Travel advisory about staying at the Holiday Inn New York City Midtown 57th Street. They placed us in a room infested with bed bugs and we were eaten alive.
First of all, I wanted to say how sorry you are you had that experience. It obviously was quite a horrible thing to have happen to you, especially on vacation.
I did want to say something, however.
As a front office employee of a major hotel--one with a higher rack rate than the Holiday Inn Midtown, I have to say that while your experience was unfortunate, it's not unheard of in the industry. Obviously no one wants to be put in the situation, but no matter how stringent your housekeeping policies or pest control regimen, pests happen. In the course of a year, an average hotel room is occupied by approximately 115 different parties. The fact that an experience like yours is as very rare as it is is a testament to how much hotels do care about cleanliness and the health of their guests.
Don't get me wrong--I'm not saying what happened to you is right, or discounting your experience in any way, but I'm not sure the website is quite fair in that first, you represent an entire chain of hotels in your URL (do all Holiday Inns have bedbugs? I don't work for them, but I wouldn't hazard to think so) and you were compensated by having your stay comped. I don't know how long you were a guest of the hotel, but that could range anywhere from paltry to significant, I suppose. The hotel didn't know that the room had bedbugs--bedbugs, as is their nature, are very small bugs that imbed in mattresses, carpet, and pillows. They are not easily vacuumed, and are extremely hard to spot unless you have the bad fortune of having them on you. Bedbugs are not the result of housekeeping negligence, and they are fairly immune to most pre-existing forms of pest control.
The people responsible are the guests before you, inadvertantly or not. Lack of cleanliness or irresponsible bag storage can inflict bedbugs on anyone. It's unfortunate, but it happens. It's not your fault. It's not the hotel's fault. I just think that by compensating you for your stay, the hotel did their part to try to make good on what really is an unfortunate accident. It just happened to take place in a hotel, as opposed to an airport waiting lounge or a movie theater. All chain hotels in the United States undergo inspection. All of them are required to have pest control on a regular basis. This, without exception that I've seen, is followed stringently.
Again, it looks like you had a miserable time of it, but I just think that basing a website (albeit small) on the experience while using the name of Holiday Inn is inherently unfair. I'm sure it won't matter in the big scheme of things at all, but on principle, it seems a bit like a potshot.
Holiday Inn Salina, KS has bed bugs. After speaking with a clerk from the Holiday Inn-Salina I found that their hotel indeed does have bed bugs. The management has treated the situation terribly and we will never stay at a Holiday Inn again. We are now trying to fight the bed bug invasion in our home. Our arms and face looked exactly like their photos.
Days Inn Downtown Nashville, TN -- gross -- yes, BEDBUGS.
I stay in a different hotel every night - 250 days out of the year. Over the course of my current career, about 5 years, I've had bites on three occasions.
My most recent attack of bug bites was about a week ago in Nashville, TN at the Days Inn downtown.
I hadn't realized what was going on until I found your website. The rest of the hotel stays that I did not get bit at, were hotels that are clean and well taken care of.
Any hotel I stay in that might be questionable, I will sleep fully clothed. I know its a bit uncomfortable, but well worth it. Most of the time I do not have the time to seek out other accommodation's. The times that I have tried, these dirty hotels would not refund my stay.
Also, if the room air conditioning won't get cold enough, I'll get a different room. Often, it seems, that mold and insects stay away from properly chilled and filtered air. And if a room has had a working AC unit, the risk of mold and bugs seems to be lower.
Thanks for your website. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is anything guests can do to demand a properly sanitized and safe room.
I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Parsippany, NJ, a week ago and I think I may have brought home some bed bugs, because my family is suddenly getting bit by bites that look like those in the pictures you took. I really hope it's something else, but I'm afraid it's not. I've looked at other sites, and they suggest looking under the mattress and behind the headboard of any hotel room you stay in, because that is where the bugs are likely to be found. Look for small brownish flat bugs without wings, along with their fecal matter in cracks, seams of mattresses and the like. The bugs bite most commonly about an hour before dawn, and can be spotted with a flashlight.
I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in La Junta CO early last week. I came back with itching on my arm and this past Tues, I have 2 groups of itchy red pustules. I called the hotel and they said that the checked the room and didn't find anything. However, I am sure that I was breakfast, luch and dinner in La Junta! Yuck!!
