HotelChatter

I recently went on an 8 day business trip to London, UK and booked at the prestigeous Thistle Charing Cross hotel.

After the first few nights of my stay I noticed what I thought was a small rash on my arm, I didn't think too much of it and blamed it on the soap I was using.  I stopped using their soap.

After a few more nights I noticed that the rash wasn't getting any better in fact a little worst, it still wasn't anything serious and so I wondered what else I may have been allergic to.  I figured it may have been the detergent they used for their bed sheets and so, I started wearing more clothing to sleep.

Then the last two days of my stay came around.  The second last day my whole body broke out in what seemed like either an extreme allergic reaction to something in my room or some very serious bug bites.  I only had one more night to stay at the hotel but I simply couldn't stand what was happening to me anymore so I alerted the hotel staff.

The hotel staff switched me to another room that night but upon the next morning, the rashs/bug bites got a lot worst, it was now spreading to my face. At that point I was seriously terrified.  I thought about checking myself into a hospital but I didn't know how that would work against my insurance, all I knew was that that would be a very costly option.

Since my flight back to Vancouver was only 5 or so hours away, I decided I should go back and see a doctor at home.  

The time between leaving the hotel to landing in Vancouver was an absolute nightmare.  I was confused, scared, and in itching and swelling all over.  I still didn't know at that point whether I was deadly allergic to something or whether I had been eaten alive by a colony of bed bugs.  All I knew was that whatever it was, it was getting worst and fast, every hour I would notice new spots and the old spots just swelled more and more.

I immediately went to my doctor the moment I landed in Vancouver and long story short, he thinks it's a case of bed bug bites, the worst he has ever seen.  I was then placed on 40mg of prednisone and some other meds to help with the itching and since then, I have been on 4 other medications, most recently dexamethasone from a dermatologist.

The bites do seem to be getting better and the dermatologist said I should be fine in a few weeks, if that estimate is correct, then it will have taken a month for my bug bites to heal.

What really gets me is that the hotel staff saw the bites on my arm and neck when I left the hotel (that's all I cared to show them, I have bites all over my body) and yet, they charged me full price for my stay with them.  They put me through hell and I paid full price for it.

It's something I simply cannot stomach.  However, at the time, making a scene was the last thing on my mind, getting out of London and seeing a doctor was my first priority.

If it was just a few bites here and there I would just let it go but I had easily over 150 bites on my body.  I cannot simply let this go.

I need advice on what actions to take from this point on wards, I have kept a detail log with photos of what I've been through and continue to go through, any advice would be helpful.

Thank-you.

Tags: Bed Bugs / Thistle Hotels / Hotel Hell / Bug Bites

by vanmember