How do hotels keep bed bugs out of their rooms?
Some hotels clearly don't keep the critters out of their rooms ... https://www.kltv.com/2025/10/16/severe-infestations-city-lufkin-orders-hotel-closure-citing-insects-rodents-unstable-structure/
At a well-run hotel, keeping bed bugs out starts long before guests ever check in. Prevention is part of daily operations. Every room is inspected on a rotation - not just for cleanliness, but for signs of unwanted visitors. Housekeeping staff are trained to recognize even the smallest clues: dark specks along mattress seams, shed skins, or tiny reddish stains on linens or headboards.
It's also important to use protective mattress and box spring encasements, which make it harder for bugs to hide and easier to spot trouble early. I’ve seen hotels spend $10k on lobby art but skip $10 mattress encasements. Guess which one guests actually notice when they wake up at 3 AM scratching?
Luggage stands are provided so guests don’t put their bags on the bed, one of the most common ways bed bugs spread. For extra peace of mind, a pest management team should perform routine heat or chemical inspections, especially after high-occupancy weekends. It's important to focus on early detection - because catching a single bug today is a lot better than battling a whole colony later.
The cleanest hotels know the secret: vigilance, training, and quick response. That’s how you keep the sheets crisp, the rooms calm, and the guests sleeping soundly.