From stolen remotes to geranium flower pots as toilets: The outrageous antics of tourists
Anecdotes about tourists who vacation in the Polish Tatras are numerous enough to fill a book. These tales are well-known to hoteliers and guesthouse owners, who frequently deal with what they term as "difficult customers".
What behaviors do guesthouse owners in Podhale find most irritating? The "Gazeta Krakowska" newspaper has detailed several stories that drive guesthouse owners crazy. Vandalism and drunkenness by guests rank among the top complaints.
Party-loving tourists can become real pests, according to an owner of a hotel in Zakopane who spoke on the "Uwaga TVN" television program. He explained that while such guests do bring in revenue for the hotel, they often incur additional costs due to their behavior.
“We had a group of young people, about 18 to 19 years old. After their week-long stay, the apartment needed serious renovation. There were holes in the walls, soaked walls, ruined beds,” the hotelier recounted.
"Gazeta Krakowska" also discusses an incident at a guesthouse in Olcza. Here, a four-year-old pulled down his trousers right outside the guesthouse entrance and urinated in full view of his amused parents. Unfortunately, the issue of children causing mishaps in rooms is more widespread than just this single incident. Many hoteliers report problems like urine-drenched walls and furniture, blaming the parents for their lack of supervision.
But that's not all. Guesthouses also face the problem of guests taking peculiar "souvenirs," items they have no business taking with them.
“We find that guests often leave with items like hotel lamps and pillows. Towels, bathrobes, trays, and electric kettles also commonly go missing,” one owner revealed on the "Uwaga TVN" program.
Other strange incidents include unscrewing of lightbulbs and absconding with television remote controls. The more bizarre stories involve guests boiling sausages in the electric kettle. One hotelier even reported a case of guests boiling eggs in a kettle. The authors of an article in "Gazeta Krakowska" also recount a case where guests cut up a blanket to use as a shoe polish cloth, while others washed dishes with a floor mop.
