Italian_Kayaker

Was at a Holiday Inn in Colorado, got bit by bedbugs, and had a severe allergic reaction--had to spend 5 hours in the local hospital, and visit the doctor twice after I got back home. I actually found a bedbug when I opened the suitcase after returning home, but I promptly threw the suitcase away, so I hope my house didn't get infested.

Anyway, the hotel comped the stay and paid the medical bills, without any whining. Now their insurer has called me, asking what compensation I would be happy with. What do you guys think would be appropriate? Anyone else had similar experiences at a HI?

CoachPotato

YUCK!!!

I'm so sorry for you, and I can't imagine what would be appropriate compensation!

WonderDude

I'd tell them I'd be happy with $5000, and see what they say. Hopefully, you'd end up with at least $2500. I'm no expert, but that's what I'd do. Severe allergic reactions are no fun.

ericgartner

Wow, what an experience. I have a slightly different view. They stepped up to the plate and paid everything. They admitted the problem unlike most people/business. I don't say take them to the cleaners. What is fair for the half of day and suffering. $1000.00

driscj

This situation is, unfortunately, becoming pretty common (happend in some hotels my relatives owned). A kind of side-effect of global tourism. And the little buggers are *hard* to get rid of. Always requires a professional exterminator to come in. But one guest can infest a room for the very next guest and something that even an excellent normal housecleaning routine probably wouldn't be able to catch.

One thing you should do is report the incident to the county health department where the hotel is located. Not only may they be tracking bedbug problems, they can make sure the hotel is properly 'de-infested' and check the other rooms. You'd be doing the hotel and future guests a favor. ^

My guess is you'll get your hotel and medical expenses comp'd.

When I caught lice at a "5-star" San Antonio hotel 10 years ago I took it as fair compenation to get my room costs and medical expenses refunded. I don't think it's worth more than that (icky yes, but not worth in the thousands IMHO).

paul_nl

maybe you could ask for Royal Ambassador for life?

Aisle Seat H

Ah, the difference between you Yanks and us Poms !

The notion that a person should receive a few thousand $ for a few nibbles and a few hours of (even if it was serious, as it really sounds it was) discomfort is to us here an absurd, if not abhorent, notion. (As is the knee-jerk reaction of some, but that is not the situation in this case I have no doubt, of "Great, something happened that should not have happened, how much can I make out of it ?" ).

What nspatafora experienced was horrible, but I for one am no fan of the 'sue at any costs' attitude that has infected the US, where when people drop a hot coffee (that they bought very hot, and had wanted to be very hot) on themselves (entirely due to their own fault) they are able to get a million bucks from the coffee vendor. Outrageous.

The traditional view of compansation here in the UK is as it should be : compensation for actual loss (missed flights, lost work, missed interviews, etc, etc), not for its own sake - plus extra in the case of genuine, and severe distress/inconvenience etc. So if you have serious health problems developing due to this then you should seek major compensation, if not you should not.

Thus free room, payment of medical expenses, plus a small amount for the discomfort etc (a few thousand PC points, or free future 2 night VIP stay for e.g., or a few hundred $, etc) is what you will probably get, and all (morally and realistically) you should be seeking.

The only exception to this would be if the incident came about as a direct result of an illegally poor hygiene regimen at the property (something only Environmental Health officers could ascertain), which in effect put your health in danger. Then you would have the right to claim for multiple thousands.

I like RA as an idea though - though only for only one year I think ! (Life RA is worth more to many of us than the $5,000 suggested by WonderDude as compensation ! )

mkt

Have an attorney write to guest relations and demand a comped stay, pay for your medical bills, pay for attorneys costs, and XXX amount of free nights.

Italian_Kayaker

Thanks for all your advice! The hotel did already comp the stay and pay for the medical bills. They had also volunteered, unsolicited, a glass jar with a couple of the bugs, to help the doctors make the right diagnosis. So, I am not inclined to take them to the, ahem, cleaners. Still wouldn't mind lifetime elite status...

That said, I did notice some suspicious bites this morning, and a quick call to a pest control service revealed it would cost at least $1,000 to have my house disinfested, if the bedbugs have indeed caught a ride home. So, my views may change.

By the way, the exterminators suggested that, when traveling, I may want to bring along a large garbage bag. When I get to the hotel, wrap the suitcase inside the bag, seal it tightly, and bedbugs won't be able to get in. I may just start doing that...

Aisle Seat H

Now that would be actual loss (as would any time off work, phone calls etc you had to incure dealing with this), and that you have every right to claim, and that they def. should pay.

As for this, almost puts me off hotels for life ! I never ever want to go anywhere near a place that even looks like it would require me to wrap my luggage in plastic in order to avoid bugs/infestation.

After this not sure I'll ever wanna go to Colorado, let alone its HI !!!

Imperial Special

This is a subject that was almost unknown twenty years ago although early in the 20th century bedbugs were a big problem.

It was explained recently on a radio program that the old fashioned cockroach killer used by exterminators had the added effect of deterring bedbugs. That solution had a fairly strong petroleum type odor. Newer anti-cockroach treatments have reduced their prevalance and thus the need for regular sprayings. This has allowed the bedbugs to make a return.

CAL PHL FLYER

GROSS!...HolidayInn have gone down the drain.

perthite

This is a growing problem, and it is much bigger problem than HI. Also, the presence of bedbugs is not a sanitation issue, and it does not really matter how well you keep this clean.

As noted above, one of the main reasons for their re-emergence has been the trend toward more environmentally friendly pesticides, which don't seem to affect bedbugs.

WonderDude

What about if the OP gets snacked on again, in his/her own house, from the bedbugs that came from the hotel? There's another trip to the emergency room! Does the OP have anybody else in the household allergic to parasitic insects?

One does need to remember that this incident ocurred in the US, where we do not have socialized medical care. Will the OP ever need to see another doctor for related medical concerns in the future? Who knows for sure? If so, who'll pay for it? It ain't free here.

What if the insect's prior meal came from a hotel guest infected with the hanta virus or bird flu or something else new n' wacky? From mayoclinic.com: "To date, bedbugs aren't known to spread disease to humans." Whew??

OK, that was over-the-top. But emedicine.com says, "Bedbugs may be a vector for hepatitis B and, in endemic areas, for American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease)." Doesn't sound good to me.

And will one $1000 extermination job do the trick on the house, or will those sneaky critters need a couple more $1000 visits to completely wipe out the infestation? According to a few websites, they can flatten their bodies to fit into tiny crevices, and the lifespan of the bedbug is up to one year.

Are the above examples far-fetched? Sure. But whatever the final offer is, the OP will be asked to sign a release form, with which the right to seek reimbursement for ANY future related problem is forfeited. The OP may want to ask the insurance company if they can provide a copy of this form for review. I'm sure it would make an interesting read.

I suppose the appropriate compensation would be whatever the OP feels comfortable with. A few thousand PC points? Not for me.

But I'm no lawyer, and I have an overactive imagination. So I'll try to be helpful to the OP, however, and post a link to this thread in OMNI. Lots of helpful attorneys hang out there.

chuckd

Man, that sucks. Since they are stepping up, I'd just go for the extermination costs plus some RA action.
Thinking about bedbugs make my arms and ears itch. I think you owe me some compensation for making me imagine I was suffering.