BED BUGS!!!!!
I stayed at this location for a business trip on 6/8/2017. I travel a lot for business and have learned to be a bit of a hotel snob when doing so. I usually try to stay at Hilton properties, but unfortunately they were all booked on this night so I took a chance on Comfort Suites. The reviews were all okay and the photos looked nice. I told myself to stop being a snob & just give it a chance. (Options are also pretty limited around Lexington SC)
When I arrived I thought it was pretty weird that I had to park behind the building & enter through the basement, but again I told myself to stop being a snob & go with it. I took the elevator to the main floor to get to the lobby and was immediately hit with the strong odor of air freshener which made me wonder "what are they trying to cover up here?" ... but again I sucked it up and continued to the front desk. I was checked in and given a room key. When I got to my room I was honestly pleasantly surprised. The room looked really nice & updated. The setup was nice with the desk away from the a/c unit. I started to feel foolish for being so judgmental.
....until I woke up the following morning to a BED BUG on my pillow! I immediately rolled out of bed, googled bed bugs & called the front desk to report my findings. The manager was very nice & apologetic. She immediately offered the "promise" that this was an isolated issue prior to offering to refund my money. Right. Good place to start I thought.
I wanted to run out immediately, but unfortunately I had a meeting in town that required a shower and some makeup. I rushed through getting ready and called the front desk again to ask for large garbage bags to put all of my belongings in so that I didn't bring these nasty little jokers home with me. The manager quickly agreed to send them and was at my door in about 2 minutes with the bags and another apology. I initially thought, "I can't believe she has the balls to face me right now." Before realizing that she brought them herself in an effort to keep the situation isolated from her staff. THAT is when I really started to put the pieces together & get angry. I decided at that point to call the desk again and tell the manager I needed a letter stating why I was being refunded my money. I wanted to have this in case I needed to seek medical attention for any reason stemming from the incident. He agreed, but the letter didn't find its way to my door. I walked down to the lobby to get the letter and was asked to wait. The GM sent out the front desk manager with the letter, but it only stated that I was being refunded my money. No reason for why. I handed it back to her and told her to try again. She walked into the back office and told me that the GM would be right with me.
A few minutes later the GM came to the desk with the original letter and told me that he would not include bedbugs in the letter because I was going to post it to social media. I told him that I had already done that- so his ship had sailed. (Also, legally in SC this hotel is required to post that they have had, or been treated for bedbugs in the guest room. .... there is definitely no sign here.) When he continued to refuse my request I told him that was fine. I would go to my 10AM meeting, & then stop by the police station & health department on my way back to the hotel to make sure I could get the document I needed from them. That's when he got a little pissed. He puffed his chest and said, "fine. Let's do that!" At that point I think he figured out that his entire continental breakfast was staring & trying to figure out what was going on and chilled out a bit. I offered to show him the pics & videos I had of the bugs and I kid you not. He said " No no. I believe you." Someone please tell me again that this was an "isolated issue"! I promised not to post his letter and he finally wrote it, which 3 weeks later is still in my suitcase double bagged in air tight hefty bags in my garage. I am keeping my promise about the letter, but this is insane. I'm not certain about the protocol regarding bed bugs in a hotel, but I don't think this is how it's supposed to go. By isolating this he put all of his staff and guests at risk.
When I walked out of my room I informed the cleaning ladies that there bed bugs in room 217 and they were all either great actors, or very shocked. Think about that. He didn't tell the cleaning staff! The people who strip the beds & throw the linens into a bag with all of the other linens. Awful!
I reported this to the health department, the EPA, Choice hotels corporate, & to the local media. Do not stay here! This could happen anywhere & I get that, but it's disgusting & the manager cares zero about your health & well being. Drive a few towns out and find a Hilton or Hyatt with higher standards. read more