Danielle McCarthy
Travel Tips

Why you should never take a bath at a hotel

For many people, hotel baths represent the height of luxury. After a long flight, or busy day exploring the sights and sounds of a city, a hotel bath generally seems to be a logical enough first port of call when returning to your room.

But many health experts are arguing this isn’t a good idea.

Because while you sit back in your hotel bath, with a glass of wine and perhaps a good book, there’s a good chance that you’re not the only thing enjoying the warm waters.

A study from travel logistics site TravelMath suggests hotel guests taking a quick dip are often also unwittingly sharing their tub with a stew of bacteria and cleaning chemicals.

“We’re definitely not trying to scare anyone,” Emily Pierce, a manager at TravelMath, says.

“We wanted to know just how many bacteria we could find on common surfaces in the hotel rooms.”

Supporting this research is a study from the Journal of Microbiology, which found the highest levels of contamination in a hotel were recording in the housekeeper cleaning implements like sponges and mops which clean the tubs, sinks and floors.

So, what’s a weary traveller to do after a long day?

We’d suggest skipping the bath and booking a massage at the hotel spa instead. You’ll soothe any aches and pains, without having to share someone else’s bacteria!

What are your thoughts? Do you think this will stop you taking hotel baths?

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tips, travel, bath, hotel, why, never