Bed bugs have always been a costly risk for the hospitality industry, but researchers at the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment have now put a price on reported hotel encounters with the vexing vermin.
Based on the results of a survey of 2,100 business and leisure travelers conducted in May, a single report of bed bugs in a travel review will lower the value of a hotel room by $38 per night for business travelers, or $23 per night for leisure tourists, the study shows.
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Bed bug photo by Michael F. Potter, University of Kentucky
While the resurgence of bed bugs has drawn attention in recent years, little has been written on the economic impact of the insects. The study, conducted by UK entomologist Michael Potter, agricultural economics professor Wuyang Hu and Jerrod Penn, a Ph.D. student in the university’s Department of Agricultural Economics, was funded through a grant from the bedding products company Protect-A-Bed.
"The goal of the research was to understand consumer preferences when choosing a hotel for business or leisure travel, and how the risk of bed bugs influences their decision," said Penn, the lead author of the study.
A majority of survey respondents indicated that an online review that reported bed bugs would prevent them from selecting a particular hotel, and respondents were more likely to switch hotels because of bed-bug evidence than any other problematic concern, such as smoke odors or uncleanliness.
“Considering how popular social media has become, it’s important that hotels recognize the potential spread of negative information, regardless of whether the online report of bed bugs is accurate,” Hu said.
In terms of protective services, survey respondents placed the highest economic value on protective mattress encasements and regular room inspections by professional pest control firms. Regular inspections by housekeeping staff carried less value in the eyes of patrons, according to the study.
The study also suggests that hotel guests want to be informed, even if they aren't particularly knowledgeable about the insects. Four out of five travelers in the survey felt that hotels should be required to inform guests if their assigned room had a bed-bug problem in the past. At the same time, however, more than two-thirds of travelers could not differentiate between a bed bug and other household insects, the survey showed. Also, the majority of respondents said they never worry about bed bugs while traveling — even though one in three business travelers and one in five leisure travelers reported that they have had a bed-bug experience or know someone who has.
“With high turnover of guests, occasional bed bug incidents in hotels are understandable, as in similar types of locations,” Potter said. “Many hotel chains already take bed bugs seriously in terms of prevention and early detection. The current study further underscores the importance of being hyper-vigilant.”