Checking for unwanted quests shouldn’t be something that you need to worry about on holiday, but one hotel worker has warned that Brits must be vigilant while they are away.
The expert says that checking your hotel room for bed bugs should be a priority when you first arrive at your accommodation and that it’s easier to do it when the lights are out.
While it’s not very nice to have to think about creepy crawlies in your hotel room, the reality is that they can appear anywhere. Easily transferred from suitcases, bags, clothing and even hotel cleaning trolleys, nobody wants to share a room with these teeny terrors.
Halee, who uses the TikTok handle @haleewithaflair, explained that there is an easy way to catch them out before you make yourselves comfortable in your room.
The hotel worker says it simply involves turning the lights off when you step inside your room. While this may feel counterintuitive, it’s easier to spot bedbugs in a darker environment.
She said: “This is how I check my room before I unpack and get settled into the room. The first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure your room is dark. Turn off lights, close any shades and use the flashlight on your phone.
“While everything is off, you’re going to come up here under the covers.”
Demonstrating how tourists should check under the creases at the corner of their hotel bed, she explains: “They usually like to hang out in the corners and the creases,” adding “Even if you don’t see bugs, make sure you check for spots, like blood spots, because that’s not a good sign either.”
Halee recommended that tourists check for bed bugs before they unpack as bugs can slip into luggage, and that they should check curtains and upholstery too.
For anyone unlucky enough to find evidence of bed bugs in their hotel room, Haylee has a follow-up video advising tourists on how to take recourse.
She advises her followers to “take pictures and document everything. This includes making a note of the time that you checked in, room number everything”.
Halee then suggests that there are two routes available to disgusted hotel guests. She said: “If you first check in and check your room and you find a bedbug infestation, take pictures, make a note and take it back down to the front desk.”
She adds that most hotels will be able to move guests to a new room and “will give you your money back, more than likely”.
Anyone unlucky enough to find out the hard way and experience bug bites, should immediately gather up all their belongings and wrap them in plastic bags, before returning to the front desk to ask to be moved.
She recommends asking for a refund if one is not immediately offered. If you choose to stay, ask the hotel to wash your clothing in hot water for at least 30 minutes before it is returned to you.
Even the cleanest hotel room can be home to hidden nasties. Help prevent the spread by keeping your cases and bags off of beds, sofas and chairs whilst unpacking.