4. Used Hotel Soaps (Replay)

How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? Zachary Crockett gets pyrotechnical. SOURCES:Alex Zoldan, vice president of Phantom Fireworks. RESOURCES:Phantom Fireworks 2025 Wholesale Price List."The Explosive Growth Of The Fire ... Show More

Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood. RESOURCES:"Private Equity Wants to Wash Your Car," by Miriam Gottfried (The Wall Street Journal, 2022)."California Labor Commissioner Recovers $282,0 ... Show More

Americans take more than 20 billion elevator rides every year — and keeping them safe is an expensive proposition. Zachary Crockett makes small talk. SOURCES:Frank Christensen, president of the International Union of Elevators Constructors.Shannon Moore, service mechanic for the ... Show More

Hotel guests adore those cute little soaps, but is it just a one-night stand? In our fourth episode of The Economics of Everyday Things, Zachary Crockett discovers what happens to those soaps when we love ’em and leave ’em. 

Hotels are notoriously haunted locations. So it's no wonder that it’s the chosen setting for many movies and urban legends.  Every single day, people come and go through the lobby - and some never truly leave. In this week’s episode, we’ll be exploring some hotels with guests who ... Show More

“Hotels edge out because sometimes hotels got a pool, hotels got a gym, hotels have a bar. A hotel can have a business center which is just a room with a printer.” - Dulcé Sloan “There are some places that you want to go where the hotel is going to be quite a drive from where you ... Show More

Is there anything creepier than finding a dead body in your hotel room? Whether you believe they're haunted or not, some hotels have stains that can't be cleaned. Alaina and Ash check into hotels linked to cases of mob hits, arson, and mysterious disappearances. Learn more about ... Show More

It's not haunted, it's not hell, it's... The Hotel!From grand 5 star resorts down to forgotten highway motels, each night a guest checks in under the watchful eye of the Manager, her Lobby Boy, and the Owner, as they usher in a fantastic and horrifying death for the Hotel Herself ... Show More

r/Askreddit Have you ever wondered what kind of crazy, horrible, scary, and sexy things happen at hotels? The hotel workers in today's story reveal the craziest secrets of the hotel industry. We've got stories about adult entertainment workers, illegal substances, human trafficki ... Show More

This week on Sibling Rivalry, Bob catches us up on their toupée journey, Monét and Bob fight about the Apple Store, and we find out what hotels are the best and which ones are the absolute worst. Tune in to hear Bob and Monét's takes on hotel sex, Grindr hookups, and reducing you ... Show More

In the newest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network, host Zachary Crockett explores the hidden side of the things around us. This week: One creature’s trash is another’s cash. (Or, how one man found profit in pee.)