Bed Bugs in London Hotels: Detections Now 75% Higher Than Paris
In 2023, Paris became the face of Europe's bed bug problem. Three years on, Spotta's monitoring data points somewhere closer to home: over the last 12 months, London hotels recorded 75% more bed bug detections than Paris per 1,000 monitored rooms
Spotta's CEO, Robert Fryers, has been discussing the findings on GB News and Times Radio, as bed bugs return to the headlines following recent incidents on planes and trains. Here is what the data shows, how it was measured, and what it means for hoteliers, general managers and housekeeping teams in London.
Bed bugs in London: what Spotta's data shows
Spotta's Bed Pods monitor for bed bug activity inside hotel rooms 24/7, and have now covered more than 16.5 million hotel room nights globally. Comparing hotels in the two capitals over the last 12 months:
London hotels recorded 75% more bed bug detections than Paris hotels, measured as detections per 1,000 monitored rooms.
Every detection was recorded by a Bed Pod inside a hotel room, not taken from guest complaints or pest control call-outs.
London vs Paris: why London's hotels are seeing more bed bugs
When bed bugs dominated the news during the 2023 Paris outbreak, many assumed the problem was mainly a French one. As Robert Fryers, Spotta's Founder and CEO, put it: “Paris became the focus of the bed bug story in 2023, but our data now shows considerably more activity in London.”
This isn't a league table of good and bad hotels. London is one of the world's busiest travel hubs, with a constant flow of guests and luggage through its hotels, airports and rail stations. Every arrival is a chance for a bed bug to hitch a ride.
“Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness,” Robert said. “They travel with people and their belongings, so the more people move around, the more opportunities there are for bed bugs to move with them.”
How we measured it
Unlike figures based on guest complaints or pest control call-outs, Spotta's data comes from continuous 24/7 monitoring inside hotel rooms. That means it captures bed bug introductions as they happen, including ones no guest ever reports.
Hotels included: London and Paris hotels where Spotta monitoring has been installed for more than 12 months.
Measure: bed bug detections per 1,000 monitored rooms over the last 12 months, as published on 16 October 2026.
Sample: approximately 624,000 monitored room nights in London and 1,154,000 monitored room nights in Paris.
Further detail on the dataset and methodology is available on request. Get in touch with the Spotta team.
What it means for hotels in London
Hotels can't realistically prevent every bed bug from arriving. What they can control is how early they know. “Finding one or two bugs shortly after they arrive is a very different problem from discovering an established infestation after it has had time to spread,” Robert explained.
Found early, a bed bug introduction is usually a quick, contained job in a single room. Found by a guest, it can mean neighbouring rooms out of service, compensation, an expensive treatment and a negative review that lingers online.
Spotta's 24/7 bed bug monitoring for hotels uses discreet Bed Pods that monitor every fitted room, every night. Each Pod uses a pheromone lure to draw bed bugs into a concealed trap, automatically detects the bed bug and sends a room-level alert to the hotel team within minutes. That means a single room can be treated before the problem spreads to others or reaches a guest, with no extra work for housekeeping.
For the wider costs of bed bugs to a hotel, from room closures to lost bookings, read our guide to the impact of bed bugs on hotels, and share our housekeeping guide to the early signs of bed bugs with your team.
Staying in London? How to check your hotel room for bed bugs
While Spotta's bed bug monitors are designed specifically for hotels and multi-room accommodation, Robert also shared practical advice for anyone travelling to, or living in, a busy city:
Look for small black spots on the bedsheets and mattress seams. These are bed bug droppings and are often easier to see than the bugs themselves.
Know what you are looking for. Adult bed bugs are roughly the size of a ladybird, larger than most people think, but they hide well and are most active in the early hours of the morning.
Don't rely on bites. Not everyone reacts to bed bug bites, so they aren't a reliable early sign.
Check your luggage when you get home. After a hotel stay or a trip by plane or train, check your bags and clothes before putting everything back in the cupboard.
Call a professional. “The home remedy type things are not effective against bed bugs,” Robert explained. A good pest controller will know which treatments work.
Robert Fryers on GB News
Speaking on GB News, Robert explained why bed bugs are so hard to deal with once they take hold, whether in a hotel room, on a plane or on a train:
Spotta in the media
GB News and Times Radio are the latest broadcasters to turn to Spotta's data to explain the UK's bed bug problem. Previous coverage includes:
BBC Breakfast: Robert Fryers on rising bed bug numbers, London vs Paris and 24/7 detection (2024)
BBC News: Bedbugs: Hotels turn to tech as outbreaks rise (2023)
BBC covers the bed bug crisis and Spotta's solution
Sky News: Rise in bed bugs leaves a quarter of Brits wary of booking accommodation
The Daily Telegraph: Sharp rise in bed bugs sparks demand for hotel prevention measures
Frequently asked questions
Are there bed bugs in London?
Yes. Bed bugs are found in London, as in every major city. Spotta's monitoring data shows London hotels recorded 75% more bed bug detections per 1,000 monitored rooms than Paris hotels over the last 12 months. Bed bugs travel with people and their luggage, so busy travel hubs see more introductions.
Are bed bugs worse in London or Paris?
Based on Spotta's data, London hotels currently record 75% more bed bug detections than Paris hotels, measured as detections per 1,000 monitored rooms over the last 12 months. Paris was the focus of international coverage in 2023, but the latest monitoring data shows more activity in London.
Does a bed bug mean a hotel is dirty?
No. Bed bugs have nothing to do with cleanliness. They arrive with guests and their belongings, so any hotel can have an introduction. What matters is finding it early, before it can spread.
How can hotels detect bed bugs early?
Hotels using Spotta fit discreet Bed Pods that monitor rooms 24/7. When a bed bug is caught, the hotel receives a room-level alert within minutes, so a single room can be treated before an infestation spreads. See how the Bed Pod works.
Attention hoteliers - here's how to find bed bugs before your guests do
London's hotels are seeing more bed bug activity than Paris, and the hotels that cope best are the ones that find bed bugs first. To learn how 24/7 monitoring can protect your hotel rooms, your reviews and your revenue, get in touch with the Spotta team.
