Thirteen days after Hannah Stephenson stayed a night in a Travelodge hotel, she is still itching with red lumps over her body – a nightmare she would not wish on her “worst enemy”.

The 31-year-old from Bassingbourn had been out with friends in Cambridge and decided to book a one-night stay at the hotel on Newmarket Road on 26 July to save money instead of getting a taxi home.

The next morning, she woke up to a “horrible realisation”, feeling itchy with red lumps over her body and blood spots smeared on the bedding — the tell-tale signs of bed bugs, she said.

A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We are deeply sorry for Ms Stephenson’s experience and how distressing an incident like this can be.”

Stephenson said a lovely evening with friends had turned into a horrible morning.

“It was just a lovely wholesome time of Cambridge sightseeing and pubs, and now it is tarnished by these bedbug bites,” she said.

“It wasn’t until I saw the blood and the bugs that I realised what had happened.”

She said it got worse, spreading to her face and causing swelling to her arms.

“It’s been difficult. I’ve had to take a lot of antihistamines, which have made me quite drowsy. I’ve been waking up in the night itching,” she said.

“I have felt very self-conscious. There are certain social events I haven’t gone to, as I was so embarrassed at the way my arms were looking and the way my face looked.”

After she was left feeling “ignored” when she initially complained to the hotel, she posted a series of pictures, external of the red bites on TikTok, which she believes prompted the hotel to get in touch.

“I don’t think I would be at this point at the moment if I didn’t take it to TikTok,” she said.

According to the British Pest Control Association, external, during the warmer months of the year bedbugs, thrive due to being more active, feeding and mating.

It said the tell-tale signs of bedbugs include red, irritating bites and small blood smears on bed linen; and small brown insects in or around the sleeping area.

If bedbugs are found, it recommends washing everything at a high temperature before putting items in a plastic bag and deep freezing for at least three days.

Stephenson has lived across the world in Asia, Africa and South America and never experienced bedbug bites before.

She said: “I would never expect this in Cambridge of all places. I am just hoping these bites will go as soon as possible and I will look normal and get on with my life.”

Stephenson has accepted £2,000 in compensation from Travelodge; however, she hopes the company will be more vigilant in the future and that people will have the courage to speak out.

A spokesperson for Travelodge said: “The safety of our customers is our priority; and we maintain stringent, expert-led measures to prevent and manage pest issues.

“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.”

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