One of the worst aftereffects of a bed bug infestation is the resultant anxiety they place upon your guests when it comes to bedtime. No matter where one sleeps, their bed should be a sanctuary. When one leaves their home to sleep elsewhere, the hotelier is responsible for ensuring this “sanctuary” travels with them. It is their fundamental responsibility. Yet among the biggest disruptors of that responsibility are bed bugs: they are a major threat to the bed serving as the haven of comfort and safety. It cannot be overstated how bed bugs in hotels can destroy an establishment’s core responsibility. The sight of a bed bug crawling over pristine white sheets is enough to evoke intense stress and anxiety among guests, wrecking a productive business trip or a relaxing vacation.
Sleep Doctor, an online wellness community, published a survey of 1,565 Americans who paid for an overnight hotel/motel stay within the last year. Of those surveyed, 14% (219 individuals) reported an encounter with a bed bug. Eighty percent of those travelers who experienced bed bugs said the trauma impacted their sleep for days beyond the incident. Ninety-four percent of travelers said the encounters led to significant concerns about encountering bed bugs in future travel. Most important, however, is the fact that 99% of travelers said they changed their travel plans after a bed bug experience, primarily by avoiding certain establishments or hotel chains. There is literally no greater danger to an establishment’s bottom line than lost reservations.
The mattress review website Sleepopolis published an article that highlights the past several years as exceptionally disruptive and destructive for bed bugs worldwide. The U.K. has seen a 278% increase in bed bugs over the last two years, while France is still reeling from their globally publicized bed bug outbreak in the fall of 2023. Mattress Clarity’s U.S. data showed that bed bugs have infested every single state in the country. .This soaring global trend of bed bug infestations is a direct threat to your business, as these surveys confirm..
However, preventing these bugs from infesting your properties is possible. Active mattress liners such as ActiveGuard™ provide 24/7 protection from bed bugs for two years, allowing your hotel to create a long-term “proactive” bed bug strategy instead of being “reactive” to bed bugs once they appear. Active mattress liners stop bed bugs from laying eggs, which is critical in preventing an appearance from turning into an infestation. Arresting the growth of the bed bug population is a powerful step towards allowing you to provide a comfortable experience for your guests.
Click here to learn more about how ActiveGuard can prevent bed bugs and allow your guests to sleep soundly. You will learn these mattress liners are an unparalleled part of an effective bed bug strategy.
