We will be going to NYC in June, I cannot believe how high the prices have become. I recently saw an article on the TV about bedbugs in NYC hotels. I am very concerned, any advice. We are looking at the Holiday Inn Marquis and The Fitzpatrick hotels. Any other ones anyone can suggest that are not over 250 a night.

Bedbugs are the new thing to be concerned about in hotels, and they seem to have no regard for the pricetag associated with the room.

As we have developed more environmentally friendly insecticides, the critters have developed an immunity to these milder chemicals (seems we have a choice of one that is toxic to both humans and bugs or something less strong that does not kill all the bugs).

Some attribute the increae in bug reporting to increae in international travel - I am not sure I buy that one since bedbugs reports are faily new.

Another way the bedbugs "travel" is when a furniture company picks up an old mattress and leans it against a new one.

Are you talking about the Holiday Inn Martinique on 32nd St - not the most exciting location - but hotel seems acceptable.

Have you looked at applecore hotel group - budget places that get generally not bad reviews.

and if there are only 2 of you - you might try Priceline - it couldn;t hurt to look.

I can't help but to inspect the bedding when I check in hotels now...
I look in the creases of the mattress, where the cording is around the bed, behind the headboard, too.
You look for bugs and poop, which supposedly looks like little brown specs.
May be crazy, but it eases my mind.
I also carry a pillow case... I wish I could find a bright colored hypo-allergenic zip case but they are all white and I know I will forget it at the hotel.

There is a Marriott Marquis and a Holiday Inn Martinique. Have you mixed the two?

I watched a report recently that advised NOT to bring your own sheet or pillowcase unless you plan to leave it behind. Bedbugs could travel from the hotel back home with you...you can't always see them. By the time you wash the pillowcase back home the bugs may be in your luggage, out of your luggage, and into your living room.

I think I'd rather get bitten by a couple of little bugs than take the things home with me and watch them multiply.

Have you tried the Doubletree? It is centerally located, was booked when we went but I thought it was reasonable.

Let's not start the bedbug paranoia again. Yes, there have been an increase in the number of bedbug incidents but it is not an epidemic, and your chances of getting bitten are not that likely.

You're probably thinking of Ichthammol salve. It is black, gooey, and smells like tar. It is a miracle "drug" in my opinion. I've had festering infections with deep rooted splinters, and one night of Ichtammol pulled it all out.

June prices are very high. I like quikbook.com for shopping prices. I don't like the location of the HI Martinique and not crazy about the location of the Fitzpatrick at Grand Central. Have a look at the Kimberly.

Weird. How did that salve comment get here? I hadn't even looked at this thread, and I posted that to another thread all together. What's more it's there!

I dunno, Neo, but perhaps if you spread that salve all over the mattress, all the bedbugs could be pulled out too? Ya think the hotel would notice? LOL

We just spent 4 nights at the Rihga Royal and we did not have any bug encounters.

-Bill

Neopolitan,
Your recommendation wound up on the correct thread because I copied and pasted it there. I was the one who couldn't remember the name of the salve.

Tracy...
Yikes, I never thought of that...
I would not even stay in the hotel if I detected bed bugs.
I generally take a case because I have bad allergies and it helps control the dust mites that I breath. If I don't take a case, I ask for an extra from the cleaning staff.
May all be in my head... but I just think those pillows are nasty and I don't have room to carry my own.

I am very afraid of bed bugs, because I am one of those lucky people that they like. Seems they only bite certain people. I came home from Key West with some sort of rash that got really bad, went to the skin doctor, had to have sterlize, and use lots of medicine to get it to go away. My husband that was with me never got one bite.

Tracy...so do you never sit on the bed, lay out your luggage or clothes on the bed, etc? What about your night gown, or whatever you wear to bed?

TxTravelPro: What about dyeing your case with some Rit?

And, yes, I inspect the mattresses/headboard also!

alarmist, did the doctor actually diagnose it as bedbug bites? Someone else here, (seetheworld?) just came back with a rash from FL too. There are all sorts of rash producing critters there, from no-see-ums to sea lice to chiggers. Bugs seem to take to some people more than others, but I honestly don't think bedbugs are that selective a critter. They are STILL, despite all the publicity, a pretty rare occurrence in the US!!

Yes, that's me, Seetheworld! Still itching, a week later.

At first I thought "Bedbugs!", but then the voice of reason (my husband) asked if I had any bites "Where the Sun Don't Shine?" Thankfully the answer to that was "NO!"

Yes, and I also saw them on the bed and killed a few, but did not know what they were. Told the hotel, and they fumigated, but I got bites, and it spread.