I was breakfast, lunch and dinner for over 20 bed bugs at the Holiday inn express on Major Blvd in Orlando. On top of it the AC unit was not working and there was a fire smell in my room. How can those hotel stay in business if this is the way they are managed?
We stayed at the Waterloo, NY Holiday inn, over thanksgiving this year, 2008, and lo and behold, a week later we are bitten up and down AT HOME from bedbugs. Tonight I cleaned our bedroom for 8 hours and they were all over the place. its disgusting. Please warn Western NY travelers if they go to this meth-user's paradise to try another hotel! In fact, I never will stay in a hotel for the next 5 years I think! This sucks!!!
We got bed bites from the Holiday Inn Select in Memphis. THEY MADE US PAY FOR THE ROOM! This is the worst hotel I have ever been in. Staff was rude, rooms not really clean,Bathrooms very small, rooms come with earplugs and free bedbugs.
Just got back from the Holiday Inn Midtown and thought I'd google it for a bed bug link because the kids have bites all over their legs. I have washed everything and vacuumed out the suitcases and hope we haven't brought them home with us. The room was horrible!
RE: Holiday Inn and Suites at Fountain Hills, AZ 12800 N. SAGUARO BLVD. FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA 85268 UNITED STATES Hotel Front Desk: 480-837-6565 Hotel Fax: 480-837-5252
My friend and I stayed at this hotel with my two cats. After they changed the sheets I woke up with 15 to 20 bites on my neck, my friend had bites all over her chest. There was a dead bug on the pillow (took pictures). We notified owner/manager Gary Lvov who stated they did not have any bug problems and kept blaming the fountain hills fountain. Gary Lvov falsely claimed we were bitten at the fountain (surely the story they use on everyone). Meanwhile my cats, which never visited the fountain, itched and scratched continually and one of them in fact now has a secondary skin infection from the constant itching. After we checked out, within 5 minutes the cats had diarrhea , took them to the vet and they found round worm. In addition to the parasite they got at Holiday Inn, the constant itching reaction they had to the bed bug bites has caused one of them to have a secondary skin infection and severe hair loss. To date my cats have been to the vet 5 times since our checkout on 07-05-11 ( today is 07-29-11). Because of our stay in Holiday Inn my cats have round worm, a bacterial skin infection and a urinary tract infection. I have all documents supporting all health problems from parasites, bacteria, fungus etc. were contracted during our stay at Holiday Inn. Today is both of my cats first birthday, this is how they get to celebrate it. They will need to be on medication for 6 months just for the round worm. To date vet bills are over $500 and doctor bills over $100. We were diagnosed with “bed bug bites” by my family doctor (signed doctored documents are available for your review). I provided the hotel and their insurance with all doctor and vet notes, all doctor and vet bills and invoices, pictures of the bug on the pillow with the “Holiday Inn” sign, pictures of the multiple bites on all of us, recorded conversations with Gary (manager/owner) and despite all evidence and doctor and vet bills and invoices and they have the colossal nerve to claim they have no bedbugs and we cannot prove it. It is proven and undisputable they have unsanitary conditions, including bed bugs. Please also be advised I had just had a biopsy and needed a clean comfortable environment. I went to stay at this hotel because the air conditioners at my house were not working, the exposure to such unsanitary conditions could have caused me a severe and serious infection at the biopsy site, thankfully the surgical tape I had on prevented this. I am still needing additional test results to see if I also contracted round worm at that hotel or any other parasite.
The public health department has already been notified and an investigation has already initiated, our credit card company has been notified, priceline has been notified and we are now in the process of notifying the Attorney General, District Attorney, BBB and any other governing government agencies. I can provide all the pictures and documents proving the numerous health problems suffered from our stay at the Holiday Inn at Fountain Hills, AZ.
