Bed bugs in £180 hotel room!
- Thread starter bainbridge
- Start date
Me too..
Have you complained to the Hotel? Had a bad experience with a Premier Inn, a few months back, and didn't have to pay a penny.
Isn't that what they aim for?
Caporegime
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Soldato
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Missing something here, are you saying they're rubbish overall ?
Its just one of those things. Hotels are pretty grim regardless of the room price - it's a bed that hundreds of other humans have slept in!
Sounds like the hotel are sorting it out as best they can. When I was a bit younger and travelling around Australia, I stayed in a hostel that turned out to be riddled with bed bugs. At first I thought it was mosquitos in the room, and by the time we figured it out I had 137 bites on me (that we could count). The hostel owners gave me new sheets and the nickname "Bed Bugs" for the rest of my stay....
Sounds like the hotel are sorting it out as best they can. When I was a bit younger and travelling around Australia, I stayed in a hostel that turned out to be riddled with bed bugs. At first I thought it was mosquitos in the room, and by the time we figured it out I had 137 bites on me (that we could count). The hostel owners gave me new sheets and the nickname "Bed Bugs" for the rest of my stay....
Soldato
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My manager came into work the other week visible swelling from bites on her face and wrist. Off to a local walk in clinic she went as the area of itching was enlarging, the bites had caused infectikn and she needed a week of anti biotics. Nasty little bed bugses.
Like I said earlier.
Hotels are one of those life experiences that one doesn't really want to think about too hard.
If you did, you simply wouldn't do it!
(There is a reason why Blackpool landlady's traditionally wrap their B&B mattresses in heavy duty polythene!)
My big concern is not getting bitten as such, it is whether or not the little critters can pass on blood borne diseases.
(You know, HIV, Hepatitis, Malaria, whatever)
We have been told that there is no risk, but then it is not like Governments dont tell porkies to serve the "greater good" from time to time is it.
Id expect them to pay for replacement clothes and luggage as you cant really take them home now. Also a free stay tho preferably a different site than where you were as if they were in that one room chances are there in others. Take photos or video of the one you caught and video the bed to find more in the usual places like bed, drawers, near plug outlets etc. Incase u need more evidence to make a claim of sorts.
If you say your a blogger for hotels or somit they might do more to keep you from spreading news of this.
If you want to keep your clothes ask them for a courtesy clean using a tumble drier on very high heat as this is the best way to kill them and their eggs. Not sure what temp but u can find out by googling and make sure they do it at the right temp and maybe more than once to be double sure. Cant put luggage in so will need to get new luggage.
If itching try a some of that calamine lotion if its good for chicken poxs itching it should be good for bites.
If you say your a blogger for hotels or somit they might do more to keep you from spreading news of this.
If you want to keep your clothes ask them for a courtesy clean using a tumble drier on very high heat as this is the best way to kill them and their eggs. Not sure what temp but u can find out by googling and make sure they do it at the right temp and maybe more than once to be double sure. Cant put luggage in so will need to get new luggage.
If itching try a some of that calamine lotion if its good for chicken poxs itching it should be good for bites.
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I had this at Heathrow Premier inn, I also caught one in a glass and presented it to reception. They refunded the night which is not much use when work are paying. I binned my clothes/rucksack and laptop bag and made work buy new.
Every hotel I stay in now my bags are hooked on the bathroom door or shelf way out of the way.
Every hotel I stay in now my bags are hooked on the bathroom door or shelf way out of the way.
OP, be very careful when you go home as you want to avoid taking the bed bugs home with you.
When you get home, take everything off, cover everything up in bin-bags and keep them away from where you sleep.
You will need to heat treat everything as IIRC only temperature over 60C will kill them, so wash/tumble your possessions as needed.
Alternatively, you could go as above and just bin everything and start over.
EDIT:
Bed bugs are absolutely no indicator of poor hygiene. All it takes is for one person to have unknowingly stayed somewhere with them and transferred them. Indeed, someone could have stayed in an adjoining room and the bugs have travelled through outlets or towards where other people were sleeping. Most people don't even react to the bites, so they may be blissfully unaware.
The hotel IMO should refund you the night, preferably also the cost to replace your belongings and they will also need to treat the hotel itself.
When you get home, take everything off, cover everything up in bin-bags and keep them away from where you sleep.
You will need to heat treat everything as IIRC only temperature over 60C will kill them, so wash/tumble your possessions as needed.
Alternatively, you could go as above and just bin everything and start over.
EDIT:
Bed bugs are absolutely no indicator of poor hygiene. All it takes is for one person to have unknowingly stayed somewhere with them and transferred them. Indeed, someone could have stayed in an adjoining room and the bugs have travelled through outlets or towards where other people were sleeping. Most people don't even react to the bites, so they may be blissfully unaware.
The hotel IMO should refund you the night, preferably also the cost to replace your belongings and they will also need to treat the hotel itself.
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Back home now.
The hotel moved us to another room, gave us another night as a complimentary stay and also a full refund for the night I'd paid for. Our breakfasts and dinners were wiped off the bill, as was the minibar, room snacks etc. They are also going to be inviting us back for another free stay.
Regarding the little critters, the housekeeping manager gave me an update as we were checking out and she was arranging the refund:
They got the pest people in on the Saturday. They took the headboard off the wall and opened the power outlets looking for them. After taking apart the bed base a small colony of a dozen or so were found (I'd already caught one for them in a glass
) in a corner. The bed base was disposed of as was the bedding. The room was 'fogged' and the rooms above, below and either side were searched too. The room will remain sealed for a month, in a fortnight the pest controller will come back and fog again.
