Travel Influencer Suffers Countless Bed Bug Bites That Lead to Severe Swelling and Panic Attack After Hotel Stay

NEED TO KNOW

• Travel content creator Hannah Stephenson shared photos of severe bed bug bites she claims to have gotten at a Travelodge in Cambridge

• Stephenson said the bites caused swelling, sleeplessness, and even a panic attack, requiring her to take antihistamines

• According to the BBC , Travelodge has since apologized to Stephenson and paid her £2,000 in compensation

A content creator documented images of the bed bug bites that she claims to have received from a Travelodge hotel in Cambridge, U.K.

On Aug. 3, content creator Hannah Stephenson, who makes travel content on her social media account @thecapetownblog and runs a travel website under the same name, shared an update about a recent stay she had at the Travelodge Newmarket Road that had gone badly wrong.

The post — a carousel of 16 images — showed differing shots and angles of different parts of Stephenson's body which were covered in an array of red bug bites. Stephenson's arms, face and legs were all covered in the bites.

"Stayed in this hotel for one night, woke up to itching and blood spots on the pillow, SAW the actual bugs…… one week later, Travelodge has done NOTHING to help me," she wrote in her caption.

"I've had to go to a family wedding like this, had to buy new clothes to cover the awful bites, been unable to sleep properly for weeks due to the constant itching, had a panic attack……. Idk @TravelodgeUK I don't think this shit flies???????"

In an email to PEOPLE, Stephenson wrote, "The bites themselves were much worse than I ever expected from just one night. By the following day, my arms and hands were swollen, and I had bites on my face, legs, feet, back and elsewhere. They were incredibly itchy, and even 2.5 weeks later, I'm still experiencing some itching, although thankfully it is gradually getting better."

She added that she had never encountered bed bugs in her travels before this. "I certainly didn't expect my first experience with them to be in Cambridge!"

In an email to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Travelodge said, "We are deeply sorry for Ms Stephenson's experience and recognise how distressing an incident like this can be. The safety of our customers is our priority and we maintain stringent, expert-led measures to prevent and manage pest issues, including training our housekeeping colleagues to be vigilant and to spot early signs wherever possible."

The spokesperson added that "bed bug activity" often affects the "wider hospitality sector and is completely unrelated to hygiene or cleanliness standards."

"In the rare instance that an issue is reported in one of our hotels, we immediately take affected and surrounding rooms out of service for inspection and treatment by independent pest control experts. We have apologised directly to Ms Stephenson and resolved the matter to her satisfaction," the spokesperson added.

Stephenson, 31, told the BBC that she had been out with friends in Cambridge and decided to book a one-night stay at the hotel on the night of July 26, in order to save money.

The next morning, the content creator said she woke up to the itchy, red bumps all over her body and blood spots smeared on the bedding. The itching spread and began to cause swelling in her face and arms, causing her to have to take antihistamines in order to mitigate the swelling.

Upon Stephenson's reporting of the incident, Travelodge began investigating the "bed bug activity." After receiving confirmation of the activity, beginning treatment of the room and removing it from sale, Travelodge contacted Stephenson to apologize and agree to a resolution.

In her email, Stephenson wrote that, since making the video, Travelodge's Head of Customer Services contacted her. "He was wonderful and I really appreciated the way he handled the situation. Travelodge has since offered me £2,000 in compensation, which I've gratefully accepted," she wrote, adding that he had taken the time to explain what had been done to deal with the bed bugs since the incident.

She called it "really reassuring to hear."

Health authorities such as the British Pest Control Association have also noted that bed bugs are not a reflection of cleanliness or hygiene standards; they are brought into environments through luggage, clothing and personal belongings. Activity naturally increases during peak summer travel months, when more travelers are moving through hotels and the weather is warmer.

Read the original article on People