It is really amazing how easily myths are born -

One possible origin of many myths about hotels is the reality that legend and myths play on our fears, our insecurity and our perverse pride in knowing all details of how life works on the road.

Add here word-of-mouth advertising and then there are those hotel myths which are sometimes fanciful and sometimes truth-based.

So, take some time to learn the truth about myths that revolve around hotels. Here are seven of the most enduring myths about hotels along with some clear-eyed facts. Check them out before checking in.

Myth #1

Hotel key cards contain personal information such as your credit card number and your address and anyone with a scanner can decode it and rack up a big bill.

That is one of the most enduring hotel myths that refuses to die. This legend was born when hotels switched from traditional metal room keys to plastic key cards.

A lot of people believe their home address, phone numbers and credit card numbers programmed on their key cards. The truth is that a little magnetic strip of the key card just can't hold so much information anyway.

Hotels usually encrypt your key card with your room number, check-in date, check-out date and check-out time or simply a code that is randomly chosen upon your check in.

So, please stop asking front desk personnel about this; they are really sick of explaining this myth to paranoid travelers who aren't going to believe them anyway. Quit worrying about non-existent problem.

Myth #2

When choosing a hotel to stay people are only looking for the lowest rates.

This myth is actually false. Very few people look for the lowest rate alone, most travelers search for the best deal, which usually includes the location of the hotel, hotel amenities, special packages and upgrades.

Moreover, hotels with the lowest prices within a chosen market area are often considered as - bad choices; among tourists; they prefer to interpret low rates as "unbelievable or too good to be true".

Myth #3

All the bedding in hotel rooms is changed after each hotel guest.

It is actually untrue. While the bed linen may be changed after each stay, the blankets and top covers aren't changed unless they are spotted or soiled.

So, think twice before lying down stark naked on your hotel bed.

Myth #4

Bed bugs are only found in cheap hotels and accommodations.

Pest control experts state that it is untrue. Despite the myth that these unpleasant insects only hole up in cheap hotels and lodging, bedbug infestation can occur even in luxury, highest-priced hotels.

That's because bed bugs can get transported in and out of the hotels in the guests; clothes and luggage. It is also easy to bring them home in your bag. Beware!

Myth #5

It is unusual to find a hotel with a designated and clearly marked 13th floor.

Even in the XXI Century there is a fear of the number 13 and some hotels don't have the 13th floor because of superstition. It is amazing that this practice got started and continues to these days.

Myth #6

There is money in Gideon Bibles found in hotel rooms.

Rumor has it that you can find money in Gideon Bibles, which are usually kept in bedside table drawers in almost any hotel room in the world.

For nearly 100 years an evangelical Christian organization has been distributing copies of the Bible in hotel and motel rooms. People believe that money is left between the pages as reward for reading them or as charity for those who might be in need.

A friend of mine, who travels a lot said that he had checked a lot of Bibles and he had never found any cash there. It is hard to believe that Gideons that depend on charitable donations are distributing money.

Myth #7

The bathroom/shower is the dirtiest place in the hotel room.
 
This myth is false. Most hotels instruct their housekeeping staff to spend the most time on bathroom/shower and pay special attention to bathtubs, sinks and toilets.

So, these items are all cleaned thoroughly each day and can be considered as the cleanest parts of most hotel apartments.

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