RE: Holiday Inn and Suites at Fountain Hills, AZ 12800 N. SAGUARO BLVD. FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA 85268 UNITED STATES Hotel Front Desk: 480-837-6565 Hotel Fax: 480-837-5252
My friend and I stayed at this hotel with my two cats. After they changed the sheets I woke up with 15 to 20 bites on my neck, my friend had bites all over her chest. There was a dead bug on the pillow (took pictures). We notified owner/manager Gary Lvov who stated they did not have any bug problems and kept blaming the fountain hills fountain. Gary Lvov falsely claimed we were bitten at the fountain (surely the story they use on everyone). Meanwhile my cats, which never visited the fountain, itched and scratched continually and one of them in fact now has a secondary skin infection from the constant itching. After we checked out, within 5 minutes the cats had diarrhea , took them to the vet and they found round worm. In addition to the parasite they got at Holiday Inn, the constant itching reaction they had to the bed bug bites has caused one of them to have a secondary skin infection and severe hair loss. To date my cats have been to the vet 5 times since our checkout on 07-05-11 ( today is 07-29-11). Because of our stay in Holiday Inn my cats have round worm, a bacterial skin infection and a urinary tract infection. I have all documents supporting all health problems from parasites, bacteria, fungus etc. were contracted during our stay at Holiday Inn. Today is both of my cats first birthday, this is how they get to celebrate it. They will need to be on medication for 6 months just for the round worm. To date vet bills are over $500 and doctor bills over $100. We were diagnosed with “bed bug bites” by my family doctor (signed doctored documents are available for your review). I provided the hotel and their insurance with all doctor and vet notes, all doctor and vet bills and invoices, pictures of the bug on the pillow with the “Holiday Inn” sign, pictures of the multiple bites on all of us, recorded conversations with Gary (manager/owner) and despite all evidence and doctor and vet bills and invoices and they have the colossal nerve to claim they have no bedbugs and we cannot prove it. It is proven and undisputable they have unsanitary conditions, including bed bugs. Please also be advised I had just had a biopsy and needed a clean comfortable environment. I went to stay at this hotel because the air conditioners at my house were not working, the exposure to such unsanitary conditions could have caused me a severe and serious infection at the biopsy site, thankfully the surgical tape I had on prevented this. I am still needing additional test results to see if I also contracted round worm at that hotel or any other parasite.
The public health department has already been notified and an investigation has already initiated, our credit card company has been notified, priceline has been notified and we are now in the process of notifying the Attorney General, District Attorney, BBB and any other governing government agencies. I can provide all the pictures and documents proving the numerous health problems suffered from our stay at the Holiday Inn at Fountain Hills, AZ.
It is not only in the US where there are bed bugs in a holiday inn. I was bit by one or more bed bugs in a holiday inn in Warwick England 28 April 2012
12 comments:
First of all, I wanted to say how sorry you are you had that
experience. It obviously was quite a horrible thing to have happen to
you, especially on vacation.
I did want to say something, however.
As a front office employee of a major hotel--one with a higher rack
rate than the Holiday Inn Midtown, I have to say that while your
experience was unfortunate, it's not unheard of in the industry.
Obviously no one wants to be put in the situation, but no matter how
stringent your housekeeping policies or pest control regimen, pests
happen. In the course of a year, an average hotel room is occupied by
approximately 115 different parties. The fact that an experience like
yours is as very rare as it is is a testament to how much hotels do
care about cleanliness and the health of their guests.
Don't get me wrong--I'm not saying what happened to you is right, or
discounting your experience in any way, but I'm not sure the website
is quite fair in that first, you represent an entire chain of hotels
in your URL (do all Holiday Inns have bedbugs? I don't work for them,
but I wouldn't hazard to think so) and you were compensated by having
your stay comped. I don't know how long you were a guest of the hotel,
but that could range anywhere from paltry to significant, I suppose.
The hotel didn't know that the room had bedbugs--bedbugs, as is their
nature, are very small bugs that imbed in mattresses, carpet, and
pillows. They are not easily vacuumed, and are extremely hard to spot
unless you have the bad fortune of having them on you. Bedbugs are not
the result of housekeeping negligence, and they are fairly immune to
most pre-existing forms of pest control.
The people responsible are the guests before you, inadvertantly or
not. Lack of cleanliness or irresponsible bag storage can inflict
bedbugs on anyone. It's unfortunate, but it happens. It's not your
fault. It's not the hotel's fault. I just think that by compensating
you for your stay, the hotel did their part to try to make good on
what really is an unfortunate accident. It just happened to take place
in a hotel, as opposed to an airport waiting lounge or a movie
theater. All chain hotels in the United States undergo inspection. All
of them are required to have pest control on a regular basis. This,
without exception that I've seen, is followed stringently.
Again, it looks like you had a miserable time of it, but I just think
that basing a website (albeit small) on the experience while using the
name of Holiday Inn is inherently unfair. I'm sure it won't matter in
the big scheme of things at all, but on principle, it seems a bit like
a potshot.
