Bed bugs in hotel.

Imdunfer · 2026-09-05T07:09:00+00:00

I came back from a short stay in a budget hotel with bites all over me. Picture below (when it clears). I only mention budget not because it wasn't clean, it was, but because I didn't spend much money and I'm not looking for compensation. I've told the hotel but now I'm wondering if I should have told them I wanted some money back. I've already told them I don't, but what would you have done? IABU. I should have asked for a hefty refund IANBU Hotels everywhere are struggling with bed bug problems, it's not their fault.

user1471497170 · 05/09/2026 08:39

Have the bugs passed on to your clothes and home? Bedbugs are very serious and difficult to get rid of. I know because I work in social care. I would avoid budget hotels for this reason..Being compensated for your room is probably the least of your worries if you now have them in your home. You should have binned all your belongings and clothing before going home or in the car. I know this sound extreme. I sorry this has happened.

BrentfordForever · 05/09/2026 08:43

Why wouldn’t you ask for refund ?

you came back with a long term problem… so you spent your heard earned money to come back with crap ? Bear in mind you re likely to pay up a service to come get rid of them

don’t worry about what you told them already
id formally ask for refund PLUS the cost of the service to sort issue out

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 08:47

user1471497170 · 05/09/2026 08:39

Have the bugs passed on to your clothes and home? Bedbugs are very serious and difficult to get rid of. I know because I work in social care. I would avoid budget hotels for this reason..Being compensated for your room is probably the least of your worries if you now have them in your home. You should have binned all your belongings and clothing before going home or in the car. I know this sound extreme. I sorry this has happened.

I don't know yet, I'm picking up some really strong insecticide this morning and I'm going to be spraying everywhere they can have spread to.

I didn't know I'd been bitten until after I got home. Apparently it can take days for your system to react. I definitely had bites on my back as I was scratching it while I was away but I thought I just had an itch and didn't look in the mirror. It's a huge cluster of bites, much worse than my leg. I'm actually going to show it to the chemist this morning as it's getting more and more red.

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Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 08:49

BrentfordForever · 05/09/2026 08:43

Why wouldn’t you ask for refund ?

you came back with a long term problem… so you spent your heard earned money to come back with crap ? Bear in mind you re likely to pay up a service to come get rid of them

don’t worry about what you told them already
id formally ask for refund PLUS the cost of the service to sort issue out

Yes I think if I've managed to bring them home they're going to have to pay for cleaning up the house.

My brother brought some in once in a different house and we cleared them OK, so I'm hopeful. I know they are chemically resistant to pyrethrins, so I've got better stuff.

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whymadam · 05/09/2026 08:50

You get what you pay for. Lesson learned. Good luck, OP, you've got a big task ahead.

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 08:53

whymadam · 05/09/2026 08:50

You get what you pay for. Lesson learned. Good luck, OP, you've got a big task ahead.

I don't think this is true. I have read that hotels of all standards are struggling with bed bug problems.

And I've stayed in budget hotels all my life and not had this issue before.

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SassyLemonFish · 05/09/2026 08:56

whymadam · 05/09/2026 08:50

You get what you pay for. Lesson learned. Good luck, OP, you've got a big task ahead.

Disagree. This is serious. No one should have to accept bedbug bites.

Bedbugs are insecticide resistant. You need to wash all clothes at 60. Inspect your luggage. Don’t bring anything that has been in the hotel into your house.

Document everything: the photos of bites, receipts for hotel stay etc. Complain to the hotel in writing.

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 09:01

SassyLemonFish · 05/09/2026 08:56

Disagree. This is serious. No one should have to accept bedbug bites.

Bedbugs are insecticide resistant. You need to wash all clothes at 60. Inspect your luggage. Don’t bring anything that has been in the hotel into your house.

Document everything: the photos of bites, receipts for hotel stay etc. Complain to the hotel in writing.

Show quote history

Too late on not bringing anything into the house!

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FamBae · 05/09/2026 09:31

What was the hotels reaction op, were they mortified, did they say they would deal with the issue immediately. You really should report this to the local council's environmental health department, if they fail to take action they will be responsible for spreading them all over the country.
Edited to add, I'm sorry you're going through this, it must be a nighmare. 💐

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 14:56

Sent them a second message saying that I unless they acknowledge my first one and tell me that they have fumigated the room I will go public with my photos.

Which are now horrendous! I've got bites coming out all over me, even my face!, many of them infected, red, weeping and spreading.

I'll alert environmental health if they don't answer, and do a TripAdvisor warning.

The chemist was shocked. She's made me go onto flucloxacillin and antihistamines.

I've sprayed the house with a really strong bug buster, two chemicals, neither of them permethrin, and I've got my fingers crossed I've managed not to infect the house.

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Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 14:57

It's worse than this now!

