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10 Bizarre Hotel Guest Requests That Were Actually Granted

Oct. 08, 2016
8 min read
Jeff Goldblum hotel request
10 Bizarre Hotel Guest Requests That Were Actually Granted
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King bed. High floor. A room as far away from the elevator as one can possibly get. On any given day, a hotel receives a number of special requests from soon-to-be guests. Some of them, like a chilled bottle of Champagne waiting in the room, are pretty standard. Others, like a framed photo of Grandma Winslow from Family Matters, well, not so much. Here are 10 hilarious and bizarre hotel guest requests that fall squarely into the latter category — and were granted.

1. Some Framed Photos of Jeff Goldblum

In late-September, Portland, Oregon resident Seth Freedland and his girlfriend Amy Marsh spent a couple of nights at the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica, California to attend a wedding. While making the reservation, he decided to have a little fun with the special requests section when he asked that the hotel staff fill the couple's room with photos of Jeff Goldblum. Upon arrival, they discovered that Freedland's request had indeed been met — with framed photos of The Fly star on the desk, in the bathroom and a shirtless pic on their bedside table. "Jeff Goldblum is my girlfriend's celebrity crush," Freedland told The Huffington Post. "Specifically, she's a big fan of Independence Day-era 'heroic Goldblum.' I'm more a Big Chill Goldblum man myself, but you really can't go wrong."

Just one of the many Jeff Goldblum photos throughout the hotel room. Image courtesy of guest Seth Freedland's Facebook page.

2. A Photo of Nicolas Cage from Con Air

Jeff Goldblum isn't the only Hollywood A-lister hotel guests want to see by their bedside. In 2015, a visitor to San Antonio, Texas posted some images of a funny exchange with the property's concierge. "I got this text when I checked into the Hotel Indigo San Antonio Riverwalk basically letting me know if I needed anything, I just needed to ask," she posted. "For sh*ts and giggles during my boring work conference, I asked for a framed picture of Nic Cage in "Con Air." When I got an affirmative response, I thought it was auto generated and went about my day." When she returned to her room, a framed picture of Cage — in all his mulleted, "Con Air" glory — was waiting on her bed with a message: "Sweet dreams."

When only a mulleted, 'Con Air' Nicolas Cage will do. Image courtesy of FreePsychicReadings via Imgur.

3. A Pillow Fort

Denver-based businessman Sean Fitzsimons, who has spent the past four years traveling to Salt Lake City every other week, has made an art out of odd requests. "I got bored doing the routine checking-in and checking-out, so I thought, why not try a random request?" he told ABC News. Among some of his most creative requests: three pictures of Donald Trump looking confused, a photo of Grandma Winslow from Family Matters and a pillow fort. His one big fail? When he asked the staff to draw a picture of what they thought he looked like. "When I checked in, the lady at the front desk looked at me so weird, and it got so awkward," he said. "I'm pretty sure I weirded her out. So, I was like, 'I can't ever come back here again.'"

Fitzsimons isn't the only traveler to want to see a pillow fort. In 2012, Gord Relph asked the same of The Fairmont Winnipeg; the hotel staff had some fun of their own when they left him a DIY fort kit. "I consider myself a man of action, so when I saw the tools before me, I knew I had to make it happen," Relph told the Winnipeg Sun.

4. A Towel Folded Into the Shape of an Elephant

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In 2013, a guest at the W Seattle requested yet another pillow fort (we're all for the comforts of home), but with a slight twist: "We would also appreciate a towel folded into the shape of an elephant," wrote the guest. "If possible, we would enjoy a sexy picture of some fruit on the night table." The staff, of course, delivered.

How cute is that little towel elephant? Image courtesy of vonniesaur via Imgur.

5. Help Moving a Tiger from Miami to London

A man spending some time at The Setai in Miami Beach was getting ready to relocate to London and wanted his girlfriend to move with him. There was just one problem: She had a pet tiger and would only agree to the transatlantic move if her beloved big cat could come, too. So he did what any smart guy who needed to fly a tiger halfway across the world would: he asked the hotel's longtime concierge, Maite Foriasky, for assistance. She figured it out — apparently Orlando International Airport (MCO) is the only airport in Florida that handles that kind of cargo — and, at last report, the couple and their tiger were still living happily ever after.

6. A Pair of Camels

A guest visiting the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona needed help with some camels: specifically, where to find two to purchase. Concierge Victoria Cote did the legwork and actually located a place where the guest could purchase a pair of camels, just about a half-hour from the resort. Unfortunately, the transaction never happened — reportedly due to "a missing hump" — but it wasn't for lack of trying on Cote's part.

Tucson, Arizona: Come for the views, stay for the camels. Image courtesy of Shutterstock.

7. A Bathtub Full of Wild Goat's Milk

Some requests come at a pretty steep cost to the customer. Case in point: the guest who asked Sean Davoren, head butler at The Savoy, London, for a bathtub full of wild goat's milk — yes, to bathe in. Though the milk itself only cost around $75, it had to be sourced from Wales, then transported via taxi to the tune of about $800. It then took 30 bottles of heated Evian water to clean the pricey beverage off the customer.

8. A Dinosaur

The oddest thing about a hotel guest requesting a dinosaur isn't necessarily the request itself — it's how often it comes up. Guests at the Novotel Wolverhampton made it easy when they asked for a picture of a T-Rex. (The staff happily obliged.) In 2011, a guest of the Monte Carlo Inn in Ontario asked specifically for a baby stegosaurus — though he promised that, "I will bring the food and water, and I will take care of him," a miniature plastic version (with a note apologizing) was the best they could do.

When you can't find a real dinosaur, a tiny plastic one will do the trick. Image courtesy of Jiggernauts via Imgur.

9. A Daily Helping of Kobe Beef… For a Dog

Fancy food requests, on their own, aren't particularly strange… except if that request is for a daily serving of Kobe beef for a dog. Yet the pros at London's St. Ermin's Hotel didn't miss a beat. They catered to the cushy canine, having a nearby restaurant prepare the meal fresh each day.

10. 20 Pounds of Ice (for a Guest's Penguins)

In 2015, Lauri Howe, director of communications for Boston's Seaport Hotel, shared one of the strangest requests her hotel had ever received. "The most memorable request for us is the guest who asked for 20 pounds of ice for his penguins," she told IndependentTraveler.com. "The penguins visited a year or two ago as part of one of the exhibits at the Boston Globe Travel Show. They stayed in the bathtub when they weren't on display at the show, which was held onsite in the Seaport World Trade Center. Twenty pounds of ice actually isn't too much, and we have multiple ice machines at Seaport, so we filled up four bags for them. We hope the ice helped to keep them comfortable during their stay!"

The Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Hawaii had yet another penguin-related request: some penguins waiting in the guest's room, with Morgan Freeman narrating their interaction. Sadly, the hotel wasn't able to make it happen.

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  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.
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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • Intro Offer
    You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.
  • Annual Fee

    $325
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.