Bed Bugs?

[bellesie]

Has anyone heard anything recently about bed bugs? I was on Trip Advisor and one hotel guest mentioned that she was bitten up pretty bad in a hotel in Puerto Rico and assumed it was bed bugs. Surprisingly, the manager of the hotel read her response and had called an exterminator, etc. and found that there were no bed bugs, but that she had probably been bitten up by no-seeums on the beach.

Upon reading a recent review of the Westin Rio Mar (where I am staying next month), another reviewer claimed that she had a bunch of bites, had only been in her bed and the one in the hotel, and when she got home, had gone to the dermatologist and he told her that she had been bitten by bed bugs.

The whole thought of this completely grosses me out! I'm sure if I called the hotel they'd tell me they don't have a problem. To add to my paranoia there was recently an article, I believe on CNN.com, that mentioned these creatures are gaining popularity again. I definitely don't want to bring them home.

Any thoughts/suggestions on how I could check it out before I check in?

[WillTravel]

I'm trying not to worry about this too much, but bedbug incidents are definitely on the rise.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10987651/

I've heard you can take a flashlight, lift the bedding, and see the bugs scurry away - if they're there.

For an idea of what hotels are said to have them, take a look at this search:

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=bedbug...le+Search&meta=

[thesqueegeekid]

:) I've got itches just from reading/thinking about this ... I've had one experience with this ... a hotel I was working at in ABQ .... client complained one night .... went the to room, pulled the cover and hundreds of them running all over the bed. I came back a few mins later with a vacuum and couldn't find even one of them. Once they disappear ... they're nowhere to be found???

Only one complaint ever ... and we did nothing about it? :)

[ufjoe21]

this is one of those things that's hard to control

best thing to do is always go with a reputable hotel chain, 2* or better to avoid bed bugs

unfortunately, it can happen in the fanciest hotels if there's not proper cleaning,etc.

but it's more prevalent in motels and cheaper hotels for sure.........

you'll worry yourself too death about things like this if you think about it too much

[WillTravel]

The worst thing is that you can take these bugs home with you. Then exterminating your home is a tedious, laborious, and expensive process. I get the willies just thinking about the prospect; I hope it never happens to me.

Hotels should wash the sheets at 155 F. to kill bedbugs. But that won't solve the problem with the bugs living in the mattresses.

From what I've read, bedbugs are frequently occurring in 4* and 5* places too.

SqueegeeKid, you should look up that hotel on TripAdvisor and see if anyone has written a complaint about it yet!

[thesqueegeekid]

SqueegeeKid, you should look up that hotel on TripAdvisor and see if anyone has written a complaint about it yet!

Just checked ... only two perfect reviews... I was there for 3 months ... only had the problem once?

[bellesie]

Guess I'll be bringing a flashlight and inspecting! The Westin is a 4*, and plenty of people stay/write reviews for that place on Trip Advisor, so I'm hoping it's not true as there's just the one review. I travel frequently for work and haven't had an issue, but I guess I'll start looking now! Itchy just thinking about it! :)

It would be terrible to bring them home, read some of the TA reviews and it's horrible how hotels (are claimed to) ignore this information!

[aeros]

Bed bugs is on the list of the things that you don't want to see in your hotel room. This just freaks me out because I also experienced the same incident. I think Hotel Managers nowadays are being irresponsible, they will even make up some story just to escape this kind of issue.

[LoneStar]

Well, I think I have something to add to this topic. :)

In November, I stayed at the Westin Rio Mar for 3 nights. I then stayed elsewhere on the island for another 5 nights. Toward the end of my trip, I noticed some pretty severe itching around my ankles, like I had some really bad mosquito bites. But they weren't mosquito bites.

I did some research into this and found that Puerto Rican beaches are infested with a type of flea. Sure enough, the itching I experienced occurred the day after I spent several hours lying on the beach.

So the bottomline is that I think you can go to the Westin without worrying too much about bed bugs. I'd also mention that housekeeping at the hotel seemed quite good. But, obviously, I'll read future reports. :)

[leighne]

Guests should tell this things to the manager right away. There is even a much serious cases like for example stolen things while they were out. If the manager still insist that its not their problem anymore you must report it to police.

[bellesie]

Happy to report, no bed bugs at the Westin Rio Mar PR. :) No seeums on the beach, different story... :)

[LoneStar]

Happy to report, no bed bugs at the Westin Rio Mar PR. :o No seeums on the beach, different story... :)

Yeah, as I mentioned earlier, it's "beach bugs" and not "bed bugs" that are likely to be a problem for you in Puerto Rico. :)

If anyone knows an effective spray or lotion to avoid them, I'd sure like to know for the next time.

[dave B]

Bellesie

I'm glad you did not get bedbugs. I was not so fortunate. The Westin Rio Mar will live in infamy for me. I was badly bitten by bed bugs when I was there. The dermatologist here in New York diagnosed a severe bedbug assault. I had to go on prescription medication and it was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my lifetime. I wasn't able to sleep for 3 nights due to severe itching. It was clearly bed bugs and not fleas - I was covered in sets of 3's (bedbugs bite you 3 times leaving a characteristic bite pattern called 'breakfast lunch and dessert') with a total of several hundred bites. To top it off the management was unappologetic and refused to even refund me my hotel bill for the week! Instead they offered me a free 3 night stay - AS IF I WOULD GO BACK! I told them where they could shove that offer.

I also know for a fact that the Puerto Rico Department of Health visited the hotel - I have a contact here in New York so I got a copy of the report - unfortunately it does not say if they inspected the rooms - in the report they state "They made recommendations according to the standard procedure to the hotel. At this moment the hotel is improving these recommendations. [sic]"

Anyone who intends to stay there would be wise to reconsider. I was lucky in that I did not bring any bugs home with me but I imagine others were not as lucky as I. On my return I discarded a number of personal items that I had with me in Puerto Rico.

[bellesie]

Dave B! What an awful experience- to be breakfast, lunch and dessert! :) I am very glad that I was fortunate enough to avoid them then. Got plenty bitten up, but I was definitely attacked at the beach in the evening. Amazing, they offered 3 free nights where that you were tormented... I'd have told them to shove it too! Glad I didn't read your review before I went, but I was definitely checking the mattresses.