ADVERT
Travel3 min(s) read
Published 15:50 08 Mar 2018 GMT
I don't know how anyone else feels about this but - for me, at least - staying in a hotel is one of the most exciting parts of a holiday. You get your bedsheets changed for you every day, you usually get to enjoy the luxury of an en-suite bathroom, and - if you stay in a fancy enough place - you sometimes come back to a foil-wrapped chocolate on your pillow.
However, there is always a hierarchy when it comes to hotel rooms, and for us folks on a budget, we very rarely get the best.
Sure, you might get the maid service and the bathroom, but all too often you end up with a terrible view, noisy neighbors, and a 20-minute trek to the pool. Which, while you're happy to be away and enjoying the sunshine, is not what you paid all that money for. Luckily, however, there is a way to up your chances of scoring a nicer room.
Essentially, as long as you're staying in a hotel that actually gives a hoot about its reputation, the staff there should be obliging (if not eager) to ensure you have the best stay possible. So, when you first turn up at your room and find that it overlooks a car park and smells faintly of the last guest's cigarettes, all you have to do is say something to the manager.
It doesn't necessarily have to be a huge complaint - after all, you don't want to irritate the people who will be in charge of deciding what happens with you. However, a firm but friendly insistence that you expected a better accommodation will more often than not mean that you'll be reassigned a room.
Plus, if you're daring enough, you could always ham it up a bit in order to swing a little sympathy in your favor. Maybe complain about the shuttle bus from the airport, or mention that the pictures online made the hotel out to be much bigger than it actually is.
"Providing an explanation for why an upgrade would be helpful can make a difference," says Zach Honig, editor-in-chief of The Points Guy. "For example, if you plan to spend a lot of time working from the hotel room rather than exploring your destination, explaining that the extra space would make for a more comfortable working environment could land you a larger room or suite."
One of the most important things to remember when doing this is not to get too pushy. After all, you're talking to the people who have the power to give you a week of luxury... or the cheapest room in the whole place.
Essentially, as long as you're polite and willing to reason with staff, you should be able to score yourself a few extra perks for no extra cost. Of course, there's always a chance you'll get turned away - but there's no harm in trying, right? I mean, just think of all those complimentary chocolates you'll be missing out on if you don't.
uncategorised19 min(s) read
Published 14:32 13 Jan 2020 GMT
lifestyle7 min(s) read
Published 14:50 13 Jan 2020 GMT
We've all stayed in some questionable places in our time - hotels, guest houses, and hostels - that defy all logic onto how they are even considered fit enough to house guests. I traveled throughout Australia and South East Asia and saw some sights to behold, many of which were of this list's level of the aforementioned "whatttttttt"s. I once stayed in a hotel for a week while at an inner-city festival once and slept on a double-bed that was comprised of two separate mattresses of considerably varied size. With sufficient context now provided, here are 30 of the worst things hotel guests have ever found in their rooms!
[post_page_title]#1 And This Is Why You Check The Hotel Coffee Maker Before You Use It[/post_page_title]
Free tea and coffee are more often than not, regardless of quality, a wonderfully nice touch, and brilliant if you need to check out early on a colossal hangover. Which I have obviously never done.
Imagine how this guest rejoiced at this up-market version of such.
Do your checks, kids.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#2 We Have A Really Nice Hotel Room[/post_page_title]
"Steve, it says here that we have a garden view of the local flora and fauna, lets book this one!"
"Steve, the carpets alive!"
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#3 Don't Stay In A Hotel With Bedbugs[/post_page_title]
One of the first pieces of advice you often receive pre-traveling is to read reviews based around strange bedfellows. It's something many people scoff and laugh at and just assume that it's no more than a simple wind-up.
This is probably what this person thought.
Truthfully this is one of the worst examples of someone being dinner that I've seen. *Shudder*.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#4 The Pool At My Hotel In Birmingham, Alabama. Yes, Those Are Toilet [/post_page_title]
"POOL! THE HOTEL HAS A POOL"! These words are likely screamed from rooftops worldwide as people get excited about their soon-to-be holiday and vacation activities. I bet it looked great in the photos as well...
