That guests and their opinion reign supreme is the unwritten rule that everyone in the tourist business adheres to. However, in some hotels this rule is taken so literally that it has led to rather extreme situations.

For instance, the Westin Hotel in San Francisco has had a “coin shiner” on its payroll since 1935. This job was created so ladies’ gloves wouldn’t be soiled by dirty coins. Even today, in the age of credit cards, the coin shiner says he has his hands full.

The heaps of volcanic ash to be found in the vicinity of Wilkinson Springs in California have created a need for the profession of “mud manager”. He collects and purify the volcanic ash, adds water from a local mineral spring and Canadian turf to get the curative mud that makes this place so famous in the US.

Another odd habit, now fairly customary in luxury hotels around the world is ironing newspapers so the guests won’t end up with ink-stained fingers. There are many other unusual jobs besides these that are certainly not commonplace in hotels but could one day become a real attraction for tourists.