My cheap hostel mattress gave me bed bugs in Lisbon

I stayed at a 12 euro a night hostel in Lisbon last spring thinking I was saving big. Woke up on day three with itchy red bites all over my arms and neck. The staff just shrugged and said it happens sometimes. I ended up washing every piece of clothing in hot water at a laundromat and sleeping on a bench at the train station for two nights. The hostel wouldn't refund me so I lost 36 euros anyway plus the stress. Now I always check mattress seams with a flashlight before I unpack anywhere. Has anyone else had a similar run in with cheap lodging and bugs?

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1 Comment

adams.troy1mo ago

That's rough man. Bed bugs are the absolute worst. I had a similar thing happen in a motel in Virginia once except it wasn't even my mattress. I sat on a recliner for five minutes watching TV and must have picked up a hitchhiker. Ended up with bites on my legs for a week that looked like a weird rash. Had to throw away my favorite jeans because I couldn't get them clean enough. The motel manager tried to tell me it was mosquito bites too. Now I check the headboards and any fabric furniture before I sit down anywhere cheap.