Worker reveals must-do act before sleeping in hotel beds
A veteran of the hotel industry has lifted the lid on what guests must do after checking into their hotel room.
Halee Whiting, the owner of a hotel sales support company in the US, has gone viral after dishing the dirt on what lurks beneath the sheets.
“This is how you should check your hotel room before you even unpack,” she begins to say in the video which has racked up 5.2 million views since it was uploaded with the title, ‘how to search for bed bugs in a hotel'.
“The first thing you’re gonna wanna do is make sure your room is dark,” Ms Whiting continues. “Turn off lights, close any shades and use the flashlight on your phone. And while everything’s off, you’re going to come up here under the covers...[and] you’re going to check under all of the creases.. They usually like to hang out in the corners and the creases.”
Pulling back the sheet and mattress protector, Ms Whiting, who has worked in the hotel industry for 15 years, shows her followers where to look for the pests. “Even if you don’t see bugs, make sure you check for spots,” she adds, “it’s like blood spots because that is not a good sign either.”
'It doesn't matter how fancy the hotel is'
In a further 12 follow up videos on TikTok, Ms Whiting goes on to reveal more horrifying facts about bed bugs. She explains that guests need to check for them in the dark because the insects are nocturnal and are “more likely to be out and about looking for their prey,” at night.
Ms Whiting also adds that you can find bed bugs in five star hotels and even new buildings, while TikTokers were quick to share their own terrifying stories.
“It doesn’t matter how much you pay, bed bugs love travellers,” one person wrote online. “The reality of the matter is that they are hitchhikers,” another said. ”People bring them from other places, it doesn’t matter how fancy the hotel is.”
“I got bed bugs twice and the PTSD is insane,” someone wrote. “Got bed bugs from two different hotels and ended up in the hospital both times,” another shared. “I still have nightmares to this day.”
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Some hotel employees even came forward to detail their experiences. “I’ve worked at some expensive hotels, they all get them and it happens pretty frequently,” one person said. “I work in pest control and it will shock people how many hotel rooms have bed bugs,” another user wrote.
For many, the threat of an infestation was all too much. “I haven’t travelled for 15 years because of bed bugs,” someone said. “I was once eaten alive, finding out that I am highly allergic to them. That scared me for life.”
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