The Germiest Part Of A Hotel

When you enter a hotel lobby, you’re probably focused on checking into your hotel room, juggling all of your luggage and finding the elevators to your floor. But one thing you’re likely not thinking about: all the contaminated surfaces you’ve touched before you even get to your room.

“Think of hotel lobbies the same way as hospital waiting rooms,” said Jason Tetro, a microbiologist and author of “The Germ Code.” “They are filled with people who are passing time … [and are] the perfect place for germs to spread.”

In fact, a recent study looked at contaminated surfaces and the infection risk in common hotel lobby areas, including the check-in counter, elevator, lounge and bar, office spaces, gym and restroom.

“This study showed that just a couple of heavily used surfaces … can quickly spread germs around a hotel lobby,” said Dr. Kelly Reynolds, an environmental scientist at the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health and researcher for the study. “Because so many people touch the same spots, germs can jump from hand to hand, to face, and even to food.”

We talked to experts about which hotel lobby surfaces are the germiest, types of viruses and bacteria that may be lurking, and how likely you are to get sick — plus what precautions you can take to avoid picking up a bug.

“The lobby is filled with all sorts of great hiding spots for germs, but to find the most germs, you need to look … at high-touch environmental surfaces,” Tetro explained.

So what is the most-touched site in the hotel lobby? The study found that the elevator button received about a third of all touches, Reynolds said.

Elevator buttons are “a central hub, serving as a super-spreader site … [because they connect] people to other parts of the lobby and [spread] germs easily,” she added.

The front desk counter ranked second for the most touches, followed by tabletops, bar tops and buffet countertops in food service areas.

“Because people tend to touch their mouths while eating, germs could easily travel from hands to food,” Reynolds said.

Entry door handles, such as from the parking garage into the lobby, are considered risky because germs can enter from the outside.

“Our study actually placed a harmless virus there to track how far it could travel, and it spread widely, impacting about half of all targeted surfaces,” she said.

Even though bathroom door handles weren’t touched as much as other areas, Reynolds noted they are still important to be aware of.

“People using the bathroom might not wash their hands well, which can spread harmful fecal bacteria,” Reynolds said.

Lastly, surfaces that are difficult to clean properly were also contaminated, like upholstered chairs in the lobby.

“Upholstered furniture is often overlooked during cleaning, and even when cleaned, [it] can be difficult to remove germs given the porous, protective nature of woven fabrics,” she pointed out.

“In any area, you’re going to see viruses that cause respiratory infections because people are coughing, wiping their nose with their hands, and touching things,” said Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection control officer for Tufts Medicine and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center. Think bugs like flu, RSV, COVID and the common cold.

Bacteria that cause food poisoning (such as salmonella and campylobacter) are more likely to be found in the food service areas or bathroom, she explained. Other gastrointestinal pathogens, like norovirus (commonly referred to as a “stomach bug”), are also more likely to be lurking in the bathroom.

“If you were to swab and culture … [hotel lobby] surfaces, you would [also] certainly find skin microbes such as Staphylococcus,” Tetro added.

This bacteria can cause staph infections that appear as skin boils. But if it enters deeper into your body, like in the bones, joints, bloodstream, heart or lungs, it can lead to severe or life-threatening illness, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Well, it depends on many factors, such as the type of germ, the hotel’s cleaning protocols and your immune system.

First of all, to actually get infected, there has to be a high enough amount of the bacteria or virus, which is called the “minimal infective dose.”

For example, “the amount you need to get sick [from norovirus] is one … E. coli is like 100,000 … flu is about 1,000 and COVID [or a] cold is about 50,” Tetro explained.

The hotel’s cleaning procedures for the lobby also matter. The study showed that “using effective disinfectants on high-touch surfaces can reduce infection risk by over 97%,” Reynolds said.

Even if you do pick up germs, your immune system may be able to fight them off before you get sick.

“Regular exercise, good sleep, nutritious food [and] stress management” are key for maintaining a healthy immune system, Doron explained. “People with compromised immune systems, from disease or medications, are [also] at higher risk of becoming sick after being exposed to pathogens.”

“When I’m in a hotel lobby, I might touch a lot of surfaces … [like] the credit card machine and elevator buttons, but I’m very careful not to touch my face without washing my hands,” Doron said. “So I consider my risk to be very low.”

Tetro recommended bringing a bottle of hand sanitizer with you everywhere. Make sure it contains 62-70% of ethanol, and use enough for your hands to feel wet for about 20 seconds as you’re rubbing it in, he advised.

Washing your hands with soap and water is also effective, as long as you’re doing it properly. You want to make sure you’re scrubbing for about 15 seconds to create enough friction, Doron said.

“A lot of people… will forget [to scrub] their fingertips, and that’s actually the first thing that contacts surfaces,” she added. “So, you don’t want to miss that … [and] between the fingers.”

It’s also important to remember to moisturize your hands regularly, especially when you’re doing a lot of handwashing, she said.

It “counteract[s] the drying effects of hand hygiene products,” she explained. “But [also] … having healthy, intact skin is important [to prevent] picking up infections.”

The bottom line: Even if you’ve touched an elevator button that hundreds of people have pressed before you, taking less than a minute to properly wash or sanitize your hands after can make all the difference.