Story by Josh Milton
A woman who has travelled the world has been bitten by bedbugs for the first time – at a Travelodge in Cambridge. Hannah Stephenson, 31, woke up covered in itchy, red lumps after staying a single night at the budget hotel along Newmarket Road on July 26. She counted some 100 bedbug bites on her hands, arms, chest, back, legs and neck, with 37 on her left hand alone. ‘I’ve had to go to a family wedding like this, had to buy new clothes to cover the awful bites, been unable to sleep properly for weeks due to the constant itching, had a panic attack,’ she wrote on TikTok this week. After a day sightseeing with friends, Hannah stayed the night in Cambridge rather than taking a taxi to her home in Bassingbourn to save money. (Picture: Hannah Stephenson/@thecapetownblog)
She woke up to see blood smears on her bedsheets and tiny moving specks on her pillow – bed bugs. ‘When I saw the bed bugs, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it!’ Hannah tells Metro. ‘I also realized I was probably in for a very uncomfortable few days.’ The blogger complained to the receptionist at the hotel, who advised she email customer service. ‘The hotel receptionist wasn’t rude, but he didn’t seem to know what to do,’ Hannah says. (Picture: Hannah Stephenson/@thecapetownblog)
‘He looked a bit panicked and told me to email customer service. I told him that they couldn’t let anyone else stay in the room until it had been treated and he agreed, but he didn’t say much else.’ Speaking today, Hannah is still covered in bites. While itchy, the swelling has eased. Yet Hannah remains just as self-conscious, with some assuming she has chickenpox or another skin disease. ‘The last couple of weeks have been very uncomfortable,’ she says. ‘I can’t stop itching and at first, I missed some social events because I felt so self-conscious about the appearance of the bites.’
‘I’ve been wearing long sleeves to hide my arms, which isn’t ideal in the middle of August! Hannah, who has blogged about her time in Cape Town, South Africa, says she never expected the bedbugs to bite in a Travelodge of all places. ‘Bedbugs were never something I worried about before but now I’m nervous to stay in hotels,’ she adds. ‘I won’t let it stop me travelling but I will definitely be reading reviews extremely closely in the future and checking the mattress when I arrive.’ Travelodge offered Hannah £2,000 in compensation. (Picture: Hannah Stephenson/@thecapetownblog)
Bedbugs, infamous for making hotel mattresses their home, are small parasitic insects that feed on the blood of sleeping mammals. To these apple-seed-sized critters, we’re just a giant all-you-can-eat buffet. Symptoms of bedbug bites include a speck of red blood, water-filled blisters, pus-filled spots and swollen, raised lumps. They tend to heal within a week or two, though, while rare, skin infections are treated with antibiotics. But bedbugs can go nearly a year without eating, giving them time to hitchhike on clothing, furniture, luggage and second-hand bedding. (Picture: Hannah Stephenson/@thecapetownblog)
The idea that bedbugs only scuttle around in unhygienic places is a myth, pest experts previously told Metro. It’s warmth, blood, carbon dioxide and darkness that draws them close, so cases peak in the summer. Inspectors found Hannah’s room was riddled with bedbugs, which is now being deep cleaned. Travelodge told Metro: ‘We are deeply sorry for Ms. Stephenson’s experience and recognize how distressing an incident like this can be. The safety of our customers is our priority and we maintain stringent, expert-led measures to prevent and manage pest issues, including training our housekeeping colleagues to be vigilant and to spot early signs wherever possible.’ (Picture: Shutterstock/Mehes Daniel)
