Bedbug bites: woman covered in ‘painful’ bites after Premier Inn hotel stay wins £312 compensation

A woman who claimed she suffered “incredibly itchy” and “painful” bedbug bites after staying in a Premier Inn hotel has received compensation. Vicky Hills, from Dunstable in Bedfordshire, stayed in the hotel in Hastings from 10 to 11 August, but on the drive home she noticed that she started getting bite marks on her legs.

She told the BBC that she first thought the bites were from mosquitos but after a trip to a pharmacist a GP confirmed they were from bedbugs and prescribed antibiotics. The £78 cost of the Premier Inn hotel room was refunded within 10 days but compensation for the items she purchased took nearly two months to be repaid.

Ms Hills had to dispose of her home bedding and purchase bug traps. She had contacted The JVS Show on BBC Three Counties Radio to seek a refund as the show helps with consumer issues. After hse appeared on the show she received £312 including a goodwill gesture.

Premier Inn apologised to Ms Hills, saying in a statement: "We have rigorous processes in place to both react to and prevent issues on the rare occasion they do arise. As soon as our team were aware of this complaint, the room was put on lockdown and independent experts immediately called in to resolve the issue using a specialist treatment, with no further cases reported."

After Paris was hit by a mass surge in bedbugs, there has been widespread panic - particularly in London - that the breakout may reach the rest of Europe. Searches on Google for ‘how to prevent’ and ‘how to get rid of’ bedbugs have skyrocketed as people frantically try to prepare for the worst.

The French government has held crisis meetings and are battling to get the bugs under control before it hosts the Olympics next year. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the issue was a “real source of concern” and Transport for London officials are in conversation with the Parisian Metro over what “lessons could be learnt”. Data released by pest-control company Rentokil in September showed that from 2022 to 2023, the UK saw a 65% rise in bed bug infestations.

Bedbugs are not necessarily associated with poor hygiene or cleanliness, and can infest both clean and cluttered environments. Bed bug infestations can occur in a wide range of settings, from budget motels to upscale hotels, apartments and even single-family homes. While bed bugs are more common in densely populated areas, they can infest any location.