vitaminddrew
Friends Getaway · October 20252/10
I am not one to write hotel reviews for no good reason. However, there was a serious health and safety issue with Hotel Borges Chiado that future guests deserve to know.
I stayed four nights in thi...I am not one to write hotel reviews for no good reason. However, there was a serious health and safety issue with Hotel Borges Chiado that future guests deserve to know.
I stayed four nights in this hotel, and although my room was dated and the air conditioning was not working , the real trouble started when I noticed welt/bites on my arms and back after two nights of my stay. I initially relegated this to mosquito bites. But in the morning of my third day of stay, I noticed drops of blood on my bedsheets. This triggered me to inspect further, under the sheets and mattresses for any signs of bugs/insects. That was when my worst fear was confirmed - the bites were from bed bugs. I clearly saw the dead bed bug, which I must have swatted in my sleep, causing the trail of blood. I kept this bug for the hotel management to see. One might question whether I know how a bed bug looks like. Fortunately, two of my travel companions worked in a downtown Emergency room in Toronto, and, needless to say, they have seen bed bugs on patients. Both confirmed that the bug I nervously held in my ziploc bag was indeed a bed bug. Upon further assessment of my bites, the signature pattern of bed bug bites, that is usually a group of three red welts in a line (pictured below) came to light. The bed bug usually travels in a line or zigzag to find a blood vessel, resulting in multiple bites in this pattern.
I immediately alerted the hotel frontline staff about this situation. The response I received from João the front desk staff was non-apologetic, non-empathetic to say the least. No “I am sorry”, nothing. I got a blank stare and was told to wait for “ a couple hours, until they can see if they can move me to another room”. I had told them that there was clearly no other option. I had also asked whether there was a manager on site to speak with, I was told there was none. Upon further deliberation, João decided that he will move me to another room. I had asked whether this was an upgraded or renovated room (similar to the one my travel companions had). The response was a chuckle (I kid you not !), and he said “no it’s just same standard room but just no bed bugs”. There was no offer of recompense, not even an apology. The nonchalant way of how João acknowledged “bed bugs” though hinted that this may not be the first time that staff have had heard these complaints from guests.
The hotel clearly has to address the bed bug infestation in their facility. The onus must not be on the customer to alert the pertinent travel and healthcare agencies to outline a clear intervention. Moreover, hotel staff need a clear re-education of how to handle customer concerns, with empathy and compassion. I had multiple bites all over my body from a hotel room I paid for with good intention with an expectation that, at a minimum, I can sleep peacefully with no safety concerns. Instead, I had suffered immensely from this incident.Show More
