The hotel had seen every kind of guest imaginable, but Lina, the front desk manager, still remembered those two women vividly.
They arrived one rainy evening with laughter in their voices and a warmth that instantly filled the lobby. For a month, they became part of the rhythm of the place — morning greetings over coffee,
friendly chats with staff, and cheerful requests for extra shampoo and soap. Since these amenities were included in their room package, Lina never hesitated to provide more. The women always thanked her graciously, never appearing demanding, only appreciative. Their presence made long shifts feel lighter, as though the hotel had briefly become a home rather than a business.
As the weeks passed, Lina grew curious about them. They didn’t seem like typical tourists; they rarely left the building except for short walks.
They spent hours in their room, sometimes ordering tea, sometimes declining housekeeping. Still, they were polite, punctual with payments, and friendly with everyone.
On their final day, Lina decided to visit them personally with small souvenir keychains engraved with the hotel’s name, a gesture of gratitude for their extended stay. She walked down the hallway carrying the gifts and a practiced smile, ready to wish them safe travels.When she knocked and entered the room, her smile froze. The space looked nothing like the
tidy guestroom she had seen every day through the half-open door during housekeeping checks. Dozens of tiny bottles of shampoo and bars of soap were stacked neatly along the walls, arranged like little towers. Some were wrapped carefully in towels, others sorted by brand and color. It was a collection so large it looked like a miniature warehouse.
For a moment Lina wondered if she had stepped into the wrong room. But there they were, the two women, sitting cross-legged on the bed, smiling proudly at their display.Seeing Lina’s shocked expression, one of them laughed. “We run a small shelter for homeless families back home,” she explained. “Every month we collect supplies.
Hotels throw these away or replace them, so we asked kindly for extras. Nothing goes to waste.” The second woman added that they had been traveling between cities, gathering necessities that would later be distributed to people in need. Suddenly, the towers of soap and shampoo were no longer strange souvenirs, but symbols of quiet compassion. Lina felt her surprise dissolve into admiration.
She handed them the souvenir keychains with a new sense of respect. The women thanked her for the kindness of the staff, saying that without friendly cooperation, their mission would be much harder. After they left, Lina stood alone in the room, now empty except for a few forgotten bottles. She realized that genuine generosity often hides behind ordinary requests.
From that day forward, she never saw simple acts of service the same way. Sometimes, behind a small request for extra shampoo, there might just be a story of kindness traveling quietly through the world.
