“The bed was alive”: Woman issues warning after horror hotel stay
An Australian woman has issued a warning to fellow travellers after she was attacked by bed bugs during a mini holiday with a friend.
Justine Martin and Anna McLean were heading out for a getaway to the Gold Coast following Melbourne’s tough lockdowns last year and checked into a “resort-style” hotel after their long trip.
As the pair were about to fall asleep, Justine said she felt a “crawling sensation” on her neck.
“I noticed the sheets were a little bit sandy down at the feet end, and it was very late by the time we got there, so I tried to drift off,” she told 9Honey.
“I was lying there tossing and turning, and I could hear Anna scratching. Next thing, I felt something crawling on me.”
When she brushed against her face, Justine realised something was biting her neck - a tiny bed bug.
“I turned on the light and there was a wine glass sitting on the side table, so I popped it in the wine glass,” she recalled.
“Then we got out the bed and pulled the sheets back… and the bed was alive.”
The Victorian women were shocked to find that both of the single beds were covered in dozens of the bugs, while the “sand” Justine thought she could feel at the end of the bed turned out to be sprinklings of bed bug excrement.
Justine and Anna found bed bugs and their excrement in their hotel rooms while on a holiday in Queensland. Image: 9Honey
After alerting the night manager, Justine and Anna were moved to a new hotel room - only to find that the queen bed within was just as infested with bed bugs.
“We pulled back the sheets, and it was full of bed bugs as well,” Justine said. “The whole place was infested.
“We both had showers to wash bugs off our skin, and I have long black hair so I was worried it was going to get into my scalp.”
Fortunately their clothes were still packed away, protected from the tiny bugs.
With two strikes against their current hotel, the pair were determined to salvage their holiday, demanding a refund and checking into an expensive hotel along the beach.
“We lost a whole day, we slept for most of the Friday and had to do our washing,” Justine added.
“I’m not being a snob, it shouldn’t matter what you’re paying for a motel or hotel room, the quality of the room should be 100 percent and it should be clean.
“Now when I go into a hotel, the first thing I do is pull up the sheets and look for any signs of bed bugs… their excrement or stains on the mattress, because bed bugs will be hiding during the day.”
According to bed and sleep expert Darren Nelson, December through February are common months to find bed bugs. With increased travel during this period, the bed bugs are able to spread from holiday homes, hotels and campsites to bedrooms at home.
As for how to combat them, Mr Nelson suggests keeping bedding and sheets clean, and washing sheets separately from clothes to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
“Most people wash their sheets every week or two - but forget about their pillow and doona, going months if not years, between washes,” he explained.
“These are the breeding ground not only for bed bugs, but for dust mites.”
Image: 9Honey / news.com.au