Well, we can't say we're that surprised. According to data released yesterday, none other but Las Vegas ranked number one as the city with the most hotel bedbug complaints. Guess all those extra hotel rooms proved too enticing for the little blood-suckers.

The report contains a quote from Philip Vaughn, CEO of Raveable.com (the travel website that completed the study), who says this has been "a groundbreaking year for bedbugs." And how. We'd only just finished telling you about The Park Central's Union Rat woes yesterday, and now this happens. Aren't you curious to see which other cities made the cut? More creepy-crawly cities after the jump.]]> ASchechter 2011-09-07T08:45:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/9/6/8155/86631 <![CDATA[<P><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6193/HCNYerrat_1.jpg" class="top"> <P>A giant inflatable black rat sits with pride of place on 7th Avenue in Manhattan, just south of Central Park. What's it doing there? Well, first off this rat is hardly a surprise to real New Yorkers, who fondly know it as the <b>"Union Rat"</b> often employed to silently (but very visibly) protest sites of labor tensions. The Union Rat is a very ugly, very menacing beast with beady red eyes and straggly inflated whiskers, but <i>this</i> rat is effectively pimped out; gold money bags in hand and a cigar jauntily clenched between teeth, it draws attention to a big issue in NYC: <b>bed bugs</b>. <P>Slow your sidewalk stride here to read the sign and be instantly JetSetCD 2011-09-06T16:05:03-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/8/11/12257/4440 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/bedbugstuffed.jpg" class="top"><p> We've all had that moment of fear when we've checked out of a hotel and felt a little itchy. Uhoh, did we just spend the night with <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/bed bugs"><b>bed bugs</b></a>? Now imagine if not only you were itching and scratching but your cat was too!<p>That's what a woman is claiming happened to her and her pet after they both spent a few nights at a Holiday Inn in Glendale, Ariz. The woman, who is only going by the name Elena, says she developed red itchy bumps on her neck after checking out the hotel. A doctor determined she had bed bug bites but her cat ended up in worse condition. <a href="http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_west_valley/glendale/pet-owner-says-bedbugs-made-her-cat-sick-at-a-local-hotel">ABC15</a> local news reports: <blockquote><p>"I juliana 2011-08-11T17:16:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/4/29/93450/1674 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/bedbugrepelletn.jpg" class="top"><p> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/bed bugs"><b>Bed bugs</b></a> are a hotel guest's worst nightmare. But there's not much you can do about them since they are so hard to see and it's only when you've returned home from a trip that the telltale red bumps start to invade your skin. <p>And not even avoiding skanky budget hotels will protect you as luxury hotels have been known to be infested too.<p>But now there's a product out there that claims it can keep bed bugs from getting into your suitcase <a href="http://www.ecosmart.com"><b>EcoSmart</b></a> Bed Bug Travel Repellent uses botanical ingredients to "erect a barrier around [a] suitcase and other areas so bed bugs, if they're lurking can&#146;t hitch a ride home." <p>And if you're juliana 2011-04-29T10:20:28-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/