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PurpleThistle7 · 05/09/2026 15:00

I think you have a major problem. Bed bugs are really, really hard to kill and you clearly have a horrible reaction to them. Are you sure it’s bedbugs? You need some professionals in asap

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 15:26

It's definitely bites you can see the hole in the middle of them. I can't think what else it can have been, it was while I was asleep or I would have seen them and felt them.

I have a very over reactive immune system which may account for the initial redness, but they're infected now. I've started the antibiotics and it's strong stuff, 4 times a day on an empty stomach, so I expect that will get on top of it.

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Pallisers · 05/09/2026 15:31

If you are still developing bites you have taken them home with you. you need to wash everything at a very high temp and put it through a high heat dry if you have a drier. and even then … ideally you would have stripped the minute you came home bagged and sealed every single item and heat treated it (or thrown it out)

even the best hotels struggle with bedbugs. bites on your face are unusual though. are you sure it is bedbugs?

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 05/09/2026 15:34

I thought they did a series of three bites
Your bites are huge and look really irritated.

If you can bear to look at photos , search up pictures of the bites
Good Luck

WhatNextImScared · 05/09/2026 15:36

How long have you been home? Have you unpacked your case yet? If not take everything straight to the washing machine, put it all on a 60 degrees wash and then into the tumble dryer, then steam clean your suitcase (leave it outside until you can do this - or just throw it away)

If you’ve already unpacked then fingers crossed!

WhatNextImScared · 05/09/2026 15:37

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 15:26

It's definitely bites you can see the hole in the middle of them. I can't think what else it can have been, it was while I was asleep or I would have seen them and felt them.

I have a very over reactive immune system which may account for the initial redness, but they're infected now. I've started the antibiotics and it's strong stuff, 4 times a day on an empty stomach, so I expect that will get on top of it.

It’s definitely bed bugs. My bites looked like that. Some people react badly. Some don’t react at all.

omghereistrouble · 05/09/2026 15:39

be careful all you will have bugs everywhere in your home
i read the other day about some poor folks in a nursing home near here that is rife with them

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 15:40

Pallisers · 05/09/2026 15:31

If you are still developing bites you have taken them home with you. you need to wash everything at a very high temp and put it through a high heat dry if you have a drier. and even then … ideally you would have stripped the minute you came home bagged and sealed every single item and heat treated it (or thrown it out)

even the best hotels struggle with bedbugs. bites on your face are unusual though. are you sure it is bedbugs?

This isn't necessarily the case. According to Google bites can days days and even up to 2 weeks to become obvious.

Neither adult bugs nor the juvenile state or the eggs are difficult to spot, and I can't find any evidence anywhere that I have brought them home.

The bites on my body are spot on for bed bug bites.

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Greengagesnfennel · 05/09/2026 15:42

I had this and a similar reaction. (Needed antibiotics too like you and I’m horribly allergic to bites in general). It was a reasonably posh hotel as well 4star so I don’t think you can necessarily say it is just because it was budget. I now check the mattress whereever I stay and keep my suitcase up high.

How do you know you brought them home? Have you seen them? I didn’t realise until after I had come back, but I still managed not to bring them home with me so you can get lucky. Fingers crossed for you that you have not got them at home.

Greengagesnfennel · 05/09/2026 15:43

You are absolutely right that bed bugs take time to develop. Mine did too - it doesn’t necessarily mean you have brought them home.

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 15:47

The guy in the shop assured me that he had sorted bed bugs with the stuff I bought. If I have brought them home then let's hope it works!

I know they're supposed to be a real problem but I got rid of some from a previous house 6 years ago that my brother brought in, and with the reports of how many hotels are getting them it's clear that lots of people must be taking them home but able to get rid of them without calling in Rentokill.

I'll let you know!

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DarkchocolateAndtea · 05/09/2026 15:48

You need a refund, it isn't acceptable to leave a hotel with bites like that.

Original poster

Imdunfer · 05/09/2026 15:49

Greengagesnfennel · 05/09/2026 15:42

I had this and a similar reaction. (Needed antibiotics too like you and I’m horribly allergic to bites in general). It was a reasonably posh hotel as well 4star so I don’t think you can necessarily say it is just because it was budget. I now check the mattress whereever I stay and keep my suitcase up high.

How do you know you brought them home? Have you seen them? I didn’t realise until after I had come back, but I still managed not to bring them home with me so you can get lucky. Fingers crossed for you that you have not got them at home.

This is good to know. I don't think I have brought them home, but I've sprayed as a precaution.

I don't think it's the hotel's fault but it will be if they don't react and fumigate the room.

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GaspingGekko · 05/09/2026 15:50

I'm not sure why some PPs are talking about it being a budget hotel thing. My leg was horrifically bitten by bed bugs in an expensive brand hotel a few weeks ago.

Did you put your suitcase on the bed at all? I've read that this is often how they end up taken home.
I was really nervous, left the suitcase outside, washed all clothes immediately on a hot cycle, and thankfully we don't seem to have them in our home. But we were only there for one night.

We let the hotel know so they could address the issue. I think it's worth considering asking for some compensation, especially if they are in your home now.