Holiday Inn Salina, KS has bed bugs. After speaking with a clerk from the Holiday Inn-Salina I found that their hotel indeed does have bed bugs. The management has treated the situation terribly and we will never stay at a Holiday Inn again. We are now trying to fight the bed bug invasion in our home. Our arms and face looked exactly like their photos.
Days Inn Downtown Nashville, TN -- gross -- yes, BEDBUGS.
I stay in a different hotel every night - 250 days out of the year. Over the course of my current career, about 5 years, I've had bites on three occasions.
My most recent attack of bug bites was about a week ago in Nashville, TN at the Days Inn downtown.
I hadn't realized what was going on until I found your website. The rest of the hotel stays that I did not get bit at, were hotels that are clean and well taken care of.
Any hotel I stay in that might be questionable, I will sleep fully clothed. I know its a bit uncomfortable, but well worth it. Most of the time I do not have the time to seek out other accommodation's. The times that I have tried, these dirty hotels would not refund my stay.
Also, if the room air conditioning won't get cold enough, I'll get a different room. Often, it seems, that mold and insects stay away from properly chilled and filtered air. And if a room has had a working AC unit, the risk of mold and bugs seems to be lower.
Thanks for your website. Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is anything guests can do to demand a properly sanitized and safe room.
Todd, Tour Bus Driver
I recently stayed at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Parsippany, NJ, a week ago and I think I may have brought home some bed bugs, because my family is suddenly getting bit by bites that look like those in the pictures you took. I really hope it's something else, but I'm afraid it's not. I've looked at other sites, and they suggest looking under the mattress and behind the headboard of any hotel room you stay in, because that is where the bugs are likely to be found. Look for small brownish flat bugs without wings, along with their fecal matter in cracks, seams of mattresses and the like. The bugs bite most commonly about an hour before dawn, and can be spotted with a flashlight.
I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in La Junta CO early last week. I came back with itching on my arm and this past Tues, I have 2 groups of itchy red pustules. I called the hotel and they said that the checked the room and didn't find anything. However, I am sure that I was breakfast, luch and dinner in La Junta! Yuck!!
I was breakfast, lunch and dinner for over 20 bed bugs at the Holiday inn express on Major Blvd in Orlando. On top of it the AC unit was not working and there was a fire smell in my room. How can those hotel stay in business if this is the way they are managed?
We stayed at the Waterloo, NY Holiday inn, over thanksgiving this year, 2008, and lo and behold, a week later we are bitten up and down AT HOME from bedbugs. Tonight I cleaned our bedroom for 8 hours and they were all over the place. its disgusting. Please warn Western NY travelers if they go to this meth-user's paradise to try another hotel! In fact, I never will stay in a hotel for the next 5 years I think! This sucks!!!
We got bed bites from the Holiday Inn Select in Memphis. THEY MADE US PAY FOR THE ROOM! This is the worst hotel I have ever been in. Staff was rude, rooms not really clean,Bathrooms very small, rooms come with earplugs and free bedbugs.
Just got back from the Holiday Inn Midtown and thought I'd google it for a bed bug link because the kids have bites all over their legs. I have washed everything and vacuumed out the suitcases and hope we haven't brought them home with us. The room was horrible!
RE: Holiday Inn and Suites at Fountain Hills, AZ
12800 N. SAGUARO BLVD. FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA 85268 UNITED STATES
Hotel Front Desk: 480-837-6565 Hotel Fax: 480-837-5252
My friend and I stayed at this hotel with my two cats. After they changed the sheets I woke up with 15 to 20 bites on my neck, my friend had bites all over her chest. There was a dead bug on the pillow (took pictures). We notified owner/manager Gary Lvov who stated they did not have any bug problems and kept blaming the fountain hills fountain. Gary Lvov falsely claimed we were bitten at the fountain (surely the story they use on everyone).
Meanwhile my cats, which never visited the fountain, itched and scratched continually and one of them in fact now has a secondary skin infection from the constant itching.
After we checked out, within 5 minutes the cats had diarrhea , took them to the vet and they found round worm. In addition to the parasite they got at Holiday Inn, the constant itching reaction they had to the bed bug bites has caused one of them to have a secondary skin infection and severe hair loss. To date my cats have been to the vet 5 times since our checkout on 07-05-11 ( today is 07-29-11). Because of our stay in Holiday Inn my cats have round worm, a bacterial skin infection and a urinary tract infection. I have all documents supporting all health problems from parasites, bacteria, fungus etc. were contracted during our stay at Holiday Inn.
