Arranging pink toilet paper, sex toys, wedding proposals and freezer space for embryos is all in a day's work for hotel manager Karen Sainsbury.
As general manager of the Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific and with two decades of experience in the industry, Sainsbury is no stranger to whacky requests and bizarre complaints made by hotel guests.
"I have had people that have wanted to check in with their animals and want us to look after their animals," says Sainsbury.
"I've had people that have expected us to babysit their children.
"Being right on the beach, you are asked a lot about predicting the weather so 'what's it going to be like tomorrow' ... 'what are you going to do if it's not sunny'."
According to the recently released annual Novotel Survey, collected from staff at 30 Novotel hotels and resorts in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji which accommodate approximately 1.87 million guests annually, it seems hotels attract weirdos like moths to a light.
That, or people staying in hotels develop a demanding sense of entitlement because they are paying for their stay, with one guest complaining to hotel staff because a bird pooped on her while she was at the pool.
Another guest complained that she shouldn't have to pay for her oceanview room at the Novotel Sydney Manly Pacific because it rained during her stay, while a man asked to be moved because his wife had an allergy - to noise.
There are also strange food requests with one guest insisting they could only eat free range potatoes, one man complaining his soup was too thick, only to find he was eating a bowl of gravy, another guest requesting a coke and white wine spritzer and one asking for prawns in their chocolate mousse.
Then there is the guest that boiled eggs in the kettle (they exploded) or another that requested help getting their vegetables out of the microwave, although they had actually locked them in the safe.
According to Gaynor Reid, Media Relations Manager for Accor Hotels, operators of the Novotel brand, the bizarre behaviour and requests are due to people letting their hair down because they are not at home.
"I think the great thing about hotels is that they allow guests to be and behave however they wish to because they are often travelling in a different city or country and what goes on behind closed doors is their own business," Reid says.
"People don't just pay for the hotel room they pay for the experience they can have at the hotel.
"For women, I think we are more likely to be messy in hotels because it's the one time we can let someone else pick up after us, whereas at home women are more likely to do most of the cleaning up.
"Working in a hotel provides an insight into human behaviour in all its guises.
"There's stuff that goes on behind the Do Not Disturb signs that is really quite disturbing." Reid says staff often catch couples "getting romantic" in stairwells, elevators, spas and fire hose cupboards and room service staff commonly report being flashed when delivering meals.
According to Sainsbury, the funniest requests come in overnight.
"I've had people that have asked for things like the elevator to be locked off for them so they can have access to the elevator with their partner.
"I've had people that, you know, you do get asked for assistance with locating a partner for them, as in dialing a brothel.
"We've had requests for certain types of equipment that they might want to add in to spice up their evening ... handcuffs and all sorts of bits and pieces.
"One of the funniest things I've ever seen is a business man checking in ... this man had a beard and a suit on when he checked in and 10 minutes later he walked back out past reception in a dress, handbag and high heel shoes still with his beard."
Sainsbury says that while staff are able to fulfil most requests, there are things they cannot control, like the weather, the insects, the sound of the ocean (for guests that have booked oceanview rooms) or the sticky sand on the beach - all common complaints.
"We can make sure their room is beautiful and clean and we've got someone to smile and look after you every step of the way but we can't control the weather," says Sainsbury.
But Reid insists, no matter how weird the request or unreasonable the complaint, the customer is always right.
