Reports are surfacing that several of the swanky, big-name hotels and resorts that occupy a spot on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip have had to contend with outbreaks of bed bugs at some point over the past year and a half.
We’re talking some of Sin City’s most iconic, extravagant hospitality properties, such as Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Circus Circus, Palazzo, Tropicana, MGM Grand and Sahara.
The first of these bed bug complaints was filed with the Southern Nevada Health District after a guest staying at Circus Circus was bitten in January 2022. A hotel executive was notified and the guest room was inspected before it, and adjacent rooms, were taken out of service for two weeks to be treated.
A public records investigation by KLAS-TV revealed that six other prominent hotels on the Strip had dealt with outbreaks of their own since that time. Also in January 2022, rooms at the MGM Grand had to be treated after inspectors discovered the tiny parasites, and the Palazzo also had to treat a room after a guest reported receiving bug bites to health officials.
One of only two properties to respond to KLAS-TV’s request for comment, MGM Resorts said that, in the unusual event that bed bugs are reported, guests are immediately transferred to a new room and the room under inspection is sealed off.
"Providing guests with a safe and enjoyable experience is our top priority, and we have robust preventative measures and response protocols to address and resolve any issues that may arise," an MGM representative told USA Today. "In extremely rare cases involving bed bugs, we deploy comprehensive isolation, cleaning and extermination procedures that eliminate the problem and ensure other rooms and guests remain unaffected.”
In October 2022, a Sahara hotel guest reported having squished a bed bug, the room tested positive and was fumigated. The Tropicana had to handle an outbreak of its own in February 2023, and two Caesar’s Entertainment properties had to wage their own battles against bed bugs this year: Caesar’s Palace guests reported being bitten back in January and an infestation broke out at Planet Hollywood in June.
Vice President and General Manager at Tropicana Las Vegas, Arik Knowles said that the hotel regularly performs preventive maintenance to preclude any infestations. "While highly unlikely, in the event of a complaint, we immediately isolate the affected room and its surrounding areas. At that point, a third-party service will evaluate the situation and provide a recommendation on appropriate next steps, including professional treatment should anything be found," he told USA Today. "We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our customers, which is always our top priority.”
(Source: Thinkstock)
A Bit About Bed Bugs
If you’ve never come across one (and, for your sake, let’s hope you haven’t), bed bugs are nasty little bloodsuckers that are universally reviled, relatively maddening and notoriously difficult to eliminate entirely, since they can hide in tiny crevices of materials like upholstery, carpeting, wall crevices, wood and even the head of a screw.
What’s more, they’re not typically active during daylight hours and only emerge to bite unsuspecting sleepers at night, leaving little brown flecks of dried blood on your sheets as the only evidence of an infestation.
According to Newsweek, a data analysis conducted by Statista last year showed that Las Vegas welcomed more than 32 million visitors in 2021, so it should come as no surprise that somebody, at some point, inadvertently carried these micro-vermin in on their luggage.
Newsweek’s report referenced an information leaflet published by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which explained that hotels "are especially vulnerable to infestation." It added: "There is little that can be done to prevent guests from bringing in bed bugs. No hotel is immune to a bed bug infestation."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, be sure to subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter here.
Topics From This Article to Explore