Not only is this utterly hilarious, but it's also a testament to how many online listings can, in reality, be a little dated. I wonder how long this prime-pool was in such a state of crap before this photo was taken?
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#5 After A Beautiful Day At The Beach In Hawaii, My Cousin Went Back To Her Hotel Room To A Pleasant Surprise[/post_page_title]
Hawaii is the token paradise for good reason! Idyllic views and wonderful hotels skirt the edge of gold beaches and paradise eternal. An overt description but a true one enough. Now, scroll, slowly.
I have SO many questions! Why is it so black? Did it come from the toilet? Did it fall from the ceiling? I need to know.
Also, yes, this is not what you want either.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#6 Airbnb Description Said "View Of The Main Church From The Bedroom Window". Technically It Was Not A Lie[/post_page_title]
Here we are again, misleading descriptions on online booking sites proving their ability to pre-emptively troll!
It's not a lie, but also what a ceiling height that is. I'm a tall man, and I've been to some rooms with small door frames, but this is incredible.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#7 My Hotel Room Has Such A Nice View! Wait A Minute[/post_page_title]
When you see it.
I hand a firm-clap to whoever did this, honestly, you have won the hotel-game utterly.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#8 Hotel Quality Is Now Measured As...[/post_page_title]
Much of this list is very obvious and cliché yet still shocking nonetheless. Many of said entries are regardless of shock factor, are easy enough to explain in hindsight. MANY of them.
The caption under this image read as follows: "I generally gauge the quality of the hotel I'm staying at based on the number of bite marks on the toilet flusher."
You mean, it's not just me?
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#9 Shower At The Hostel My Brother Is Staying At In China[/post_page_title]
As you scroll through this list, if you do so slowly you can see part of images that may not seem all that bad. Take this one, it looks like a relatively normal-looking shower head. You know the drill, scroll on!
Most people sing in the shower. In this hostel? You dance with death!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#10 Saw This In An Elevator Today In A Hotel. Took The Stairs Back Down[/post_page_title]
In most countries, if something is somewhat on the broken side of operational the premises are required to notify guests of such a hazard. That surely absolves them of all blame, right?
Imagine turning round to see this right as you look to get off the lift?
I simply ADORE stairs.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#11 Found This Under The Sheets While Crawling Into Bed... Used Hair Extensions?[/post_page_title]
If you're going to expect anything when you go away and pay for board overnight or for however long, it's a given that the room has been cleaned at the very least prior to your arrival...
... or not, I mean, PERHAPS that's unreasonable.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#12 Ah, Thanks For The Remark![/post_page_title]
I've already laughed a great so far, choosing from the plethora of images at my disposal has been nothing short of fun and indeed quite disgusting. That said, this is a little tamer.
Do you though? Do you?
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#13 Heat Lamp Vs. Bathroom Door In My Hotel Room[/post_page_title]
Wet rooms and heat lamps can be quite the luxury in the world of modern hotels. You start to dry as soon as you're done, and all the water seeps away - it's great! It's USUALLY great, usually.
It seems to me that this hotel may need to check the blueprints before making any hot new alterations. That's been there a while, and it also prompts a further question on whether the smoke alarm is actually working.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#14 The Fitness Room At The Hotel I Stayed At[/post_page_title]
I stayed in a hotel in Sydney once that had a gym, I'd never really been to a gym before so I was actually quite excited. I should think that this is the case for many people, to go away on holiday and maintain a healthy level of exercise, I mean, why not, eh?
Imagine me, and all those other people looking to break the sweat before going out for the evening and doing "a holiday", seeing this, gym-gear in hand.
It's quite amusing, however. VERY amusing.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#15 Found This Under The Mattress In A Hotel[/post_page_title]
This is one is a little more sinister and more proof that reviews and any feedback you can find is a must-read before you book ANYWHERE.
That said, at least this person actually bothered to check upon arrival. Well done!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#16 It's So Humid In Nola, These Little Guys Are Growing In My Hotel Room[/post_page_title]
"Ah, hello! Mr. Guest, how is your stay with us so far? Do you have enough room?"
"Yes, I do! Too-mushroom! Four-mushroom! THERE ARE MUSHROOMS IN MY ROOM!"
