Bed Bugs ALERT - do NOT stay in Waldorf Apts in Eastwood
 

We just came back from vacation in Sydney, Australia and our family endured a serious case of Bed Bug infestation in our apartment at Waldorf Apartments in Eastwood. Serious as in beg bug bite marks on my face, ears, neck, arms, hands and legs. Mine did not show up til 9 days later (which can happen) but my brother's bites flared up right away as he had an allergic reaction to them (the bed bugs saliva is what causes this).

I caution everyone to steer clear away from that building.

In fact, if there is another apartment rental company you are looking at, then i would suggest you try them instead of Waldorf.

We found them to be very unprofessional and lacked any concern in how this affected our family. Maybe they have had this problem in the past as they seemed quite unfazed when we advised them of this.

We were forced to vacate the unit and move to another unit. The caretakers were forced to take all our clothes to be dry-cleaned, and fumigate the unit to rid the apartment of bed bugs and possible eggs. Aside from that, nothing further was done to ensure our comfort and satisfaction nor did we even receive a proper apology for this occurrenece. Even when we complained about this, their reply was for us to lodge a formal complaint with the Department of Fair Trading.

Apparently now I discover that Australia has a huge problem with Beg Bugs in hotels and short-stay lodges such as Waldorf so I would caution everyone to check their accommodations particularly the mattresses and mattress box before sleeping.

Oh my god, that sounds really dreadful !
Hope you recover...
Night Night sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite...remember that??

Sorry

Muck

I'm itching just READING this!

Thankfully I've never put a client in this property, and now I never will, that's for sure!

Thanks for the info!

Melodie
Certified Aussie Specialist

Yes we have bed bugs in Australia now. never used to have them. Big problem? not really. Mainly in older buildings where there are cracks and crevices. Backpackers usually are accommodated in such buildings. However they are not fussy and can end up anywhere.

Came in with those damn tourists. Don't we fumigate them anymore?

I reckon those tourist types owe us an apology, they leave without their passengers. :)

btw They have been found in many hotel chains. Do we boycott those as well? Also they live on aircraft, do we boycott them as well?

They have them in all major tourist destinations the world over, do we just stop travelling?

I think a balanced approach is required. Nobody wants them and if you do find them let the owner know in an intelligent fashion and I am sure they will sort the problem out in a professional manner. Act like you have been infected with a deadly virus they may find you more of an irritant than the bugs themselves.

Just keep a clear head about it, they are after all just an insect bite.

Tassietwister is 100% spot on. These days, some say particularly after the tourist influx of Sydney Olympics, they're here and present a monstrous headache to all ranges of accommodation. The present "solution" is professional fumigation of room which must be then sealed for a week to destroy any eggs. And that's only when they're discovered, a housemaid could have inadvertently transferred the bug or its eggs to other rooms. The presence of bed bugs anywhere these days is no indication of the state of hygiene of a property, they travel, particularly in backpacks and seams of soft luggage and they're not at all fussy who they bite, be it backpacker or 5 star guest. The checking of mattresses isn't much use, they could be lurking behind skirting boards, door fixtures, or even in your own luggage.

Tassie & Pat,

Hey, you don't have the market cornered on bugs ya know - we have our share of cockroaches and palmetto bugs which "come with the territory" in some parts of the US -- just as Tassie said, you can find them at the Hilton or the Motel 6!

I once stayed in B&B type of place (former slave quarters actually) in New Orleans and I felt something crawling on my sheet -- I tossed up the sheet and heard something hit the floor! Then of course I had the lights on, the Husband Hunter on the prowl....and he found a cockroach about the size of a hubcap. He trapped it in the plastic water cup from the bathroom and I marched downstairs to the Night Clerk to confront him with the offending critter.