Today is both of my cats first birthday, this is how they get to celebrate it. They will need to be on medication for 6 months just for the round worm. To date vet bills are over $500 and doctor bills over $100.
We were diagnosed with “bed bug bites” by my family doctor (signed doctored documents are available for your review). I provided the hotel and their insurance with all doctor and vet notes, all doctor and vet bills and invoices, pictures of the bug on the pillow with the “Holiday Inn” sign, pictures of the multiple bites on all of us, recorded conversations with Gary (manager/owner) and despite all evidence and doctor and vet bills and invoices and they have the colossal nerve to claim they have no bedbugs and we cannot prove it. It is proven and undisputable they have unsanitary conditions, including bed bugs.
Please also be advised I had just had a biopsy and needed a clean comfortable environment. I went to stay at this hotel because the air conditioners at my house were not working, the exposure to such unsanitary conditions could have caused me a severe and serious infection at the biopsy site, thankfully the surgical tape I had on prevented this. I am still needing additional test results to see if I also contracted round worm at that hotel or any other parasite.
The public health department has already been notified and an investigation has already initiated, our credit card company has been notified, priceline has been notified and we are now in the process of notifying the Attorney General, District Attorney, BBB and any other governing government agencies.
I can provide all the pictures and documents proving the numerous health problems suffered from our stay at the Holiday Inn at Fountain Hills, AZ.
RE: Holiday Inn and Suites at Fountain Hills, AZ
12800 N. SAGUARO BLVD. FOUNTAIN HILLS, ARIZONA 85268 UNITED STATES
Hotel Front Desk: 480-837-6565 Hotel Fax: 480-837-5252
My friend and I stayed at this hotel with my two cats. After they changed the sheets I woke up with 15 to 20 bites on my neck, my friend had bites all over her chest. There was a dead bug on the pillow (took pictures). We notified owner/manager Gary Lvov who stated they did not have any bug problems and kept blaming the fountain hills fountain. Gary Lvov falsely claimed we were bitten at the fountain (surely the story they use on everyone).
Meanwhile my cats, which never visited the fountain, itched and scratched continually and one of them in fact now has a secondary skin infection from the constant itching.
After we checked out, within 5 minutes the cats had diarrhea , took them to the vet and they found round worm. In addition to the parasite they got at Holiday Inn, the constant itching reaction they had to the bed bug bites has caused one of them to have a secondary skin infection and severe hair loss. To date my cats have been to the vet 5 times since our checkout on 07-05-11 ( today is 07-29-11). Because of our stay in Holiday Inn my cats have round worm, a bacterial skin infection and a urinary tract infection. I have all documents supporting all health problems from parasites, bacteria, fungus etc. were contracted during our stay at Holiday Inn.
Today is both of my cats first birthday, this is how they get to celebrate it. They will need to be on medication for 6 months just for the round worm. To date vet bills are over $500 and doctor bills over $100.
We were diagnosed with “bed bug bites” by my family doctor (signed doctored documents are available for your review). I provided the hotel and their insurance with all doctor and vet notes, all doctor and vet bills and invoices, pictures of the bug on the pillow with the “Holiday Inn” sign, pictures of the multiple bites on all of us, recorded conversations with Gary (manager/owner) and despite all evidence and doctor and vet bills and invoices and they have the colossal nerve to claim they have no bedbugs and we cannot prove it. It is proven and undisputable they have unsanitary conditions, including bed bugs.
Please also be advised I had just had a biopsy and needed a clean comfortable environment. I went to stay at this hotel because the air conditioners at my house were not working, the exposure to such unsanitary conditions could have caused me a severe and serious infection at the biopsy site, thankfully the surgical tape I had on prevented this. I am still needing additional test results to see if I also contracted round worm at that hotel or any other parasite.
The public health department has already been notified and an investigation has already initiated, our credit card company has been notified, priceline has been notified and we are now in the process of notifying the Attorney General, District Attorney, BBB and any other governing government agencies.
I can provide all the pictures and documents proving the numerous health problems suffered from our stay at the Holiday Inn at Fountain Hills, AZ.
It is not only in the US where there are bed bugs in a holiday inn. I was bit by one or more bed bugs in a holiday inn in Warwick England 28 April 2012
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