The average cost for treatment is $800 ‐ $2,000 per room. These costs quickly add up when most authorities agree that the rooms above and below and well as on either side of an infestation should also be treated. Many hotels have spent more than $50,000 to $60,000 to treat bed bug infestations.

Lawsuits
Under law, hotels have specific legal obligations to provide safe and habitable accommodations for their guests. The liability associated with bed bugs has already resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars being awarded to people who claim to have been bitten by bed bugs. The plaintiff may not even have to show proof of being bitten since in at least 50% of all cases there is little to no visible sign of bites. To avoid the cost and hassle of a lawsuit, many hotels prefer to settle bed bug claims out of court. Attorneys estimate the average
bed bug settlement ranges between $8,000 to $15,000.

Lost Reputation
The real costs to hospitality providers, however, come in the form of public opinion. Bed bug victims can easily spread word of infestations online via blogs or travel review websites like TripAdvisor and BedBugRegistry.com. The negative publicity can have devastating results for the hotel in both brand value and drop in business.

They’re Baaaack!
The worse part is that even after spending tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars, bed bugs can easily be reintroduced to any hotel by hitch‐hiking on the clothing or suitcases of new guests. Encasements Experts agree the most cost effective, and perhaps the most proactive step a hotel owner or manager can take to eradicate or prevent bed bugs is to install bed bug‐proof encasements on the mattress, box spring and/or pillows. Mattress encasements envelope and zip to entirely seal the mattress allowing no bugs to get in or out. Similar devices are also made for box springs and pillows. The bed bugs and their eggs still living inside the bedding are trapped inside the encasements where they will eventually suffocate and die, and no new bed bug can get into the encasement to infect the bedding.