SceneStealer7

I had the unfortunate experience last week of staying at a Westin with a few other occupants - bedbugs. Having been at an outdoor barbecue the previous weekend, I first assumed the bites were just latent mosquito bites, but as more and more bites were popping up (and in strange places where I would not have gotten them at a barbecue), I was concerned. In the middle of the night while itching, I suddenly realized what they might be. I got up and checked under the sheets and mattress (as best as I could, being a pretty tiny woman) and didn't see anything - but I hadn't checked too thoroughly. There WERE a few blood streaks, but I chalked those up to me scratching the bites too much. However, after getting home, the new bites have stopped appearing, while the old ones were still itching (and none of them showed signs of me having broken the skin by scratching). Thanks to the bedbug epidemic ravaging NYC right now, my doctor has seen a lot of bedbug bites and says that's what mine seem to be. Fortunately, my suitcase seems to be clean, and I've already sent all the clothes that were in it to be washed, so when the bites clear up, hopefully I'm in the clear.

I was still pretty upset to get bedbugs at a Westin, but decided to call the hotel (purposely not giving the name of which one it was here) before flaming them all over the place, and I am SO glad I did! Management has been absolutely wonderful about the whole thing, apologizing profusely and offering to take care of any and all doctor's and cleaning bills. They also put me on hold to issue the command to seal off the room until it can be thoroughly inspected/decontaminated - I was pretty impressed that they took such quick action.

Anyway, all this is to say that far from making me give up on Starwood, I'm EXTREMELY impressed with how an unfortunate situation was handled. The director of security made it very clear how seriously he takes this issue, and I'm confident that they'll follow through on cleaning everything out and making sure this doesn't inconvenience any other guests.

Kudos, Starwood! And I didn't even have to play the status card to get the royal treatment

KENNECTED

Thanks for bringing this up, BUT why not say the name of the property so nobody else stays there? Spare someone the agony you went through.

I know if you mentioned the name and I had an upcoming stay, I would quickly change.

SceneStealer7

That's exactly why I don't want to post it. I had a bunch of coworkers staying there the same week (conference) who had no problems, so it doesn't seem to be the whole hotel. They're handling it EXTREMELY well so I don't want them to incur losses for something that may have been an isolated incident. In contrast, a friend who got bedbugs at a Hilton on the same block had to fight for months for them to do anything at all.

KENNECTED

That being said, you're still not sure it's just an isolated incident or that the bugs haven't spread yet.

I just dont think it's in the spirit of FlyerTalk to post something like this and not say the name of the property. I would hate for anyone else to be bitten or bring the bugs back to their home.

DLBosPvdFF

Normally I'd agree, but the bed bug epidemic goes far beyond any one hotel or city these days, and I don't think it would be fair to this specific hotel, or any hotel, to have it named.

Take a look at recent rash of stories on the topic:

http://news.google.com/news/search?a...=en&q=bed+bugs

Bed bugs are everywhere these days. It's a risk we all take as frequent travelers, no matter where we stay.

1K_From_SNA

It's like not going to bed with someone with Herpes. You know they have it, you may not catch it, but why take the risk? I agree with Cheap Elite, if it just happened so there is a risk that most of us would rather not take, or at least Cheap Elite and myself. If I go there is a risk, if I don't there isn't, or at least the odds are smaller since we know they had them lately.

KENNECTED

It's fair when a person post about a specific hotel. We all know the risk and there are four other Bed Bug threads in this forum.

If the OP took the time to write this post, they could take the time to name the property. I sincerely would like to know all I can about any property I visit and that is why we all do research before booking and post reviews after stays.

I SINCERELY do not want anyone to be bitten or carry the bugs back home. If you know what property, tell so each person can make an informed opinion as to whether they should keep an existing reservation or book a future reservation at the property in question!

This is a case where silence is not golden!

Sam P. Goodman

I tend to agree. While the hotel seems to have handled this well, this is akin to writing a review of a Westin hotel and not telling us which one you're reviewing. Kind of defeats the purpose of this forum.

