'My Face Was Covered': Travel Influencer's Bed Bug Nightmare at a UK Travelodge Ends in £2,000 Compensation

On the surface, Hannah Stephenson's decision to book a one-night stay at a Travelodge in Cambridge seemed like a sensible choice. The 31-year-old travel content creator had been out with friends in the historic university city and wanted to save money rather than make the late-night journey home. What she didn't expect was to wake up to a nightmare that would leave her covered in bites, unable to sleep, and fighting off a panic attack.

On Aug. 3, Stephenson, who runs the travel website The Cape Town Blog and shares content on social media under the same handle, posted a carousel of 16 images documenting the aftermath of her stay at the Travelodge Newmarket Road. The photos showed her arms, face, and legs covered in an array of red, angry bug bites. The images were shocking; her face was visibly swollen, her arms dotted with raised welts, and her legs covered in clusters of bites that looked both painful and intensely itchy.

"Stayed in this hotel for one night, woke up to itching and blood spots on the pillow, SAW the actual bugs…… one week later, Travelodge has done NOTHING to help me," she wrote in the caption. "I've had to go to a family wedding like this, had to buy new clothes to cover the awful bites, been unable to sleep properly for weeks due to the constant itching, had a panic attack……. Idk @TravelodgeUK I don't think this shit flies???????"

The Morning After

Stephenson told the BBC that she had booked the room on the night of July 26. The next morning, she woke up to itchy, red bumps all over her body and blood spots smeared on the bedding. The itching spread quickly, and swelling began to appear on her face and arms. She was forced to take antihistamines to manage the reaction, but the symptoms persisted.

In an email to PEOPLE, Stephenson elaborated on the severity of the experience. "The bites themselves were much worse than I ever expected from just one night. By the following day, my arms and hands were swollen, and I had bites on my face, legs, feet, back and elsewhere. They were incredibly itchy, and even 2.5 weeks later, I'm still experiencing some itching, although thankfully it is gradually getting better."

She added that she had never encountered bed bugs in her travels before. "I certainly didn't expect my first experience with them to be in Cambridge!"

A Long Road to Resolution

Initially, Stephenson said Travelodge did nothing to help her. Her viral post, which garnered widespread attention appears to have been the catalyst for action. In her email to PEOPLE, she wrote that Travelodge's Head of Customer Services contacted her after the video gained traction. "He was wonderful, and I really appreciated the way he handled the situation. Travelodge has since offered me £2,000 in compensation, which I've gratefully accepted."

She added that the executive had taken the time to explain what had been done to deal with the bed bugs since the incident. "It was really reassuring to hear."

A Travelodge spokesperson told PEOPLE: "We are deeply sorry for Ms Stephenson's experience and recognise how distressing an incident like this can be. The safety of our customers is our priority and we maintain stringent, expert-led measures to prevent and manage pest issues, including training our housekeeping colleagues to be vigilant and to spot early signs wherever possible."

The spokesperson also noted that "bed bug activity" often affects the "wider hospitality sector and is completely unrelated to hygiene or cleanliness standards." In the rare instance that an issue is reported, the company immediately takes affected and surrounding rooms out of service for inspection and treatment by independent pest control experts.

A Wider Issue

Health authorities such as the British Pest Control Association have noted that bed bugs are not a reflection of cleanliness or hygiene standards; they are brought into environments through luggage, clothing and personal belongings. Activity naturally increases during peak summer travel months, when more travelers are moving through hotels and the weather is warmer.

For Stephenson, the experience has been a stark reminder of the risks travelers face—even in seemingly reputable hotels. Her post has since gone viral, prompting others to share similar stories and raising awareness of the issue.

"Bed bug infestations are on the rise in the UK," a pest control expert told the BBC. "They're not a sign of poor hygiene they're just very good at hitching a ride."

Stephenson's case is a cautionary tale for travelers everywhere: bed bugs can happen anywhere, at any time, to anyone. But it's also a story about the power of social media to hold companies accountable. Had she not shared her experience online, she may never have received the compensation or the apology she deserved.

"Travelodge has since apologised to Stephenson and paid her £2,000 in compensation," the BBC reported. The resolution, while welcome, does not erase the weeks of discomfort and distress she endured.

For Stephenson, the hope is that her story will encourage others to speak up and remind hotels that their guests' safety should never be an afterthought.