I wonder if they were a good time? I heard the one on the right was a fun-guy.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#17 "Quality" Hotel Room. Moscow, A Month Ag [/post_page_title]
In some parts of the world, due to high-mineral deposits or limited local infrastructure, you're advised to not drink from the taps and spouts that quite normally litter-your rooms and such. It's relatively normal outside of the first world nations of the world. I should that very thought process was the reason why this next example ended up in this list.
"Ahhh! Sweet! The tap gives-out Ice Tea!"
If only...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#18 Found This Waiting In The Bathroom Of My New Hotel Room[/post_page_title]
My reaction to scrolling down to this next entry was a token example of how the initial pixels of these images can fool you quite effectively or, at the very, least be somewhat of a lackluster example anyway.
Needless to say, I was very, very wrong. I have questions that need to stay questions.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#19 Stayed At A Hotel For Cheap This Weekend. Wasn't Quite Prepared For This Level Of Sketch[/post_page_title]
If you've booked a cheap hotel, it is often best to get into good humor about the situation you will be soon facing. It's best to joke about what you might find, so when you do, its easily dealt with. It works... sometimes.
Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail!
[[pagebreak]]
[post_page_title]#20 Walked Into My Hotel Room And...[/post_page_title]
... stood dumfounded.
... promptly executed a swift 180-degree spin.
... and left.
[[pagebreak]]
[post_page_title]#21 Checked In To A Hotel And Promptly Checked Out[/post_page_title]
There isn't a huge amount I can say about this one.
I'm sure they had a heated discussion with the manager after this. In fact, I would assume that they were in quite a temperature.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#22 My Hotel's TV![/post_page_title]
The quality of electricals in establishments on both the cheaper end of guest houses and hotels is often left much to be desired. We've all seen it. What is also quite often the case, is the quality of such appliances, or their size...
Let us take the best from this one, shall we? The room is clean, as are towels and, that isn't even the worst wiring I've seen.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#23 My Hotel Offers A Kettle And Glasses To Use, But Has A Folder In A Drawer With Rules. One Of Them Says You Have To Pay A Fine If You Use The Kettle[/post_page_title]
You really can't make any of this up.
No, really! They levy a fine if you do...
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#24 In A Fancy Hotel Restaurant And Found This In The Mixed Nuts They Bring To Your Table While You Wait For Your Food[/post_page_title]
And, not for the first time on this list of woeful and questionable occurrences in high-class establishments, we have a prime example of going the extra mile. In the wrong direction!
"Don't have the energy to go out after a long day? We have you covered! Come downstairs to our wonderful restaurant, where will not only fill you up but we will f**k you up with who knows what!"
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#25 Flat Screen TV Mounted To An Old Box TV With Packing Tape In A Flea Bag Motel[/post_page_title]
Is it not plugged in? Does it not work?
Why would you even be annoyed at this?
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#26 Sinkhole Just Developed In My Hotel Room[/post_page_title]
Sinkholes are something we are all likely aware of via Hollywood silver-screen dangers but something, we USUALLY manage to avoid in our daily lives. What a time to be alive!
Usually. Run.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#27 The Jacuzzi At My Hotel[/post_page_title]
This next one is nothing short of impressive. If you look around the photo, the place looks relatively clean and the pool in the righthand top corner even itself looks clean enough itself. So how did this happen?
How long has this water been in here? The water almost looks vicious and near solid, I say impressed in a more disgusted manner.
I really don't think that sparkly clean white float no the back wall is going to really and realistically save anyone from that Jacuzzi of quite possibly sentient ooze.
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#28 This Is In My Hostel, Next To My Bed. Thanks For The Warning, I Guess...[/post_page_title]
And so, we enter the final three of a list that was incredibly hard to compile. I've endeavored to wholly do the asbestos I can, much inspired by these hostel proprietors.
Thanks indeed!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#29 This Is What I Saw When I Checked Into My Hotel Last Night[/post_page_title]
To say that I was exuberantly filled with anticipation prior to compiling this list is an understatement. In all honesty, I find instances such as the ones on this list more than hilarious, does that make me a bad person, maybe, but it is what it is.
And what this next one is, is funny, very funny.
