Rome Tops Europe in Hotel Bed Bug Complaints

A new study of 12.9 million TripAdvisor reviews from 59 popular European destinations says Rome is Europe’s worst city for bed bug complaints by a wide margin. The research was conducted by mattress company MattressNextDay and found 31.37 complaints about bed bugs and dirty mattresses per 1,000 reviews in Rome, the only city in the survey to exceed 30.

The problem is not limited to budget stays. Two other Italian cities, Venice and Florence, also made the top 10, ranking seventh and ninth with 12.66 and 10.43 complaints per 1,000 reviews, respectively. The findings suggest that even luxury hotels are not immune, despite many high-end properties in Rome still receiving praise for cleanliness and service.

Travelers described disturbing experiences in TripAdvisor forums and the Rick Steves community, including waking up with hundreds of bites, seeing live insects on the bedding, and struggling to get hotel staff to respond. Some guests said they were left to fight for refunds on their own while also paying medical and laundry costs.

MattressNextDay CEO Martin Seely warned that the biggest mistake is placing a suitcase on the bed as soon as entering the room. He advised keeping luggage off the floor and away from upholstered furniture, ideally on a luggage rack or even in the bathroom, while quickly checking mattress seams, corners and edges for dark spots or live bugs. He said one unnoticed female bed bug can lay 200 to 500 eggs in two months, and most people only discover they brought pests home weeks after returning. The report also urges travelers to check recent reviews on TripAdvisor and the Global Bed Bug Registry before booking.