A pregnant woman from Beijing booked a month-long maternity stay at a well-known Sha Tin hotel near her prenatal clinic, following online recommendations. Just days after check-in — right after housekeeping changed the sheets — the nightmare began.
Bitten After the Sheet Change — Mother and Daughter Both Affected
She woke up to find her limbs, finger joints, ankles and elbows covered in red rashes and small blisters, unbearably itchy. Her mother, staying with her, developed identical symptoms. Notably, the rashes appeared only on exposed skin that had touched the bedsheets — nothing new appeared while she was out, but the rash spread out of control every time she rested in the room. A clinic doctor later confirmed the marks were bed bug bites.
HK$37,000 Prepaid, Non-Refundable: “Paying to Suffer”
According to the hotel, its 28-night maternity package costs HK$30,800–$37,240, payable in full upfront with no refunds; guests who cannot show proof of prenatal checkups may be charged an extra HK$10,000 surcharge.
She said she paid tens of thousands in one go, expecting premium maternity accommodation and cleaning — only to end up covered in blisters, calling it “paying to suffer.”
Hotel Blamed Pregnancy Allergies, Refused Medical Costs
The hotel’s response left her furious: the room manager suggested her “pregnancy made her body unusual” and blamed unknown allergies. She shot back that pregnancy made her extra careful — and her mother developing the same symptoms at the same time was no coincidence.
In the middle of the night, the hotel merely changed the sheets and told her to see a doctor on her own — no staff accompanied her, and they refused to cover medical bills. The duty manager later said a third-party insurer had to investigate liability first, which she slammed as dodging responsibility.
Possibly Not an Isolated Room
After the story spread online, she revealed that other expectant mothers and long-stay students in her group chat reported similar bites, suggesting the hygiene problem went beyond a single room. Netizens urged her to file complaints with the Consumer Council and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.
How to Protect Yourself in Hotels
- Inspect first: shine a torch along mattress seams, bed-frame gaps and behind the headboard
- Keep luggage off the floor: use the bathroom or the luggage rack
- Watch for signs: sweet musty odour, rust-coloured blood spots, black faecal specks on sheets
- Change rooms at the first suspicion: take photos as evidence
Further Reading
- Travel Hotel Bed Bug Checklist
- Bed Bug Bite Symptoms: Itch, Red Spots and How to Tell
- DIY Bed Bug Removal Guide
Source: UHK HK Lifestyle (https://hk.ulifestyle.com.hk/topic/detail/20108214/), Xiaohongshu @小懶的京港生活