water or check on me at all while attending to the only other people in the breakfast area sitting right in front of me.

Finally, someone else brought out my food. I ate.

When it came time to leave a tip, I wrote a big fat zero on the check. Then, I walked over to the food runner who had brought me my food and handed him a twenty-dollar bill.

The look on the rude server’s face was priceless.