He glanced up from his magazine, reached over, took the cup, emptied the contents outside, stomped on it and drawled "Why M'am, you're just like my ex-wife...all that fuss over a little-bitty palmetto bug!" :)

Melodie

i am certainly not saying that Waldorf is the only establishment which has bed bugs - trust me, i've done enough research in the last several days to know they can stem from anywhere, including planes (infact, one writer even declared bed bugs to be the "greatest traveler in the world"!). the waldorf owner who i spoke to personally on the phone simply did not appear concerned or cared much for the fact that we were clearly upset about this. not only were we forced to contact him ourselves, he didn't even have the courtesy to apologize for this and did not act in a very professional manner at all. i think this is much more than a simple inconvenience.

the bed bugs had EXISTED in that unit for at least 6-8 weeks - yes, 6-8 weeks (this was confirmed by the pest control people who came to fumigate the place).

we requested the owner to come speak to us personally and nearly an entire week went by before the caretaker finally telephoned him again at our request. the owner reasoned on the phone that "he was too busy and on his way overseas" to come see us. uh huh.

they're "only" insect bites, you say? try having hundreds of bite marks on you, including a trail of bite marks on your ears and your face; i tried to count the bite marks this morning on just my forearms alone and i gave up after 100. i can't even bear to look at the many marks that i have on both sides of my neck.

and if you should be so lucky to have an allergic reaction where these bite marks turn into large welts which may not disappear for weeks, then come post a message again.

melodie lol!!

You missed the plot I think :)

I give an example

Dog owner takes Fido for holiday at dog kennel A. When picking up Fido after his spa treatment notices cockroaches and silverfish and weevils in the doggie biscuits. Posts on doggy owners forum saying "don't go there". Rightly so, so all doggy owners take their respective Fidos to kennel B. No problems reported at kennel B.

Change scenario

Doggie owner picks up Fido at kennel A and horror ! Fido has fleas. So posts on forum "don't go there" so all doggie owners take their Fidos to kennel B. Guess what kennel B gets infested with fleas. Why? because the problem is with the dogs, not the kennel owner.

Unless the dog owners themselves take some responsibility the problem will just keep moving with the dogs.


giggle

In the US Accor Hotels was sued by a guest who had bed bug bites. This type of mentality has also become epidemic here. So you will never get an apology when that means the company may get sued as it is an admission of guilt. Especially as many property owners see themselves more of a victim of this problem than the guest. That is the guest can leave but their hitchhikers stay put.

I take it you wanted more from your post, Afterall you were moved, had your clothes cleaned etc etc. The place was fumigated. The owner fulfilled his duty of care. He probably saw dollar signs in your eyes because that is what I read between the lines.

There is nothing you say that proves negligence on behalf of the property owner, Nothing.

This is a global problem and the only way to stop it is to share responsibility. If you assign all blame onto property owners then the problem will never go away.

You may say Australia has a problem with bed bugs but what we are saying is we have a problem with tourists from US and Europe bringing in bed bugs.

You wanted a professional response. I am asking for a more respnsibiile post on your behalf, You are just out to hurt and be vindictive.

OK Tassietwister I get your point and as an ex-B&B owner had someone come to me with that sort of problem I think I would have been mortified to say the least. A property owner does have a duty of care to their occupier but to show concern, compassion or attention to such a matter would not prove negligence nor would it prove responsibility for the situation.
From a psychological point of view, in effect had the owner showed some concern and perhaps some sympathy in the situation the resulting post may have been different and perhaps read something like this: Bed Bug Alert (condensed version) : "I had a case of bites which were dreadfully annoying however the owner did everything possible for me, we were moved, the place fumigated and he went as far as to purchase some ointment for the bites for us - a most unpleasant experience but at least it was not brushed under the table".
Perhaps its a particular issue with only some of us but if I feel "hard done by" I will go to any lengths to see that I get revenge i.e. bought a computer from Harvey Norman early December as a Xmas present - opened at Xmas but had to wait for Technician to install all the bibs and bobs when he ( all tradesmen in Australia ) back at work second week in January - he opened the box, the computer did not work, H.N. would not take it back, give a refund or anything because I had not opened it 2 weeks from buying it ( well why would you if it was for Xmas?). They could not have cared less actually and when I asked 'when' they would do something about it I was told "when they were ready". Well that inflamed me into action big time ( let me say here that H.N. stores are franchaised and this was the Gold Coast one and it was their policies etc etc so all stores are not the same). I phoned Consumer Affairs, took a Magistrates Order out, phoned head office and said that the next day I would be picketing HN on the Gold Coast with white wash all over the streets etc and when the TV crews come I will prove that not all advertising is good! I got my refund within 25 minutes. I will never purchase another product from HN and will spend the rest of my life telling everyone about them. Now the situation would have been very different if they had said to me - we will do everything we can to sort this out- leave it with us and we will get back to you with a suitable resolution this PM and here is a PC to use in the mean time.
Litergation or no litergation prospects should not stop a businessperson from being a normal human being and taking a head in the sand attitude will not help at all.
I feel very much for gigglepots and their nasty experience and I hope that this would not deter them from taking holidays wherever in the future and stay in an apartment/hotel.
You know that old saying " never judge a person until you have spent one week in his mocassins (sp??)" Take yourself out in some mozzie ridden place and stay for half an hour and you may get some idea how these poor people feel.

