My son stayed at the Shaftesbury Metropolis Hyde Park for 1 night on Monday in transit because it had decent reviews and was close to Paddington. He awoke in the morning and had a rash on his head, face, arms and feet.. Was able to see a doctor who said it could be bed bugs or allergy, most likely bugs. When he checked out, the manager made his sign a disclaimer that it was allergy NOT bugs. He had to get out of there in a hurry to get to Heathrow, so he did it. Obviously, they must have some problems in order to do this. What is his recourse.? Is the paper legal or just a scare tactic? Not looking to sue or anything, but the least they could do is refund the cost of the night. Do we start at the hotel or go to corporate? Thanks for any help on how to proceed

How did the manager make him sign?

I mean if he assulted your son and forced his hand to sign the document then recourse would be by the Police, though evidence would be required.

I just struggle with the idea that someone can be made to sign anything in a big hotel in London.

If you are not looking to sue then you don't need to know what the legality of the document is.

I'd just drop the hotel a note, if you get a knock back then go to HQ.

Looking at TA the hotel seems to have some wide ranging comments. Given the comments I might have avoided this hotel

I have a small experience with bedbugs from a guesthouse in Laos and the bites form a distinctive pattern that I wouldn't describe as a "rash". They bite in a line, in my case just 3. Your description doesn't sound at all like bedbug bites. I suspect the hotel was not to blame, was coincidental, and suggest he just forget about it. If it persists, get treatment for an allergy, antihistamines and cortisone cream was the treatment I received in a similar situation.

I think it would be difficult to prove this rash was caused by the hotel unless your son was able to document pictures of bedbugs in his hotel room.

If he has documentation from the doctor he saw, this could bolster his case but I am not certain what this would accomplish. I think your son may wish to write to the management of the hotel to advise them to inspect the room thoroughly where he stayed. He could send a copy of the note along to the corporate headquarters. Retaining an attorney would likely cost much more money than the cost of the room.

If that's the end of it, and the red spots go away, why would he sue them, anyway? The doctor didn't even know what they were. So now after the fact, he'd try to go after them to get a free room? How could he possibly do that?

I also wonder how the manager "made" him sign anything, unless he held him at gunpoint.

Why are you trying to go after the hotel at all when you have no proof of anything? let it go

Let it go. You can't prove it was the hotel's fault, signed paper or no signed paper, and there was no lasting harm done.

Also, assuming your son is an adult, why are you even asking? It's his affair, isn't it? He signed a statement absolving the hotel of blame, and that's that. (Drop the "they MADE him sign it" thing--that dog won't hunt.)

Great troll post...working wonderfully and fun to watch all the people who have been sucked in, too.

as MmePerdue states, bed bugs are easily identifiable by a line of red spots - often on arms or legs - sounds like your son had an allergic reaction to something

read their customer care page - hilarious

<<We hope you'll enjoy our hospitality and have a lush stay with us in London.>>

http://www.theshaftesbury.com/customer-care.html

They have been reported as having ed bugs, in the pst, so I would believe the son:
http://registry.bedbugs.net/united-k...yde-park-hotel

As I said he is NOT looking to SUE just to get his night refunded. He has all the indications of bugs. Bumps in a line. Bumps in clusters of 3. I do not understand why or how he signed a paper as we have just been texting. Will probably bring it to the attention of corporate and see what they do or don't do. Have no idea why people are so nasty here. Thank you for the tip about the Neem Oil. That was the kind of information I was looking for

Just a be aware kind of thing and some precautions.
If (a big if) it actually was bed bugs, they like to hide in tiny dark crevasses. It is unlikely, but some people think they could travel in luggage. When he gets home, he should not bring his suit case inside the house. He should take his things out and put them into a plastic bag tightly tied to either carry them to wash or take to laundry mat. Put his suit case in a heavy garbage bag and leave it outside. Unfortunately, most places it is not hot enough right now for them to die from heat outside. Another option is to buy a twin size mattress encasement. Put the suitcase in that for storage. Any bugs in it can not get out and will eventually die.
For himself, change clothes in the bathroom and do the same with those clothes.

We have never had a problem, and I was never concerned until the last couple of years when NYC had issues with them. Now, I take a couple of heavy plastic bags to put all my clothes in the last night of a trip. Easier to wash when we get home.
It is a bit paranoid, but If we ever got them, I don't think I would have the energy to do the work of getting rid of them.

Recently, a friend came and I learned after she was here for a few days, that the home she came from had a hugh bed bug infestation. She did keep her things in plastic bags and did not bring in a suitcase, but I took precautions and then had an inspector who said we had none.

OTOH, I have had several extremely severe allergic reactions to cleaning chemicals used in hotels and, I believe, to nicotine particles left from previous guests. Those did not cause a rash, but perhaps they could.

My girls both had reactions to some kind of bleach, and you don't know what the sheets were washed in. That definitely caused a rash.

Really, at this point, all you can do is hope there is no lingering reaction to whatever it was, and make sure he doesn't carry anything home.

<Thank you for the tip about the Neem Oil. That was the kind of information I was looking for>

Where did you ask for treatment ideas? Your entire post is about how to get a refund for the night's stay, after the dubious claim that your ADULT son was "made" to sign a "paper". You didn't say anything about "Bumps in a line. Bumps in clusters of 3" until after Mme Perdu said her bedbug bites were in a line and she happened to have just three--happened to have. You originally said he "had a rash on his head, face, arms and feet". A rash.

You are either a troll or someone who is so desperate to get a refund for one night's stay that you'll change your story to get it. You got the responses you deserve.

<i>They have been reported as having ed bugs, in the pst, so I would believe the son:</i>

Over 4 years ago.

<i>"Have no idea why people are so nasty here."</i>
People aren't being nasty but responding to a (double) post which has obviously been written in the heat of the moment without having all the facts to hand (if you have just been texting each other).

I also see you posted exactly the same thing on Trip Advisor and have got similar answers there.

Story would be more believeable if the son had written it himself.

Maybe he can't write or got bitten elsewhere, (like a brothel or so) and had to make up a story to cover himself ?

Why not ?