How would you even react? Imagine, you've just traveled God-knows how far and you find your hotel, your warm bed at the end of a long and possibly perilous journey, in the process of becoming a waterpark.
Remember, you're not allowed to make this up, you'll be fined!
[[pagebreak]][post_page_title]#30 Got Excited From Far Away About The Motel Having A Swimming Pool[/post_page_title]
And to close, we have perhaps the best swimming pool featured on this list and from the source material I was privy too.
I would hazard a guess to say that this not only took some effort to fill-in but its deliberate placement on the add for this motel as a serviceable pool is very much that.
Brilliant.
Going somewhere nice? Take a copy of this list and do your research!
uncategorised18 min(s) read
Published 14:22 11 Sep 2019 GMT
lifestyle3 min(s) read
Published 10:33 10 Apr 2024 GMT
A man has sparked a heated debate online after revealing how he leaves his hotel room prior to checking out.
Taking to Facebook, Scottish internet personality Darren Dowling (aka "Dazza") shared a photo of how he leaves hotel rooms once he's packed his bags and is ready to check out and return his key.
In the picture, the bedding can be seen neatly folded at the end of the bed, with the pillowcases and sheets stripped and placed into separate piles.
He captioned the photograph: "I always try and leave a hotel room like this. Is this the right or wrong thing to do?"
The post inspired many comments on the subject. Reacting to the picture, one Facebook user wrote: "As a housekeeper, this makes me very happy when customers do this, saves us an extra job and makes it easier."
Another housekeeper agreed, writing: "Having worked in housekeeping in a hotel, you have no idea how much things like this are appreciated. As you have time targets to hit per room and this is a massive help. Top man [sic]."
Then there was a third Facebook user who said the image had inspired them: "I've always been one to stack places for the waiter/waitress and to return glasses to a bar. But I've never considered doing this in hotels. You bet I'm going to start though!"
A fourth added: "I do this too, the staff will be very pleased when they see it, they have a hard graft and this makes things a little bit easier on them."
And another wrote: "Having worked in the hospitality industry for many years I can say that the housekeeping staff are often overworked and are the least paid of all departments. To walk into a room and see a guest has been thoughtful enough to take the time to do this means a lot. It's a wonderful gesture."
However, the internet being the internet, not everyone agreed that this was a good idea.
One Facebook user wrote: "Usually means they are trying to cover up p***, s**t or blood stains. I know I clean villas [in] Rhodes Greece!"
A second wrote: "All I gathered from this is you don't know how to fold bedding."
A third added: "Is that so they don't see the stains on the sheets that you left [sic]."
Meanwhile, others argued that the cleaners "are paid to do a job", as they outright slammed Dazza's kind gesture.
All of which begs the question: Do you think this is the right thing to do?
lifestyle7 min(s) read
Published 09:31 13 Aug 2019 GMT
Remember that 2002 rom-com Maid In Manhattan? You know, the one where that guy running for senator falls in love with a maid... in Manhattan. Remember how unrealistic we all thought it was?
[post_page_title]The Shocking Truth About Being A Hotel Maid[/post_page_title]
Well, compared to all the other questionable things that go down in hotels, Jennifer Lopez meeting the man of her dreams in a New York hotel is tame! There are a number of absurd and disturbing things that hotel workers have witnessed and learned about their industry...
[post_page_title]The "Do Not Disturb" Sign[/post_page_title]
Some guests will complain about absolutely everything, and to be honest, maids generally just have to accept this as being part and parcel of the job. However, if there's one thing that particularly peeves them, it's when guests get annoyed that their rooms haven't been cleaned when the reality is, they had the "Do Not Disturb" sign on their door handle the whole day!
[post_page_title]Getting Their Hands On Your Belongings[/post_page_title]
Some maids will do more than just simply move your stuff to one side while they're tidying up. In most hotels, they're not allowed to use the guests' bathroom even if they only need to do a number one, but not all maids stick to this rule if they're desperate and under time pressure. I mean, it's not like their manager's ever going to find out...
[post_page_title]Cancelling A Booking Without A Fee[/post_page_title]
Instead of canceling the booking straight away, try calling the hotel and asking them to push back your booking to a later date. Then when you do cancel the booking, a cancellation fee may not be applicable because there'd be a big enough gap between the date of cancellation and the date of the hotel stay.
