Hotel Employee Tries To Make Karen Realize Her Request Is Dumb; She Finds Someone Else To Harass

The term “Karen” is really overused and probably deeply annoying to someone actually named Karen. However, unfortunately, if one works in a customer-facing job, it’s almost inevitable that one will have to deal with people who think rules don’t apply to them. After all, all of these “Karen” stories exist for a reason.

A netizen shared their frustration with a “Karen” who demanded that a hotel pool be left open for her kids because she “paid a lot of money to be here.” We also got in touch with the person who made the post via private message and they were kind enough to share some more details.

Rules for things like pools exist for a reason

Woman by hotel pool using phone near closed pool area with flowers and stone walls in the background

Image credits: user15449331 / Freepik (not the actual photo)

But one mom decided that if she wanted the hotel pool to be open after hours, it should be

Entitled Karen insists on using hotel pool after hours, demanding access despite official closure for guests.

Text explaining hotel pool closing time due to housekeeping, pool chemicals, and noise complaints from nearby rooms.

Text explaining hotel pool closing notices and issues with kids and parents ignoring rules before closing time.

Text describing an obnoxious Karen demanding to use the hotel pool after it has been closed for the night.

Text showing a confrontation where an obnoxious Karen demands to use the hotel pool after it has been closed.

Hotel receptionist on phone handling a complaint about an obnoxious Karen using the hotel pool after closure.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Text describing a confrontation with an obnoxious Karen demanding to use the hotel pool after it has been closed at dusk.

Woman arguing at a hotel pool after closing time, demonstrating obnoxious Karen behavior to get her way.

Obnoxious Karen applying pressure to hotel staff to use the pool after it has been closed and gates locked.

Obnoxious Karen gets her way as hotel staff reopens and allows use of the closed pool despite rules.

Image credits: WarOnEntitledGuests

Young travelers smiling and walking with luggage in a hotel lobby near the hotel pool area.

Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

Way too many hotel guests feel entitled to do whatever they want

Bored Panda got in touch with the netizen who made the post and they were kind enough to give a few details about how readers responded. We asked if there were any specific comments they enjoyed or thought were helpful. “Yes, many comments I found useful. Working in a hotel is very challenging, and any suggestions on how to make my job easier is appreciated. I have many stories working in the hotel, so I plan to share more as time goes by,” they shared. The post did end up going viral, so we also wanted to hear their opinion on why so many readers resonated with the story “I think they found it engaging because many people relate to the entitlement of guests in a hotel.”

There is a bizarre attitude that arises periodically when a credit card is swiped across the front desk and the keys are picked up: a false notion that payment for a room is not only a place to stay but the authorization to warp, or simply disregard, the hotel rules. This authority is derived from a variety of interrelated variables. First, money always appears to be power. When guests see a nightly rate or a substantial total on their bill, they interpret it as leverage. They paid, so they assume they own a slice of the establishment and, by extension, are above the regular regulations that apply to others.

Second, there’s a psychological shortcut at work. In everyday life, we exchange money for products or services, coffee, groceries, gas, and are not typically bothered with hidden commitments outside the exchange. The mindset is not effective within hospitality, where the “service” includes a set of expectations and communal norms, quiet hours, security protocols, respect for common areas. Visitors who haven’t bothered to read or sign the fine print might genuinely believe payment is sufficient to have met their side of the bargain. To them, rules exist as an abstraction, if at all, compared to the act of paying itself.

Guest at hotel front desk handing card to staff member, illustrating hotel pool access after closure situation.

Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The idea that if you’ve paid money, you can do whatever you want is way too ingrained in some people

Entitlement is also fostered by social standing. Hotels are often seen as high-end, elitist, and high-class, especially high-end or boutique hotels. Some guests see themselves as VIPs or part of an elite club. That ego can turn into action, staying out of designated smoking areas, ignoring room capacity limits, screaming late at night, because they believe the staff are there largely to cater to their whims. When service staff hesitate or push back, entitled guests do not listen to it as a reasonable boundary but as a personal affront, further reinforcing the idea that they’re special.

Underpinning it all is a clash of cultures involving individual entitlement and common responsibility. Rules at the hotel are meant to protect everyone’s comfort, security, and property. But when guests care about nothing but themselves, another towel requested at 2 a.m., the door left open for friends, or unauthorized pets in the room, they too often disregard the collective impact. They see rules as obstacles to personal enjoyment rather than as guardrails that ensure an equitable and secure experience for all. Because they equate payment with ultimate control, they fail to appreciate the fact that one person’s choice can impact the whole guest population.

To address entitled behavior is more than merely remarking on policy, it is reminding guests of the social compact embedded in hospitality. Payment does lock up a room, but it is accompanied by the implication of agreeing to norms which sustain the shared world. When guests understand that rules are not arbitrary restrictions but essential guidelines, they will be more likely to follow them. Otherwise, the myth that money is carte blanche will keep some travelers enticing their own boundaries rather than respecting the hotel as a gracious host.

The worker also shared some details with the readers

Comments discussing a Karen getting her way to use the hotel pool after it was closed, highlighting staff and guest behavior.

Reddit discussion about obnoxious Karen getting to use the hotel pool after it had been closed due to an exception.

Reddit comments discussing an entitled Karen who got her way using the hotel pool after it was closed.

Screenshot of an online discussion about entitlement and obnoxious guests getting their way using closed hotel pools.

Online discussion about an obnoxious Karen getting permission to use the hotel pool after it’s been closed.

Reddit user discussing an obnoxious Karen allowed to use the hotel pool after it was officially closed late at night.

Commenters discuss the hotel front desk’s response to an obnoxious Karen using the closed hotel pool.

Alt text: Discussion about obnoxious Karen getting her way to use the hotel pool after it has been closed late at night.

Screenshot of an online discussion about an obnoxious Karen getting her way using the hotel pool after closure.

Screenshot of a discussion about an obnoxious Karen using the hotel pool after closure despite rules and alarms.

Comment discussing an obnoxious Karen demanding to use a hotel pool after it's been closed due to lightning safety concerns.

Discussion about dealing with an obnoxious Karen who gets to use the hotel pool after it’s closed and staff frustrations.

Hotel pool closed sign with a frustrated guest insisting on using the pool after hours against rules.

Discussion about an obnoxious Karen being allowed to use a hotel pool after it was closed despite complaints.

Obnoxious Karen arguing with hotel staff to use the closed pool while others watch in frustration.

Reddit user discusses dealing with an obnoxious Karen who gets access to a closed hotel pool despite rules.

Reddit comments discussing a hotel pool incident with an obnoxious Karen insisting on using the pool after it’s closed.

Screenshot of a discussion about an obnoxious Karen getting her way to use the hotel pool after it was closed.

Online discussion about obnoxious Karen being allowed to use the hotel pool after it was closed sparks strong reactions.

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