Even posh Las Vegas hotels have had bed bugs. Here's where

Even posh Vegas hotels have had bed bugs. Here’s where

Aug. 14, 2023 6:28 PM PT

Some recent visitors to the Las Vegas Strip had bad luck that extended past the casino floor — as guests at seven popular resorts found bed bugs lurking in their rooms, records show.

Since 2022, inspectors with the Southern Nevada Health District found the bugs in rooms inside Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Circus Circus, Palazzo at the Venetian Resort, Tropicana, MGM Grand and Sahara, according to records obtained by The Times.

The small wingless insects grow to about the size of an apple seed and feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals — including people sleeping at night.

The incidents at the hotels were not connected, and records indicate staff at each resort treated the rooms when the bed bugs were found, avoiding any fines from public health officials. But the reports show how even some of the most popular hotels and destinations can be affected by the pesky critters, as well as the importance of following the advice of health officials not to let the bed bugs bite.

Officials at the hotels did not immediately respond to requests for comment, except for MGM Grand, which said it had procedures in place to immediately address any complaints from guests, including the possibility of bed bugs.

Records obtained by The Times show a guest was bitten at Circus Circus in January 2022, prompting an inspection of the room. When the bugs were found, both that room and adjacent ones were closed for two weeks for treatment. A few months later, in June, another room at the hotel was treated after it was found to have the bugs.

Also in January 2022, a guest reported being bitten after staying in a room at the Palazzo, records show. The guest was moved to a different room after finding the bugs.

Bed bugs were also found that same month in a room at the MGM Grand.

In a statement, officials at MGM Resorts International said that in “extreme cases” where bed bugs are found, the hotel immediately deploys “comprehensive isolation, cleaning and extermination procedures that eliminate the problem and ensure other rooms and guests remain unaffected.”

Another report found valid by health officials was in October, when a Sahara hotel guest reported finding bed begs in their 11th-floor room.

“Squished it and there was so much blood,” the complaint read. The room was found to be infested and was treated. The guest also informed health officials that the hotel provided a different room.

Records show that in January of this year, a guest reported they were bitten by bed bugs while staying at Caesars Palace, prompting staff to close and treat the room. Then in June, bed bugs were found in a room at Planet Hollywood, which is also owned by Caesars Entertainment. The room was taken out of use for more than 10 days, until it tested negative for insect activity, records show.

The Tropicana also found bed bugs in one of its rooms in February, according to the records obtained by The Times, prompting hotel staff to treat the room.

According to the Southern Nevada Health District, some people may have an allergic reaction to the bugs’ saliva, but the pests are not known to spread disease. Still, the itchy bites and the bugs’ notoriety for latching onto travelers and their belongings have made them a feared nuisance.

The Health District recommends travelers look for bed bugs after entering their hotel room, and place their luggage not on the bed but on a metal or plastic luggage rack that is away from walls. Travelers should carefully inspect their mattress and headboard, pull sheets back and check crevices and creases for dark brown spots or other signs of the creatures.

If you believe your room has bed bugs, the agency recommends that you notify the hotel immediately to be moved to another room.