[post_page_title]Bellhops Can Do A Lot For You![/post_page_title]
So what can bellhops do for you? Well, here are just a few examples: they can give out free valet parking, tours, shuttle rides, water bottles, etc. Plus if it's your time of the month, you may even find that they've stocked up on some tampons.
[post_page_title]Time Constraints[/post_page_title]
Often when time is very much an issue, maids won't be able to clean and prepare rooms to the best of their ability. Sometimes they won't have time to do a full vacuuming of the room, sometimes bathtubs aren't cleaned as much as they should be and sometimes drinking glasses are simply given a quick rinse.
[post_page_title]Meeting Celebrities[/post_page_title]
Celebrities staying at the hotel you're working at will often mean extra work. One maid remembers working for a hotel where Mariah Carey stayed one time... Mariah may have a reputation for being a diva, but her list of requests was just ridiculous. She apparently ordered the staff to clear out five rooms for her hair and make-up to be done in!
[post_page_title]Your Maid Thinks You're Stupid[/post_page_title]
There are some people that stay in hotels who not only complain about trivial things, but are also just incredibly stupid. For instance, one guest confused a microwave with a safe, and was annoyed when their food didn't heat up in the "microwave". The maid on the receiving end of that complaint had a nice little chuckle to herself when the guest was out of sight...
[post_page_title]Be Nice To Your Maid[/post_page_title]
If you are less than friendly to your maid or housekeeper, he or she may be petty enough to get revenge! And what does this revenge often entail? Well, there have been instances of cleaning bathtubs with towels before hanging said towel back up for the guest's use, and swapping clean sheets with sweaty, smelly sheets.
[post_page_title]Your Details Stay In The System[/post_page_title]
This information could be used to make your next stay at the hotel extra special. Think about it - they know your name and know what you look like and so can easily find one of your social media pages, and find out what you like... and you may find some of these things waiting for you in your hotel room.
[post_page_title]Vegas Hotel Fatalities[/post_page_title]
A lot of people come to Vegas to get absolutely wasted out of their minds, most of these people make it out of Vegas with nothing more than a slightly impaired liver, but some don't make it out at all. Hotel employees have confessed that this can mean losing out on business because it takes a while for the room in which the guest died to become available again.
[post_page_title]Freezing Cold Lobbies[/post_page_title]
Don't you just hate it when you're checking into a hotel, and the lobby is freezing? Well, it's not coincidental... The lobby is kept cold to prevent people from loitering around so that the hotel lobby doesn't get too chaotic. Clever right?
[post_page_title]They Know Your Secrets[/post_page_title]
Maids aren't stupid, and the veteran maids have seen it all, so you don't have to try to hide your dirty little secrets. They know affairs and hookups when they see them, so stop sneaking around and feeling self-conscious about it. They don't care; at most it's just a bit of gossip they can share with their fellow maids, but ultimately it has zero relevance to their actual lives.
[post_page_title]Star Treatment[/post_page_title]
Speaking of sordid secrets in hotels, did you know that some VIP guests are given pretty much anything they want... In fact, an employee at a five-star hotel in Hong Kong admitted that he once organized a prostitute for a VIP guest at his hotel.
[post_page_title]Rates Are Negotiable[/post_page_title]
The rates on rooms are negotiable; you don't necessarily have to pay the price you've seen advertised. Honestly! If a hotel is far from being fully booked, the hotel is usually more than willing to knock off a couple of hundred dollars off the price.
[post_page_title]Employees Can Be Bribed[/post_page_title]
It would be nice if we lived in a world where we didn't have to bribe people to go out of their way to do things for us, but money certainly does help... For instance, one bellhop was offered $20 for moving a guest to a different room, and that he certainly did. In the end, both the guest and the bellhop were happy.
[post_page_title]Can't We All be Guests At The Ritz Carlton?[/post_page_title]
At the Ritz Carlton, each employee has an allowance of $1,500 so if a guest loses something they can easily get it replaced. For example, a guest once lost a Rolex watch there, and a hotel employee simply got him a new one, no questions asked.