By the way, I had terrible sushi last night and spent all evening on the toilet, but I don't want to discourage any of you from trying the place so I'm keeping the name of the place secret.

sc flier

But outing the hotel would essential put it on a boycott list based on what may be just one isolated case. How would such a hotel ever get off of the list?

It's my belief that the OP and others who have bedbug encounters in SPG hotels should also notify SPG so that SPG can watch for repeated problems at individual hotels. Another option is to file a report with the local health department.

If the hotel had not responded with any assurance that the complaint would be handled in a timely and appropriate manner, my feelings would be different. Sam P. Goodman, if you reported the problem to the restaurant and feel good about the fact that it was likely an isolated incident, I don't have a problem with you choosing to keep the name to yourself.

sbtinme

I absolutely agree with the OP and the above sentiment.

Here's why: I own some apartment buildings and, over the past 5 years, I've probably had 6 or 7 bedbug infestations to deal with in my units. It's absolutely maddening, but the infestations in NO WAY are a reflection on my landlordship.

My buildings are pristinely maintained and closed managed. I have great buildings and I'm able to screen and select folks that I think will make exceptional, long term tenants.

With all of that said, here's what brings the bedbugs in. Friends of my tenants are leaving town and give my tenants one of their old bureaus or couches. When those pieces come into my apartments, they each carry some risk of housing bedbugs. That's how they've entered my buildings on each and every occasion.

I use an excellent exterminator and he tells me that he has personally seen bedbugs enter a house in one suitcase or a backpack and infest the place within a month. YUCK.

My point is this: the fact that some of my apartments have, from time to time, had small bedbug issues, is in no meaningful way a reflection on me or my buildings. I pay a lot of money to resolve these issues when they occur, and I send out quarterly notes to my tenants to remind them NOT to bring in used furniture or carpets or anything else that could potentially be harboring bedbug eggs. But, if they can come into a place in a small suitcase, then I'm fighting an uphill battle.

I respect the OP's decision to not reveal the name of the property -- especially if her sense was that management took this very seriously and took exceptional measures to take care of her thereafter. This could well have affected just one room out of 800 one just one night....

Just my $00.02.

clublounger

Name the hotel? No thanks.

I want to know the name of the guests that occupied that room recently! Addresses, too, please.


Attn: EVERY hotel that you have stayed in recently, that you'll stay in tonite, or that you will stay in soon, has been affected by bedbugs. So, no need to name them. They've ALL had 'em.

Aloha

SceneStealer7

Wow, lots of controversy on this one, but I think clublounger's post sums it up. For that matter, every time you put your bag in an overhead bin, you're risking bed bugs - you never know where the other stuff in there has been. (Here, have at it if you want to stage a United boycott!) In any case, I didn't intend for this to be a review of the particular Westin at which I stayed; rather, a glowing review of SPG's customer service when the problem was brought to their attention.

scflier, thanks for the suggestion to notify SPG as well; I had only called the hotel itself. While they gave me an incident number for the report, it wouldn't hurt to make sure that corporate is aware for the reasons you mentioned. I don't want other people to be at risk, but I also don't want to hurt the hotel when they haven't even tested yet to be sure that it was indeed bedbugs in their rooms that caused the problem.

Also, CheapElite, I checked out some of the other bedbugs threads you mentioned in the SPG forum, and came across someone's quote that bedbug bites tend to show up 7-9 days after being bitten. I couldn't find verification of that fact via Google (it seemed to be anytime from day after "up to" 10 days later), but if it does in fact take a few days, the Westin is clear - I noticed the bites my first morning after staying there. After checking my calendar to see where I was the previous week, it's now on to the HHonors forum to rile up the people there!

SceneStealer7

Sorry, no go - I live in NYC and don't stay at hotels here

jb3t

Who cares what Westin you were in, did you get any points out of the deal?

SceneStealer7

Didn't ask for any - main purpose of calling wasn't to get compensation (I didn't find any in my stuff so I think I'm in the clear), but just to make sure the problem was noted and taken care of. I always feel uncomfortable flat-out asking for points, but of course, if some were offered, I'd be thrilled A very un-FT approach, I know...