Woman checks into an Egyptian hotel. Then she starts a ‘war’ with the maids: ‘Cleaning staff was fighting’
When you check into a hotel, the amount of interaction you have with housekeeping staff is usually minimal. Maybe you exchange a quick hello in the hallway, or they accidentally knock while you’re still in the room.
Recently, however, hotel guests and housekeeping staff have found a surprisingly creative way to connect: towel art.
One Lithuanian woman on TikTok shared an example of this playful exchange that she called “towel war.”
What Is Hotel ‘Towel War’?
In her clip, which has gone viral with over 4.3 million views, TikToker @airyte1 films the different towel animals both she and the housekeeping staff created over several nights during her stay.
“POV: you started a towel war at a hotel,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.
Then the hotel origami began.
First, @airyte1 made a swan out of towels and left a note that read, “animal war? :)” along with a $1 tip.
The hotel responded with the classic display of two swans forming a heart shape.
Next, the TikToker created a figure wearing sunglasses and holding a tip. “Supposed to be a snake,” she wrote in the video’s text overlay.
The next day, housekeeping staff responded with an impressive alligator wearing the same sunglasses.
@airyte1 then made a ghost-like figure lying on the bed, using pillows as the body. The figure was again wearing the sunglasses and holding a $1 tip.
Housekeeping staff responded with an elaborate elephant. The exchange continued from there.
In a follow-up video, @airyte1 shared more details about the stay and answered questions from viewers. She said tipping $1 in Hurghada, Egypt, where she was staying, is considered normal.
She also revealed the hotel’s name: Long Beach Resort Hurghada.
Commenters Find It Adorable
In the comments section, many viewers praised the interaction, while others shared similar experiences from their own hotel stays.
“You just know that they were excited to get to this room every day,” one person wrote.
“The only kind of wars we should be having,” another joked.
“Last hotel I went to made me a baby cause they found out I was pregnant,” a third commenter wrote, attaching a photo of a towel baby.
“As an ex hotel cleaner, I would’ve absolutely loved coming in to work every morning with you as a guest!!!” another said.
Is Towel Origami More Common in Hotels Now?
According to National Geographic, it is. The publication reports that the practice first became popular on cruise ships, but several hotels on land have since trained their housekeeping staff to create towel animals as well.
A resort manager who spoke to National Geographic said guests often love the displays. In one case, hotel guests saved every towel animal housekeeping made during their stay and arranged them all together like a small zoo before checking out.
Users on Reddit have also shared photos of their own towel creations from hotel staff, including a monkey hanging from a hanger, a rabbit wearing sunglasses, a puppy, and more.
@airyte1 #fyp #hurghada #towel #tik_tok #egyptian_tik_tok ♬ Originalus garsas – Air✨
The Mary Sue has reached out to Long Beach Resort Hurghada via email and @airyte1 via TikTok and Instagram messages.
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