As for our own stuff:
We bagged up all our stuff in bin bags, gf's little carry on suitcase went in a bin bag which was tied up, as was my rucksack. Our leather jackets went into a bin bag and got tied up, I'll take the jackets to the cleaners and the hotel has agreed to reimburse us.
On the way home I bought an insecticide kit from a pet shop, there were only 2 products which specifically said they kill bed bugs and I bought a kit which consists of 2 foggers, some powder and a spray. When we got home, before we entered the house, I put 2 poles across the inside of the garage roof, hung all our clothes up and also used a stepladder to hang all our undies and shoes from. All the empty bin bags went in another bag and were binned. The suitcase and rucksack were sprayed all over with the insecticide spray, getting it right into the seams and zips which is where the bed bugs hide, apparently. These were then also hung up from the roof.
Both the foggers where then set out below the hanging items and lit, the garage was then shut and left for about four hours (the instructions say minimum 2 hours). Before I completely shut the up-and-over door I knelt and had a little spy, all the clothes were completely enveloped in a foul smelling grey smoke.
Before entering the house I sprayed the insecticide all over my shoes, which remain in the porch. The clothes I'd changed into back at the hotel could all survive a hot wash, so I undressed in the kitchen and they went straight into the washing machine. The floor was then wiped over.
When the garage was later opened all the smoke was gone, but the clothes stank with an acrid chemical smell. These then went straight into the washing machine. The suitcase and rucksack are still damp with insecticide and remain in the garage drying out.
So although it cannot be guaranteed that I've not infected the house, we've had a good go at stopping them from getting in. Time will tell!
The hotel moved us to another room, gave us another night as a complimentary stay and also a full refund for the night I'd paid for. Our breakfasts and dinners were wiped off the bill, as was the minibar, room snacks etc. They are also going to be inviting us back for another free stay.
Regarding the little critters, the housekeeping manager gave me an update as we were checking out and she was arranging the refund:
They got the pest people in on the Saturday. They took the headboard off the wall and opened the power outlets looking for them. After taking apart the bed base a small colony of a dozen or so were found (I'd already caught one for them in a glass
) in a corner. The bed base was disposed of as was the bedding. The room was 'fogged' and the rooms above, below and either side were searched too. The room will remain sealed for a month, in a fortnight the pest controller will come back and fog again.As for our own stuff:
We bagged up all our stuff in bin bags, gf's little carry on suitcase went in a bin bag which was tied up, as was my rucksack. Our leather jackets went into a bin bag and got tied up, I'll take the jackets to the cleaners and the hotel has agreed to reimburse us.
On the way home I bought an insecticide kit from a pet shop, there were only 2 products which specifically said they kill bed bugs and I bought a kit which consists of 2 foggers, some powder and a spray. When we got home, before we entered the house, I put 2 poles across the inside of the garage roof, hung all our clothes up and also used a stepladder to hang all our undies and shoes from. All the empty bin bags went in another bag and were binned. The suitcase and rucksack were sprayed all over with the insecticide spray, getting it right into the seams and zips which is where the bed bugs hide, apparently. These were then also hung up from the roof.
Both the foggers where then set out below the hanging items and lit, the garage was then shut and left for about four hours (the instructions say minimum 2 hours). Before I completely shut the up-and-over door I knelt and had a little spy, all the clothes were completely enveloped in a foul smelling grey smoke.
Before entering the house I sprayed the insecticide all over my shoes, which remain in the porch. The clothes I'd changed into back at the hotel could all survive a hot wash, so I undressed in the kitchen and they went straight into the washing machine. The floor was then wiped over.
When the garage was later opened all the smoke was gone, but the clothes stank with an acrid chemical smell. These then went straight into the washing machine. The suitcase and rucksack are still damp with insecticide and remain in the garage drying out.
So although it cannot be guaranteed that I've not infected the house, we've had a good go at stopping them from getting in. Time will tell!
Yeah they are a real pain and hotel reacted as expected so no need to name and shame since it very rarely has anything to do with a cleanliness in a first place. Normally brought in from the outside and could take a while before they are spotted which unfortunately also happens to be by guests.
We only ever had one confirmed case in a hotel that I worked in outside of Chicago Midway airport and they were brought in by aircrew as there was a big epidemic going on in New York at the time. Absolute pain for hotels as we basically shut the room down for minimum of 48 hours, get a very expensive specialist to come out to disassemble a lot of things in the room and use the right chemicals and throw out the bed base along with the mattress. As a precaution also take rooms either side out of service as well as those below and above so in essence it shut down 5 rooms. Nothing goes back into service until said specialist also checks other rooms and certainly also a pain for guests who need to make sure not to bring them home.
We only ever had one confirmed case in a hotel that I worked in outside of Chicago Midway airport and they were brought in by aircrew as there was a big epidemic going on in New York at the time. Absolute pain for hotels as we basically shut the room down for minimum of 48 hours, get a very expensive specialist to come out to disassemble a lot of things in the room and use the right chemicals and throw out the bed base along with the mattress. As a precaution also take rooms either side out of service as well as those below and above so in essence it shut down 5 rooms. Nothing goes back into service until said specialist also checks other rooms and certainly also a pain for guests who need to make sure not to bring them home.
Full credit to the hotel for dealing with it properly to be honest. Actually naming them now would work in their favour. Full marks.
You just can't do anything about some people bringing an infestation in. They don't import these bugs for fun...
You just can't do anything about some people bringing an infestation in. They don't import these bugs for fun...
Don
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Hope you get all the little blighters!
Hotel doing great work!
Hotel doing great work!