There is a lot to consider when booking a hotel – cleanliness, amenities, location – but one of the most important pieces of information to know before handing over your credit card is whether there are any bed bugs.
These harmful, blood-sucking creatures are known to cause red bite marks, inflammation, blistering, allergic reactions, fatigue, anxiety, and irritability. In essence, bed bug contact is a nightmare and the last thing you want on a trip or stay.
According to Pest Strategies, an online resource for homeowners and people dealing with pest-related issues, bed bugs have hit almost every hotel in NYC at some point since the 1990s.
It’s easy to see why: bed bugs infect new properties by clinging to clothing or hiding in strange things, and they are resistant to most commercially available pesticides. Therefore, they can only be removed by falling, vacuuming or heat treatments. And, once fed, a bed bug can live between 135 and 277 days without a meal, and generally up to 2 to 16 months. Female bed bugs can lay five to eight eggs a week.
Already fully booked?
Pest Strategies compiled thousands of hotel reviews from Tripadvisor, Bed Bug Reports, and Bedbug Registry, filtering out the less than credible reviews and compiling a list of the top 10 worst NYC hotels with bed bug problems – and Manhattan has the most.
10. The Westin New York Grand Central (212 East 42nd Street)
The four-star Westin New York Grand Central is new to bed bug complaints as it has received a total of nine bed bug reviews. However, seven of these reviews were made in the past three years, the report says.
9. The Empire Hotel (44 West 63rd Street)
Despite its Gossip Girl fame, this four-star boutique is known for bed bug sightings, the last of which was reported in March 2020, says Pest Strategies. It holds a total of 15 reviews since 2004.
8. La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Queens (37-18 Queens Boulevard)
This two-star hotel is one of the few NYC hotels to receive two bed bug reviews in 2020. Sure, it provides convenient access to LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, “but before you get off on your next flight” town, you might want to keep an eye out for hitchhikers, the study says.
7. Courtyard by Marriott / Midtown East (866 Third Avenue)
The last bugcheck was in April 2021, but this location “has a better track record than most hotels in the top 10,” the report said. As of 2008, the three-star hotel “has only received 12 bed bug complaints (which is pretty decent), and only two of those reviews have appeared in the past three years. Even so, April 2021 is too young for comfort, and like us, it is too young know “if there is one bed bug, there are probably many.”
6. The Manhattan at the Times Square Hotel (790 Seventh Avenue)
Over the past 13 years, the 3-star hotel has received 25 bed bug complaints, with 2010 being the worst with six reviews. “But unlike many NYC hotels, which closed most of 2021, the Manhattan in Times Square is back to business and will receive its latest bed bug complaint in April 2021,” the study said.
5. Hotel Edison (228 W 47th Street)
This 4-star Art Deco hotel in Times Square has been around since 1931, so it has had more time to collect 22 bed bug complaints since 2007. “The upside is that Hotel Edison’s annual review rate has declined from its worst year in 2009 (six reviews),” the report said. “But since the last complaint came in December 2019 (and it’s literally right next to other bed bug hotels), we recommend checking out these linens before lounging on those sheets.”
4. The Millennium Hilton New York One Plaza (1 United Nations Plaza)
This 55-story Lower Manhattan hotel has been a four-star since 2004 but has received 12 bed bug reviews and only three complaints in the past three years. “But since the Millennium Hilton received two online complaints in April 2021, there have been Reason to believe the hotel could pose a higher risk to visitors this year than other locations, “says Pest Strategies.
3. The Bowery House (220 Bowery)
This hotel / hostel has only been open since 2011 but received five bed bug reviews in 2012 and 2015. “Since 2018, The Bowery House has had eight bed bug complaints since 2018, technically more than any other New York hotel,” the study says. “As for our ranking, the Bowery’s main rescue is that it has only received 20 reviews of all time (fingers crossed that it wasn’t because it avoided the internet between 2004 and 2010).”
2. Wellington Hotel (871 Seventh Avenue)
“With 20 all-time reviews, The Wellington is not the most likely hotel to house bed bugs,” the report said. “However, the hotel received its last complaint in November 2020 and four reviews in the last three years. At this rate, the hotel seems to be making little progress compared to its worst review years of 2013 and 2017 with three reviews each.”
1. Queens County Inn & Suites of Long Island City (40-34 Crescent Street, LIC)
For ten years, this location has received an average of three complaints per year, the report says.
“Queens County Inn and Suites had their worst year ratings in 2012 and 2015, with six complaints each, which means their three ratings after 2016 are significant improvements, to say the least,” it said. “And like any hotel, we are sure that this hotel has many positive qualities that are not left out in online reviews. But when it comes to bed bugs, it’s safe to say you could roll the dice. “
If you’re curious, you can see the runners up here.
If you’ve seen a trend here, you’re right – out of 188 hotels with one or more bed bug reviews (as of 2016), about 80% were in Manhattan and contributed 85% of all NYC hotels online reviews since 2004 (1,249 total) . And strangely enough, nearly 58% of those are within a quarter mile of Times Square in Manhattan, the report said.
Maybe it’s because Times Square has more hotels near it than any other neighborhood, but let’s not forget the bed bug infestation at the AMC Empire 25 Multiplex in 2015.
Photo: Courtesy of Pest Strategies
And there’s no evidence that bed bug sightings have dropped significantly since the great bed bug bug in 2015 The number of bed bug complaints has already hit 14 six months in 2021, so it is possible that the final count for this year will surpass reports from previous years, the study says.
Photo: Courtesy of Pest Strategies
With all this dizzying information floating around in our heads, the only question left is: what can you do to spot bed bugs in a hotel?
Pest Strategies says you should check the mattress, furniture drawers, loose electrical outlets, curtains, couches, and cupboards for obvious evidence such as bed bugs themselves, bed bug larvae (small, clear eggs with brown spots), blood stains from feeding them, or crushed bed bugs. Fecal stains and exoskeleton debris around the cottages and a “buggy” smell created by bed bug pheromones. And of course, do your research before booking.
I wish you sweet, flawless trips!
