See That Ice Bucket In Your Hotel Room? Don't Go Near It!

This "Thumbs Down" is directed at the ubiquitous hotel room ice bucket.  Now, it's not the ice bucket's fault I've chosen to ding it today.  It's just that there's something I can't get out of my mind whenever I see one.  And once I tell you this, I promise you won't be able to get it out of your mind, either.

Last September, I was hired to give a speech at an annual conference on tourism safety and security in Las Vegas.  I stuck around to listen to other speakers, including the man who is in charge of overseeing issues of health and cleanliness for the vast empire of Harrah's hotel and resort properties.  I found his presentation fascinating.  You may know that every few years or so, a television investigative reporter goes snooping around hotel rooms with a black light that often reveals all manner of germs and filth on seemingly clean hotel room phones, bedspreads, and bathrooms.  Frankly, if we all carried black lights with us when we travel, we'd probably sleep standing up in most hotel rooms.  (But since we've all survived hundreds of such rooms, I say, get over it.  Or, better yet, carry disinfectant pads and wipe down the telephones and toilet seats when you check in if you're a true germaphobe.) 

He offered such tips as how to check for evidence of bedbugs (look behind the headboard of the hotel bed), but it was the ice bucket that came in for the hardest drubbing.  The Harrah's exec pointed out that when someone throws up in a hotel room, it's often the ice bucket that they reach for.  They may rinse it out afterwards, but it was his suggestion you not use an ice bucket in a motel or hotel--unless you happen to travel with your own dishwashing liquid and clean it out thoroughly with very hot water before walking down the hallway to find the ice machine.

I've never looked at a hotel room ice bucket in quite the same way since.  And neither should you.