8 Celebrities Who Regularly Give Hotel Staff Nightmares
Do actors have ridiculous hotel requests because they need these things, or simply because they can?
Some celebrities don’t just “stay” in hotels, they leave behind a full-on plot twist. And if you’re a hotel staffer, that twist comes with the sound of tour buses idling outside, late-night damage reports, and the kind of bill that makes your manager go quiet.
Taylor Swift’s morning arrival comes with a Starbucks detour and a drink order so specific it sounds like a code. Florence Welch once partied so hard at The Bowery Hotel that she woke up to a melted book, black smudges on the wall, and half the room soaked after a fire. Then Lindsay Lohan shows up with unpaid fees, a ban from Chateau Marmont, and rumors of new damage at the W New York Union Square, while Keith Richards is remembered for tossing a TV out a tenth-floor window.
And Mariah Carey’s “room setup” is where the nightmares really start to feel personal.
1. Taylor Swift
If Taylor Swift is scheduled to arrive before 11 a.m., it's crucial to stop at Starbucks on the way and get one Grande Iced Caramel Latte with two Sweet'n Lows, one Grande Iced Americano with two Sweet'n Lows and soy milk, and one slice of pumpkin loaf.
The size of her tour buses is comparable to that of a dorm room.
Fox Metro News2. Florence Welch
In 2012, Florence Welch recounted a wild night of partying that ended with her accidentally setting fire to The Bowery Hotel. She had consumed 17 dirty martinis, lost her phone, and ripped her dress.
When she woke up the next morning, she found her book melted on the bedside table, black smudges on the wall, and a bucket of water on the floor—half the room was soaked. Surprisingly, the damage only cost a few hundred dollars.
Rolling Stone UK3. Lindsay Lohan
In 2012, Lohan accumulated an astonishing $46,350.04 in unpaid hotel fees, resulting in her being banned from LA's luxurious Chateau Marmont, where she was residing. She believed the filmmakers of Liz and Dick, which she was filming at the time, should cover the bill.
Shortly afterward, she reportedly caused $50,000 in damage to the W New York Union Square and was informed by someone close to the hotel that she would not be allowed to return. And those are just two of her offenses; she is also said to be unwelcome at the Shutters on the Beach Hotel in Santa Monica.
Forbes
4. Keith Richards
In 1972, Keith Richards, the renowned guitarist of the Rolling Stones, set a new benchmark for poor conduct while staying at the Hyatt West Hollywood in Los Angeles. Richards chose to throw the hotel's television set out of a tenth-floor window; fortunately, no one was injured.
Loudwire
5. Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey's list includes two vases of white roses, eight "tall, leafy plants," Jo Malone vanilla candles, and drapes around every corner. Additionally, it is essential for drapes to be used in each room (black drapes are acceptable).
The temperature inside should be approximately 75 degrees, and the entrance door should lead into the living room, not the dressing room.
NME
6. Rihanna
Rihanna has requested "icy-blue chiffon"-layered drapes in either blue or black. Additionally, there is a very specific candle request that must be fulfilled.
Moreover, a throw rug with an animal print, such as leopard or cheetah, is needed, as Rihanna will be walking on it barefoot, so it must be kept impeccably clean.
Quien
7. Keith Moon
For Moon's 21st birthday, the band thought it would be a good idea to have a wild party at the Holiday Inn in Michigan. Unfortunately, things got out of hand when the group trashed the interior of the hotel, breaking furniture and starting a food fight as a girl leaped out of a cake.
Refusing to call it a night, Moon made a daring and reckless move by running through the lobby in the nude before driving a Lincoln Continental into the pool. This stunt cost him a 24-hour jail sentence, a hefty $24,000 hotel damage fine, and a lifetime ban from all Holiday Inns.
Rock Celebrities
8. Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell's promotional comedy tour for the movie "Semi-Pro" may have earned him the infamous title of worst hotel guest—his requests were outlandish, to say the least. He reportedly asked for an electric scooter, a rainbow-painted wheel, and a 15-foot-tall artificial tree.
Rotten Tomatoes
That’s when Taylor Swift’s Starbucks order and bus-sized logistics make the front desk feel like they’re preparing for a small invasion, not a check-in.
It gets messy like the friends who demanded a luxury hotel, then pushed for an equal split.
Meanwhile, Florence Welch’s 17 dirty martinis and the Bowery Hotel fire turn a normal morning shift into a cleanup mission no one asked for.
Then Lindsay Lohan’s $46,350.04 unpaid bill at Chateau Marmont, followed by reports of $50,000 damage at the W New York Union Square, basically writes the hotel’s “do not allow” list for years.
After Keith Richards throws a TV out of a tenth-floor window, Mariah Carey’s drapes-in-every-room and exact temperature demands make staff dread the next call from reservations.
It's no secret that celebrities can be a bit... eccentric, so it's no surprise that they have some strange hotel demands. From asking for specific items in the room to wanting a certain type of pillow, some actors can make hotel staff work overtime just to ensure they get what they want!
But hey, when you're a star, you get to make the rules!
Nobody wants to clock in and find out your guest’s taste comes with a damage estimate.
Wait, did your friend trash the hotel room after demanding you split the bill? See this AITA.
