Holidaymaker's dream birthday trip turns into nightmare as hotel room 'BED BUGS' leave her curled up in fear
By BENJAMIN PARKER
Published: | Updated:
A tourist was left devastated when her birthday travels turned into a nightmare with her covered in what she claims was bed bug bites – though the hotel has insisted they were not.
Vivi Shi decided to take a trip with her best friend, Jackie, to celebrate her 30th birthday.
The pair, from Toronto, Canada, flew nearly 4,000 miles across the pond to Venice in Italy.
They had booked a hotel room for £400 and were excited to explore the historic city.
Unfortunately, things didn't go smoothly.
'The shock hit when I saw [what looked like] blood stains on the bed,' said Vivi, who works in education.
'I checked the seams and there they were: Bed bugs.
'My friend killed one crawling on her arm at 3am and ended up lying on the cold bathroom floor because it was the only place that felt "safe".
Vivi Shi (right) decided to take a trip to Italy with her best friend, Jackie, to celebrate her 30th birthday
Despite high expectation, the travellers were left devastated after being left covered in what she claims were bits from bed bug
'I checked the seams and there they were: Bed bugs,' claims Vivi – but the hotel denies that they were not
'My dream trip started with us curled up on tiles in fear.
'We couldn't stop itching and every tickle on my skin made me panic that something was crawling on me.'
Vivi claims the pair were unable to book another room due to them arriving late into the evening and the reception at the hotel allegedly being closed.
But after speaking with staff at the Ca' San Polo hotel the next morning, they were moved to another room.
Vivi claims the horror continued.
She said: 'By the third morning, we woke up with the telltale bites.
'The bites were in a row formation and were super itchy. More bugs and eggs kept showing up.'
Vivi claims that both she and Jackie ended up soaking their clothes in boiling water in an attempt to clean them off any sort of insect remnants, but to no avail.
Vivi said the pair 'couldn't stop itching and every tickle on my skin made me panic that something was crawling on me'
Viva and Jackie ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor – they said it was the only place they felt safe
They claim to have left the hotel with 'nothing but our passports and bank cards'
They allegedly ended up throwing away over £500 worth of clothing after the trip.
She added: 'We left the hotel carrying nothing but our passports and bank cards in a plastic bag.
'The city itself is magical but my experience was a nightmare. Looking back, the story is comical but in the moment we were suffering.
'I will never go back.'
The friends visited Venice between 18 to 22 July.
A representative from Ca' San Polo hotel said: 'As we had already stated previously, those insects were absolutely not bedbugs.
'After an inspection by a specialised company, it was confirmed that they were simply insects that had fallen from the wooden beams.'
Earlier this week, a travel expert revealed that holidaymakers should avoid putting their suitcase on the hotel bed or sofa.
The accommodation set the pair back £400 – and Viva has vowed never to find herself in a situation like that again
Travel writer Lydia Mansel said soft furnishings, like beds and chairs in hotel rooms, could be harbouring pesky bed bugs.
To protect your belongings, Lydia recommends putting luggage either in the bathroom, the entryway, or somewhere away from the bed and carpet.
'This way, my belongings are far enough away from any furniture where bed bugs usually reside—and I significantly lower my chances of bringing them home.'
She advises leaving a note for them to ensure the cases stay put because luggage racks can also be carriers for bed bugs, too.
Daily Mail
