Flight Attendant Wants You to Throw a Water Bottle Under Your Hotel Bed Before You Settle In
Before Esther Sturrus settles into a hotel room, she picks up a plastic water bottle. The KLM flight attendant spends much of her working life in hotels around the world, and her TikTok videos have turned her routines into advice for strangers. One of her habits needs nothing more than a bottle and a bed. She throws the bottle, then keeps her eyes fixed on the far side of the mattress, waiting for something specific to appear.
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Her Hotel Room Video Drew Almost 39 Million Views
Esther works for Dutch airline KLM and shares her journeys on TikTok. A video listing the first things she does in a hotel room, uploaded in October 2022, has collected almost 39 million views. Her tips there include locking the door, closing the curtains and adjusting the air conditioning. A separate solo travel video holds five more pieces of advice. One commenter reacted to the bottle trick by writing: “Never even occurred to me that someone could be under the bed.”
Rare Thieves and Intruders Keep Ground-Floor Guests on Alert
Hotel stays are almost always uneventful, yet tourists can occasionally be targeted by thieves or intruders. Some travellers stay extra vigilant in certain countries or in rooms on lower floors, where access from outside is easier. Metro reports the tip could be especially valuable for anyone travelling alone. Peering under a bed in an unfamiliar room can feel unsettling, and crouching puts your face close to the dark gap. Esther’s version needs no flashlight and no kneeling.
The Bottle Has to Come Out the Other Side of the Bed
Esther’s method takes seconds. She sends the bottle rolling under the bed, and in her words it has to come out on the other side. A bottle that slides clean through suggests a clear path, which lets a guest check the space without looking at all. The trick belongs to the first minute in the room, before the suitcase is open. On some nights, the bottle never reappears.
A Stuck Bottle Could Mean Spare Sheets Stored Under the Bed
A bottle that stops halfway does not prove anyone is hiding. The obstruction could be spare sheets kept under the bed, or a throw too gentle to reach the far side. The check still earns its place: it takes seconds and lets you sleep better knowing you did your due diligence. If something does look wrong, hotel security is the next call to make. Esther’s list continues with a paper cup and a hole in its base.
A Paper Cup With a Hole Keeps Your Toothbrush Standing Upright
Poke a hole in the bottom of a paper cup, turn the cup upside down, and push the toothbrush through the opening. According to HuffPost’s write-up, the sturdier base suits the flimsy paper or cardboard cups many hotels provide. Esther’s next bathroom fix is a hairdryer: its heat clears steam from a fogged mirror, which helps when you are rushing out the door. Her fourth tip sends your outfit into the bathroom with you.
Hanging Clothes in the Bathroom Steams Out Creases While You Shower
Hang your travelling clothes in the bathroom while you shower, and the steam softens the creases. Esther adds that a dry wash spray afterwards makes the outfit look good again. Her final trick turns a cup into an amplifier: place your phone inside one while music plays and the sound grows louder, no speaker required. Cabin crew carry more than hotel hacks, though. Saskia Sekhri, a former British Airways flight attendant, knows an airplane secret most passengers never notice.
Ex-British Airways Crew Member Says Planes Carry a Wardrobe Passengers Can Use
Saskia Sekhri told Metro that many aircraft include an on-board wardrobe, and passengers are allowed to use it. If you have an item of clothing that deserves special treatment, ask the crew whether there is space. She compares the wardrobe to the one in Narnia: you only know about it if you are in the know. Whether your plane has one depends on its size and its route.
Bags With Red CREW Tags Show Where the Plane’s Wardrobe Hides
Crew sometimes hang blazers or waistcoats in the wardrobe during service, Saskia says, though they usually keep belongings in the overhead lockers. Board early and you may spot bags already inside, marked with a red CREW tag. Long-haul aircraft typically carry several wardrobes. Short-haul planes such as the A319, A320 and A321 may have swapped theirs for safety equipment like an on-board wheelchair, or for extra room in a tight galley. Saskia says one habit settles the question on any flight.
Cabin Crew Hacks Cost Almost Nothing and Take Only Minutes
Every tip here relies on objects already within reach: a water bottle, a paper cup, a hairdryer, a phone, and a polite question to the crew. Esther Sturrus checks a room in seconds, while Saskia Sekhri’s habit is simply to ask whether the wardrobe has space, since it is always worth asking. People who live between airports and hotels have learned that the cheapest habits protect the most comfort, and every one of them can be copied tonight.