Attention, travellers! Here’s how to spot bed bugs in hotels - and what to do if you find them
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We've all had bad experiences with hotels before --- whether it's shabby rooms, terrible service, or tiny portions at the breakfast buffet.
But there's nothing worse than finding out that your supposedly clean and comfortable room is actually infested with bed bugs.
Just thinking about those little critters crawling all over you while you sleep is enough to make our skin crawl!
Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario is more common than you might think. Bed bugs are great at hiding in small cracks and crevices, and they can quickly spread from one person or place to another.
So how can you tell if your hotel room (or any other place you're staying overnight) has bed bugs?
Well, Halee has the answer!
Halee is a US-based hotel worker who has been in the industry for 15 years. She recently went viral on social media after explaining her simple method for checking whether a hotel room has bed bugs.
In a post uploaded on TikTok, she reshared another video of a horrified couple who found bed bugs, with the wife having tell-tale bite marks all over her arms and legs.
‘This is how you should check your hotel room before you even unpack.’ she said.
The first thing she recommends you do is to turn off all the lights in the room you’re in.
‘Close any shades, and use the flashlight on your phone,’ she added.
This is probably because bed bugs are nocturnal insects, meaning they’re most active at night.
But before you even think about it, don’t bother leaving the lights on all night if you think it would help deter bed bugs. The US Environmental Protection Agency says it won’t stop them at all.
Going back, once every light source is turned off, the next thing Halee says to do is go to the edge of the mattress where the covers are pinned.
‘Check all under the creases,’ she said, also pointing to the crevice where the bed meets the headboard.
Halee explained that bed bugs liked lurking in the corners of the mattress and creases in beds.
‘And also, pay attention if there’s a mattress pad too.’
Another thing to watch out for are small blood spots, which aren’t a good sign according to Halee.
Her post, viewed over a whopping five million times, also had thousands of reactions!
‘Hotels definitely need to step up their cleaning game,’ one user said.
‘I work in pest control and you’ll be shocked how many hotels have bed bugs.’ another shared.
Others also offered their tips to add to those Halee mentioned.
One user said: ‘(Check) under the tags of mattresses or mattress pads. They like to lay eggs there!’
‘I also always go on every review site and search “bugs” in the reviews for any hotel before I stay.’ shared another.
One user, who said she was a housekeeper, also described blood spots caused by bed bugs.
‘The blood spot will appear like little Xs or crosses! It’s really hard to miss!’
Er… anyone feeling itchy after reading this? Kidding!
Source: TikTok/@haleewithaflair
But what do you do if you ever find bedbugs in your hotel room?
Thankfully, Halee answered that question in another video! According to her, the first thing you do is document what you found.
In other words, take pictures and note other details like the time you did the inspection.
Next, proceed to the hotel’s front desk or contact staff and ask for another room.
‘Most hotel workers are going to give you your money back, more than likely, (and) personally go inspect another room (for you).’ she said.
‘But it all depends if it’s a good management company.’
If you find bed bugs in your room the ‘hard way’ — as in you wake up to find bite marks all over your body — Halee also has some advice.
‘The first thing you need to do is bag up all your stuff, put it inside plastic bags,’ she said. This is to preempt spreading the bugs to other places such as your car.
Like earlier, she also said it was likely you’d be getting your money back or be given a new room.
If ever you opt for a new room, Halee says bed bugs usually infest rooms above or below an infected one, so you’d be better off choosing new quarters the furthest away from the one you’re coming from.
If this article made you throw cautious glances at your bed, we apologise!
But as they say, better safe than sorry, especially when bed bugs are involved...
On the off chance you’re still up for another bed bug story, check out this one from a vacationing couple’s point of view.
You might also find this advice for cleaning your mattress useful!
So, what is your reaction to these tips from Halee? Have you had experiences with bed bugs in hotels? How did you deal with them?
Share your thoughts and experiences below!
Source: TikTok/@haleewithaflair
But there's nothing worse than finding out that your supposedly clean and comfortable room is actually infested with bed bugs.
Just thinking about those little critters crawling all over you while you sleep is enough to make our skin crawl!
Unfortunately, this nightmare scenario is more common than you might think. Bed bugs are great at hiding in small cracks and crevices, and they can quickly spread from one person or place to another.
So how can you tell if your hotel room (or any other place you're staying overnight) has bed bugs?
Well, Halee has the answer!
Halee is a US-based hotel worker who has been in the industry for 15 years. She recently went viral on social media after explaining her simple method for checking whether a hotel room has bed bugs.
In a post uploaded on TikTok, she reshared another video of a horrified couple who found bed bugs, with the wife having tell-tale bite marks all over her arms and legs.
Halee recommends checking beds’ nooks and crannies where bed bugs could squeeze in and hide. Credit: TikTok/@haleewithaflair
‘This is how you should check your hotel room before you even unpack.’ she said.
The first thing she recommends you do is to turn off all the lights in the room you’re in.
‘Close any shades, and use the flashlight on your phone,’ she added.
This is probably because bed bugs are nocturnal insects, meaning they’re most active at night.
But before you even think about it, don’t bother leaving the lights on all night if you think it would help deter bed bugs. The US Environmental Protection Agency says it won’t stop them at all.
Going back, once every light source is turned off, the next thing Halee says to do is go to the edge of the mattress where the covers are pinned.
‘Check all under the creases,’ she said, also pointing to the crevice where the bed meets the headboard.
Halee explained that bed bugs liked lurking in the corners of the mattress and creases in beds.
‘And also, pay attention if there’s a mattress pad too.’
Another thing to watch out for are small blood spots, which aren’t a good sign according to Halee.
Her post, viewed over a whopping five million times, also had thousands of reactions!
‘Hotels definitely need to step up their cleaning game,’ one user said.
‘I work in pest control and you’ll be shocked how many hotels have bed bugs.’ another shared.
Others also offered their tips to add to those Halee mentioned.
One user said: ‘(Check) under the tags of mattresses or mattress pads. They like to lay eggs there!’
‘I also always go on every review site and search “bugs” in the reviews for any hotel before I stay.’ shared another.
One user, who said she was a housekeeper, also described blood spots caused by bed bugs.
‘The blood spot will appear like little Xs or crosses! It’s really hard to miss!’
Er… anyone feeling itchy after reading this? Kidding!
Source: TikTok/@haleewithaflair
But what do you do if you ever find bedbugs in your hotel room?
Thankfully, Halee answered that question in another video! According to her, the first thing you do is document what you found.
In other words, take pictures and note other details like the time you did the inspection.
Next, proceed to the hotel’s front desk or contact staff and ask for another room.
‘Most hotel workers are going to give you your money back, more than likely, (and) personally go inspect another room (for you).’ she said.
‘But it all depends if it’s a good management company.’
If you find bed bugs in your room the ‘hard way’ — as in you wake up to find bite marks all over your body — Halee also has some advice.
‘The first thing you need to do is bag up all your stuff, put it inside plastic bags,’ she said. This is to preempt spreading the bugs to other places such as your car.
Like earlier, she also said it was likely you’d be getting your money back or be given a new room.
If ever you opt for a new room, Halee says bed bugs usually infest rooms above or below an infected one, so you’d be better off choosing new quarters the furthest away from the one you’re coming from.
If this article made you throw cautious glances at your bed, we apologise!
But as they say, better safe than sorry, especially when bed bugs are involved...
You might also find this advice for cleaning your mattress useful!
So, what is your reaction to these tips from Halee? Have you had experiences with bed bugs in hotels? How did you deal with them?
Share your thoughts and experiences below!
Source: TikTok/@haleewithaflair
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