Resort employee shares tips on how to examine for mattress bugs earlier than unpacking

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A hospitality expert has given a tip to all travelers who check into a hotel after their own unsavory experience.

Hotel worker Halee, who has a TikTok account under the name @Haleewithaflair, shared the story on her page in response to a video by another creator. The video showed a couple waking up in a hotel covered in “scars” from a bed bug infestation, and Halee was quick to stitch the video together with her own.

Responding that this has happened to her multiple times, Halee began with, “And here’s how you should check your hotel room before you even unpack.”

She said in the video: “I’ve been in the hospitality industry for 15 years and own a hotel sales support company. This is how I check my rooms before I unpack and settle in.”

Adding that she always carries a flashlight with her when staying in hotels, she explained: “The first thing you should do is make sure your room is dark. Turn off the lights, close all blinds and use the flashlight on your phone.”

She added that travelers should check under the bed and in dark corners of the room, saying the bed bugs “usually like to hang out in the corners and in the folds.”

“The reason you should check your bed with the lights off is because bed bugs are actually nocturnal,” Halee continued, “so they’re more likely to be out looking for their prey.”

Halee also advised travelers to do a thorough check before thinking about unpacking their bags, as bed bugs can slip into luggage and hide in packed clothing.

But bed bugs don’t only lurk in beds and luggage. She also recommends checking mini-fridges, curtains, and ironing boards in hotel rooms. Halee added, “I always run my finger over the headboard to check for dust.”

As a final tip, she confirmed that if a room is kept to a high standard of cleaning, bed bugs are less likely to hide in the bed. But she recommends keeping an eye out for blood stains, because “that’s not a good sign either.”