You don’t necessarily need to dismantle anything. A visual inspection of accessible areas is enough for a quick check.
Check Nearby Furniture
Look around the nightstands and other furniture close to the bed.
Pay attention to cracks, joints, and edges.
The goal is to look for evidence of an infestation rather than trying to prove that a room is completely pest-free.
Adult bed bugs are small, flat insects with oval-shaped bodies. Their appearance can vary depending on whether they’ve recently fed.
However, travelers shouldn’t rely solely on identifying an actual bug.
Signs can include:
- Small dark spots
- Shed skins
- Tiny pale eggs or eggshells
- Blood spots on bedding
- Live insects around mattress seams or nearby hiding places
Some of these signs can have other explanations, so don’t automatically assume every dark mark is evidence of bed bugs.
What If You Find Something Suspicious?
Don’t unpack.
Keep your luggage away from the bed and contact hotel management or the front desk.
Ask to be moved to another room and, ideally, request a room that isn’t immediately adjacent to the suspected room.
Simply changing from one room to another without notifying staff isn’t always the best solution because the problem may involve more than one room.
If you’re genuinely concerned about an infestation, document what you found with photographs if possible.
Why You Shouldn’t Put Your Suitcase on the Bed
The bed is one of the least desirable places to leave an uninspected suitcase.
Even if a room looks perfectly clean, bed bugs can be difficult to spot, and their presence isn’t necessarily related to how tidy a room appears.
A suitcase placed directly on the bed can provide an easy opportunity for pests to move between the luggage and the surrounding environment.
A hard, elevated luggage rack can be a better alternative once you’ve inspected it.
What About the Hotel Luggage Rack?
A luggage rack is generally more convenient than a bathtub, but it should still be inspected before use.
Look at the straps, joints, folds, and underside of the rack.
If you’re particularly cautious, keeping your suitcase closed and elevated away from the bed can reduce unnecessary contact with upholstered surfaces.
The Bathtub Is a Temporary Holding Spot
It’s important not to misunderstand this travel tip.
Putting your luggage in the bathtub doesn’t kill bed bugs or guarantee that they can’t reach your belongings.
It’s simply a temporary place to keep the suitcase while you check the room.
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