Three ways to check if your hotel has bed bugs

Updated on: 12/06/2026

Key takeaways

• Bed bugs can be found in any hotel, regardless of star rating.
• Always check reviews for bed bug complaints before you check in.
• Keep luggage off the floor and furniture until you've inspected the room.
• Dark, rusty stains on bedding are a reliable sign of bed bug activity.
• If you spot live bugs or droppings, request a room on a different floor.

Bed bugs are one of the most common pest concerns for travelers. Five-star properties have dealt with infestations just as much as budget options, so knowing the signs of bed bugs in hotels is something every traveler should be prepared for.

These small, resilient insects are expert hitchhikers. They move easily between rooms, floors, and properties by latching onto luggage, clothing, and bedding. Once they make it home with you, they can be difficult to deal with without professional help.

How to tell if a hotel has a bed bug problem

While bed bugs are small, they can leave clues, and knowing what to look for can make all the difference. Here’s how to check a hotel for bed bugs, and what to look out for.

1. Online ratings indicate a bed bug pest control problem.

Don’t limit your bed bug investigation to the time you’re actually in the room – get a jump start by checking out online ratings before you go. You can simply Google your hotel’s name plus bed bugs, or visit Bed Bug Reports, a website where users can submit reports of bed bugs at their hotels. If a search of an online database does turn up an infestation, be sure to check the date – it’s possible management may have eradicated the population through a bed bug control service.

2. You see a scurry of movement when you pull back the sheets.

Upon entry into your hotel room, leave your luggage at the door while you conduct a thorough search for bed bugs. Bed bugs most commonly travel by hitching a ride on luggage, so leave your bags at the door or place them in the bathtub until you’re sure the space is entirely free of these tiny vampires.

The first place to check, obviously, is the bed. Pull back the sheets, look at the mattress seams, and inspect any cracks around the headboard. Adult bed bugs are rarely larger than an apple seed, while juveniles are comparable to a poppy seed. Their bodies are slightly flattened, and their color tends to be rusty red (adults) or tan (juveniles).

If you spot bugs while conducting this search, chances are the hotel has a bed bug control problem. However, because bed bugs move very quickly and tend to hide during the day anyway, you’ll need to look for one more tell-tale sign of their presence: blood-tinged droppings.

3. You find rusty bloodstains on the sheets, mattress, or elsewhere.

This is common evidence of bed bugs in hotels, and it’s something our pest control experts will look out for. If you don’t see any bed bugs, look for their fecal trails: brownish streaks of clotted blood. Chances are that you won’t see any bugs at all, but if you see their poop trails, you know they are present.

For a thorough bed bug examination, use a flashlight to look around the headboard, under the sheets and mattress pad, under the mattress and box springs, and around the base of the bed. Because bed bugs can live anywhere that’s warm and in close vicinity to sleeping humans, you’ll also want to check the room’s furniture. Don’t forget to check the closet; remember, bed bugs hitchhike on luggage.

If you see no bugs or fecal stains, the room is probably free of bed bugs. Of course, if you wake up the next morning with bites or find bloodstains on your sheets, the hotel most likely has a bed bug issue. And you could too, unless you are careful about how you treat your clothing and luggage.

Bottom line: Don’t bring anything into your home until you’ve had a chance to thoroughly vacuum and clean it. Contact your local bed bug control experts for more tips on how to avoid transferring a bed bug infestation from a hotel room to your bedroom.

What else you need to know about bed bugs in hotels

Staying at a hotel? It’s not just the bed you need to check. Bed bugs can hide in more places than you might think. 

Where bed bugs hide in hotel rooms

Bed bugs are good at hiding. In hotel rooms, they often tuck themselves into tight spaces near where people sleep. You’ll want to check the mattress seams, behind the headboard, inside the bed frame, and under the bedding. They can also be found in upholstered furniture, along the baseboards, in the folds of curtains, and even on the luggage rack. If there are any cracks or crevices in the room, they could be a hiding place too. 

Common signs you stayed in a room with bed bugs

One of the most common signs you stayed in a room with bed bugs is waking up with itchy bites. These can even turn into hives for some people, but bites aren’t the only clue. Look for small reddish spots or streaks on the sheets or mattress that could be droppings or crushed bugs. You might also spot bug eggs in the mattress seams or frame if you inspect it closely. 

Tips to avoid bringing bed bugs home from a hotel

To reduce the chance of bringing bed bugs home, take some simple steps. Keep your suitcase off the bed or leave it in the bathroom while you check the room. After your trip, wash your clothes in hot water and vacuum your bags. 

If one room has bed bugs, do they all?

One room can have bed bugs while others don’t, especially in the early stages of an infestation. Bed bugs don’t travel far on their own, but they can move between rooms through guests, cleaning carts, or even pipes and gaps in walls. So, just because one room seems clean doesn’t mean the whole floor is. That’s why hotels need reliable commercial pest control to stop bed bugs before they spread. And if you're staying as a guest, it’s worth checking your space closely, no matter how nice the hotel looks.

Concerned about bed bugs? Contact Western Exterminator

If you think you’ve found signs of bed bugs in a hotel, act fast before they become your problem at home. Bed bugs can hide in your belongings and spread quickly once inside.

At Western Exterminator, our pest control team provides inspections and bed bug control options to treat the infestation and help reduce the risk of a larger problem. Reach out to our pest control experts to learn more about how we can help.