A British mother has accused a Holiday Inn Express of leaving her with over 100 bedbug bites that necessitated a trip to the emergency room. Nicola Jenkins, 46, stated she booked four nights at the Holiday Inn Express Exeter East for a business trip, checking in on October 12.
Jenkins alleges that on the second night of her stay, she awoke covered in red bites across her face, neck, arms, back, and stomach. "I knew it was bedbugs because I'd been through it before, but nothing like this," Jenkins said. "There were more than 100 bites on my forehead, cheeks, neck, around my waist, my arms."
Upon inspecting her bedding, Jenkins claims she found one insect crawling on her duvet and approximately 40 dead bedbugs in her bed. She reported the infestation to reception, where she was offered a room change. However, she ultimately decided to move to a different hotel.
Her symptoms reportedly worsened, with Jenkins describing the itching as feeling like her "skin was on fire." The intense itching led her to seek medical attention at A&E on October 19, after her arm became visibly red and swollen. "My whole left arm was swollen and bright red," she stated. "The doctor gave me a course of steroids."
Doctors diagnosed her condition as a severe case of bedbug bites, and a course of steroids led to an improvement in her symptoms. Jenkins has declined an offer from the hotel chain for a complimentary future stay after her employer filed a complaint.
"I'm shocked something like this is happening in their hotel. I'll never in my life go to a Holiday Inn again," Jenkins said. "The hotel emailed my boss, admitted there were bedbugs and offered me a free weekend in one of their hotels, which I won't be accepting."
A spokesperson for Holiday Inn Express Exeter East stated, "We are aware of the guest's concerns and understand how upsetting this must have been. We take matters of cleanliness and guest wellbeing seriously and are looking into the concerns raised. We are in contact with the guest directly."