Liz

Yes, maybe the wording.

I can relate. i have stayed in rooms with creepy crawlies but I didn't lose sleep over it (apart from the night in question that is :)).I cannot relate to this reaction at all though.

I am a walking allergy but it has never occured to me to blame someone for that.

Different mindset.

I just wonder if these same people would like their name and address posted on forums if they were caught accidently carrying the bugs into this country.

If they would not like it then do unto others.....

Really if it is ok then all carriers should be publicly identified.

I'm here at the Rydges Jamison in Sydney. After the 3rd night, I awoke with a couple dozen red bumps all across my stomach.

My boyfriend did not have any. I KNOW I did not have them the night before though. However, I remembered hearing that bedbug bites are excruciatingly itchy, and these did not itch at all. So I figured it was fine.

Later on in the day, I was lying there and felt something ticklish. My boyfriend had a look and a teeny little bug was on my arm (and was pretty tough to get off). Didn't really look like photos I had seen of bed bugs though. He killed it and flicked it off the bed.

Or at least I thought he did. An hour later, I spotted another one (or the same one) crawling on the white sheets.

So I did end up approaching the front desk when there were no other patrons around and quietly asking if they have ever had a problem with any kind of bed bugs. They said no, and so I explained what happened. They were very nice about it and said they could change our rooms. I actually was quite comfortable in ours, and said maybe a change of sheets would be better. They complied right away. I apologized, and just said I would feel better, although I was pretty certain it was nothing to be too concerned about.

Anyway, no bites or critters seen since, so I don't think bedbugs were the culprit. On a side note, this is a lovely hotel with very accommodating staff.

LizF, thank you for your compassion. really - that's all we were looking for from waldorf management. a little empathy would have gone a long way. perhaps my subject title proved to be a little ambiguous in that i was saying don't stay at waldorf because of bed bugs. i meant to say, don't stay there not only cuz they have bed bugs PLUS they are extremely unprofessional.

i do not put blame on the waldorf apts for having a serious bed bug infestation. i understand the ramifications of bed bugs traveling on people, their clothes and luggages. someone probably brought these bed bugs into the unit, but i simply wanted to caution anyone wanting to stay there now because their bed bug removal techniques may not be as sound as you think. i have done further research which indicates that one fumigation of the unit will not suffice and it needs to be done another 2 or 3 times before the bed bug problem is gone (hundreds of hidden eggs which you cannot see with the naked eye may have laid in crevices and cracks that will hatch 1 or 2 weeks after fumigation has taken place).

is it a possibility that waldorf had fumigated the unit in the past but the bed bugs still remained? how else could the bed bugs have existed for 6-8 weeks undetected. these bed bugs were both nymphs and adults which indicates to me that the adults had feasted at least 5 times on someone before maturing.

who cleaned the sheets? did they not notice the blood and fecal stains (now i know what they look like). did they not see all the bed bugs lined up under the mattress? what about the slight sweet-smelling musty odor in the unit (also another tell-tale sign).

if you do your research, then you will know that there has been a surgence of bed bugs existing all around the world, and there is a report by the NSW Health Department that did a study indicating that 79% of short-stay lodges in australia admitted there was a problem. it is up to these short-stay lodges to keep abreast of this serious issue if they want to stay in business. not sweep things under the rug and think that fumigating the place once and moving us to another unit will make things right. they advised us they were throwing out the mattresses to rid themselves of these bed bugs, but what about the wood furniture in the rooms? bed bugs hide in bed posts, dressers, anywhere with cracks - even behind electric sockets.

i caution fodorites for your own well-being so that this does not happen to anyone else. that's all. go ahead and stay at waldorf apts in eastwood. ask for unit 7. i hope for your sake that waldorf has properly gotten rid of the bed bugs. check the telephone in the room too. apparently bed bugs can hide in there as well.

and naturally this occurrence has affected us so deeply that even on my return home i am STILL paranoid that i may have brought these buggers back home to me. every day since i have been back i am on the constant look out for these bed bugs and pray that they do not exist.

as a professional company, waldorf has the responsibility and the duty of care to ensure their customer's safety and happiness. i do not put my name out there in advertising and market myself to service any customers in short stay lodging. THEY do. as a result, any kind of professional service company such as theirs take on this possible risk that their name may be plastered all over the news should the occasion arises. that is the risk you take for being in business.