[post_page_title]Just Ask...[/post_page_title]
It can be really irritating when you get extra fees added on to the price of your hotel stay, but you don't necessarily have to pay them. If you want the fees for gym/swimming pool/wifi use to be taken off, you just have to ask!
[post_page_title]Goodies Left Behind[/post_page_title]
If a maid sees something has been left behind in a room after the guests have checked out, that maid may decide to keep it, but not always... If you find an item that looks like it belongs to someone else, just keep it for yourself - they're probably not coming back for it anyway.
[post_page_title]Breakfast In Hotels[/post_page_title]
The breakfast is often set up by hotel employees who have not been properly trained in how best to deal with food, so bear that in mind when you next dig into your croissant and scrambled eggs.
[post_page_title]Trow Your Towel On The Floor[/post_page_title]
If you've always wondered why your towels are never replaced with new ones, it's because you're not doing this... If you want new towels just keep them on the floor because if you hang them up, you're getting none. The maids take a towel on the floor to mean you're not going to be using it again and want a new one.
[post_page_title]Cleanliness At Budget Hotels[/post_page_title]
There is a lot of truth in the old saying that you get what you pay for, and this is especially true of hotels. A hotel maid who works at a fairly upmarket hotel explained that there, the sheets are changed for every new guest, but they were "rarely" changed when she worked in a budget one. Yuck.
[post_page_title]The Fights[/post_page_title]
Whenever you check out of a hotel, it's only natural to give the room a thorough once over to make sure you've not accidentally left anything behind, and it turns out that this can cause competition between maids as the maids who discovered them often get dibs, which is why many fight over cleaning the more upmarket rooms.
[post_page_title]Maids Rely On Tips[/post_page_title]
Just like service workers in restaurants, maids are some of the worst paid employees out there, despite doing a job which is essential to giving you a good holiday experience. So, if you think your paid has done a good job, do the right thing and tip them. Tips are what make up the majority of their wages, and they need money to survive too!
[post_page_title]Maids Sometimes Stop For A Nap[/post_page_title]
Manual work is tiring. Whether you're serving food in a restaurant, working on a building site, or cleaning up a ridiculously messy hotel room. Which is why, believe it or not, maids occasionally stop what they are doing for a quick nap. To be honest, we don't blame them!
[post_page_title]They Also Might Use The Toilet In Your Room[/post_page_title]
As the old saying goes, when you've gotta go, you've gotta go! And why would hotel maids go anywhere other than the bathroom of the room they are cleaning? So, yes, your maid has probably used your toilet, which is all the more reason to treat them nicely. If they drop off a heavy load, they might not open the window afterward to spite you.
[post_page_title]Don't Use The Cups[/post_page_title]
Even if you're staying in an upmarket hotel, there's one part of the room which maids admit aren't cleaned anywhere near as often as they should be - the cups. Therefore, if you absolutely have to make yourself a coffee in your room, do yourself a favor and give whatever cup you plan on using a good clean beforehand.
[post_page_title]Some Can Go Days Without A Tip[/post_page_title]
It doesn't matter how wealthy you are, we all know how difficult it can be when we get hit with an unexpected expense. This is especially the case for hotel maids. Unfortunately, despite it being fairly common knowledge that tips make up the majority of service workers' wages, maids can go days without a tip.
[post_page_title]Maids Sometimes Get Assaulted[/post_page_title]
Another unfortunate reality for room attendants, the majority of whom are women, is that assault is a common occurrence in their profession. This is largely because they are often alone in rooms where no one can see what is happening to them - or hear their cries for help should the worst happen.
[post_page_title]They Snoop[/post_page_title]
It's human nature to be curious, and hotel maids are no exception to this curiosity. The only difference is that they have your personal belongings very close to hand. So yeah, they will snoop. Got a diary with you on vacation? You might want to hide it at the bottom of your case if you don't want to risk your maid flicking through without your consent!
[post_page_title]Line The Ice Bucket[/post_page_title]
Hotels provide ice bucket liners for a very good reason. Just like mugs in hotel rooms, they don't always get a thorough clean, but unlike mugs, they can have some disgusting alternate uses... So unless you want your drinks cooled by the bacteria from someone else's vomit, for the love of God use the liner!