Hotel worker shares why you should ‘turn off the lights’ as soon as you get to hotel room

A hotel employee explained why guests should always turn off the lights when entering their room. Halee, who said she has worked in the hotel industry for 15 years, explained that there can be “serious consequences” for not doing so.

On TikTok, Halee (@haleewithaflair), a hotel employee and travel blogger, said she wanted to share a video after seeing a couple wake up covered in scars. The hotel guests had been bitten by hotel bed bugs.

Haleesaid: “This is how I check my room before I unpack and get settled into the room. The first thing you’re going to want to do is make sure your room is dark. Turn off lights, close any shades and use the flashlight on your phone”.

She adds that when all the lights are off, look under the covers and “check under all the folds.”

Using the flashlight, she then always checks under the bed, as well as every nook and cranny, warning that bed bugs like “the nooks and crannies” of bedding and linens.
She said: “They usually like to hang out in the corners and the creases.”

She lifted the mattress to demonstrate how tourists should check under the mattress and under the mattress protector.

Other checks include looking for any blood stains on the fabrics, as well as inspecting the mini-fridge, curtains and ironing board if there is one. She urged guests to check the room before unpacking their bags, or risk bed bugs getting into their luggage.

The hotel worker warned: “Even if you don’t see bugs, make sure you check for spots, like blood spots, because that’s not a good sign either.”

Tourists should never put their luggage on the bed. It is best to leave them on a luggage rack or near the room door.

Bed bugs are nocturnal, so turning off the lights may make them more likely to come out to search for prey.
Bed bug bites can be red and itchy and often occur in a line or cluster. Some people may have an allergic reaction to the bites.

Bed bugs can be dark yellow, red or brown in color and are usually only about 5 mm long, while the eggs are usually white in color.

Bed bugs tend to hide in the seams of furniture, including chairs and sofas that may be in the room.

Some experts recommend that tourists wash all of their vacation clothes as soon as they return home to kill any stowaways.