Actually gigglepots I am taking on board what you are saying as I will be in Peru next week and although I expect to have an apartment for the most of the time I will also be staying in a provincial town for a couple of nights and the cost of accommodation is $16 so I will be packing something in the form of personal insect repellant I think.
Someone, was it Tassietwister, mentioned that we used to have people come onto the aircrafts landing in Australia and spray the planes - perhaps we should do that again and every more so - the luggage. If the is a bad infestation problem Worldwide then that may be the time to try and stop it.
Golly now I feel itchy just thinking about it....

LizF, have a wonderful time in Peru! BTW, what type of personal insect repellant will you be taking with you?

Hi Liz, hope you have a great time in Peru too. Don't know about the personal insect repellant effectiveness - you'd have to sleep covered in it and don't think it would work anyway. Even commercial cockroach spray is ineffective. Anyway, it most probably won't come to that.

gigglepots, the apartment management's response does sound less than it should have been. Their fumigation methods don't sound too thorough - professional pest exterminators, in Queensland, anyway send two people to ascertain problem is bed bugs and if it is the room is fumigated. Room is sealed and after 3/4 days they return to check if re-spraying is necessary. At this stage all moveable furniture, pictures,phones, clock radios, etc are sealed in strong black plastic and left outside in sun for at least a week to kill any remaining eggs. All bedding, curtains etc must be washed in very hot water and dried in sun, not clothes dryers. The room is not OK'd for re-occupation by pest exterminator company until they've been back to check that there is no evidence of infestation at least a week later. If there is, the whole thing has to be repeated. Even after all of this there's no guarantees, as chemicals pest control companies are required to use by law are not as effective as those used in the past.

Thanks Happy and Pat. Well about insect repellant, as I am going to be in Peru I will use Pisco Sour which works very well. You have 1,2 or 3 little glasses of it before going to bed and you wouldn't know if an elephant sat on your face, let alone if you had an itch. If you find you itch the next morning have another glass and the itching will go away. In Italy I use Sambucca but I am a bit worried about staying over night in LA because I have not known "Bud" to all that effective at all. I think in my youth I never encountered them because I had had a dosing of Port Vintage 99 when I was about 17 and I don't think anything came near me for years after that. I know it was very expensive at 7shillings and 6 pence so that could have been the reason. You will just have to find your own good repellant wherever you go I think. But the locals are always happy to help you find something that works.

I detect some creeping hyperbole on this post ie: Melodie claims her Hunter Husband trapped a cockroach as big as a hubcap in a plastice drinking cup. I ask you where does one buy drinking cups as large as hubcaps? Are these like the beer glasses referred to as "schooners"

AndrewDavid from the land of rattlesnakes and scorpions

Thanks Melodie - palmetto bugs turned up in something I was reading the other night and wondered what they are.

G'day Andrew, nice to hear from you. Did encounter a scorpion once in a hotel room in Italy, but have never met a rattlesnake. Do they rattle before attacking (giving fair warning) or does the rattle happen at the moment, or after, the bite?

Pat, Not to worry, they spend most of their energy trying to get away from us humans. Hope you and Mike are A-OK
AndrewDavid

AndrewDavid,

One did not have to procure plastic drinking cups, they were provided at our establishment...yes, that's right, that's what was in the bathroom instead of..um...well, a REAL glass. (hey, I just stay at the BEST places).

OK, it was an 8 oz glass, but at 1:30A, you trap a cockroach in there and see what you think of its size!

Pat: Palmetto bugs are native to the South in the US. Frankly, I think it's marketing. It's a large beetle type flying thing that at first glance could be mistaken for a cockroach. Unless you're from the South, where they just shrug and say "oh, Palmetto bug".

Years ago a friend of mine was working as a waitress in Florida in a brand new hotel. They sent her into one of the banquet rooms to pick up something and when she turned on the light, she said she thought the walls were "moving". Turns out the workmen had left a window open to air out the smell of something or other and all of the walls were covered in them!

Melodie