My hostel mattress in Lisbon gave me bedbugs for a week

I stayed at a supposedly top-rated hostel in Lisbon last March for 8 euros a night, woke up with bites all over my arms. The manager said it was just mosquitoes but I found actual bugs in the mattress seam. How do you check a hostel bed for bedbugs without looking like a crazy person?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahbaker1mo ago

The trick is to not be sneaky about it, just be matter of fact. I pull back the fitted sheet and run my phone flashlight along the mattress seams and edges before I even put my bag down. If someone asks, I just say "old habit from a bad experience in Southeast Asia" and people usually nod and move on. Look for little rust colored stains or tiny black specks in the seams, that's the dried blood and their poop. Also run your hand along the seam and feel for any bumpy clusters. 8 euros a night is suspiciously cheap in Lisbon, that's hostel red flag territory to me.

charlesowens1mo ago

8 euros in Lisbon is crazy cheap @noahbaker, I'd be checking the bed frame too for good measure. That's just asking for trouble.