When you book a hotel, what scares you most? The price, a dirty room, bad service — or bed bugs? A 2026 study by bed bug prevention company Valpas and travel research firm Phocuswright gives the answer: travelers in the US, UK and France rank bed bugs as their top hotel worry, above cleanliness, staff service and price.
What the survey found: bed bugs first, 70% check reviews before booking
- Who ran it: Valpas × Phocuswright, 2026 study, validated by Bureau Veritas.
- Who was surveyed: travelers in the United States, United Kingdom and France.
- Top worry: bed bugs are the number-one concern when staying at a hotel, ranking above cleanliness, staff service and price.
- Before booking: around 70% of travelers check online reviews for bed bug complaints before confirming a reservation.
- On arrival: around half inspect the mattress and bed frame themselves for signs of bed bugs after entering the room.
- What the company says: Valpas CEO Martim Gois was interviewed about the findings.
Why bed bugs scare people so much: they don't just bite, they follow you home
- They travel with you: an expensive room stings; a dirty room can be complained about. But bed bugs cling to luggage and clothing, follow you home and establish themselves there — getting rid of them costs far more than the room did.
- No respect for star ratings: five-star hotels get bed bugs too, which is exactly why travelers are so anxious — expensive does not mean safe.
- The psychological shadow: once bitten, travelers start inspecting every hotel room automatically. That lost trust is hard to win back.
What travelers actually do: review keywords plus a three-step room check
- Check reviews: search reviews for "bed bugs" keywords before booking and look at complaints from recent months; avoid hotels with reports.
- Inspect the room: before setting luggage down, check mattress corners, bed frame crevices and behind the headboard for black spots (droppings), blood stains or shed skins.
- Keep luggage off the bed: put bags on the luggage rack or in the bathroom, never directly on the bed or floor; check again before heading home.
Also applies to Hong Kong travelers: what to do before and after a trip
- Extra care on US/Europe routes: the survey covered exactly the US, UK and France — Hong Kong travelers heading there should check reviews before booking.
- Don't assume expensive means safe: bed bugs don't care about star ratings; inspect the room even at luxury hotels.
- Quarantine on return: seal clothing suspected of bed bug exposure in bags for observation; wash fabrics in hot water and run them through a hot dryer cycle.
Read the travel hotel bed bug checklist before your trip; if bed bugs do follow you home, the DIY bed bug removal guide walks through the full process.
Sources
- Travel And Tour World (YouTube, 9 Oct 2026, citing the Valpas × Phocuswright study) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQIa-VNYNiE
(Written 18 Oct 2026; compiled from public reporting. Survey figures as published by Valpas/Phocuswright. Not to be confused with item #12's UK monitoring figure of one infested room per 42 — that is actual infestation rate; this is traveler concern.)