A ‘smart’ gadget that helped solve the bed bug crisis in Paris is now being rolled out in UK hotels desperate for a bite-free festive season.
The device, made by Cambridge-based firm Spotta, is a ‘detection pod’ that’s installed discreetly under the mattress – and lures in creepy crawlies. The system takes a picture of any visitors, with bed bugs identified using ‘advanced image recognition algorithms’.
After a positive ID, an email is sent to hotel staff alerting them to the unwanted guest, giving them a chance to tackle the issue before anyone gets bitten.
Spotta explains that its pods are not visible to guests and that there are no wires, sounds or smells from them.
Spotta revealed that it has tripled its annual sales in just two months and landed a £3million investment after helping to tackle the Paris bed bug crisis.
A ‘smart’ gadget made by Cambridge-based firm Spotta that helped solve the bed bug crisis in Paris is now being rolled out in UK hotels desperate for a bite-free festive season
Spotta CEO Robert Fryers said: ‘There’s nothing hotel operators can do to prevent bed bugs arriving’
The firm said: ‘Our rate of enquiries and sales within the hospitality and transport industry has skyrocketed.
‘Spotta has protected over three million room nights – and its subscriptions have multiplied threefold since October, due to its unique capability to prevent an outbreak, as opposed to the costly nature of dealing with the aftermath.’
Impressed with the Spotta solution, five-star London property Bankside Hotel – in the Marriott Autograph Collection – has installed 225 Spotta ‘bed pods’.
Spotta’s ‘detection pod’ is installed discreetly under the mattress – and lures in creepy crawlies
After a positive ID, an email is sent to hotel staff alerting them to the unwanted guest
Andras Goldsbrough, Maintenance Manager, Bankside Hotel, said: ‘We have a duty of care to our guests. It’s imperative that we are ahead of the game and make sure our rooms don’t cause any alarm or discomfort.
‘Customer satisfaction, comfort and safety is paramount and Spotta’s devices are the only way we can monitor the situation 24/7 and reassure our guests by publicly declaring that we are completely bed bug free.
‘Bankside Hotel is proactively dealing with the increasing number of bed bugs being detected here in London – and Spotta is an excellent product for doing so.’
Spotta CEO Robert Fryers said: ‘There’s nothing hotel operators can do to prevent bed bugs arriving because they come in with guests and for almost all hotels it’s simply a case of when, not if, they next have to deal with them. The financial drain caused by bed bugs varies greatly depending on the size, location and nature of the hotel.’
Spotta calculated that the annual cost of dealing with bed bugs is around £55,000 per hotel in the UK and $111,000 in the U.S.
HOW YOU CAN PREVENT BRINGING BEDBUGS HOME FROM YOUR HOLIDAY
NEVER PUT YOUR SUITCASE ON THE HOTEL BED
‘When you initially arrive at your hotel, you might put your suitcase straight onto the bed without checking for bugs and begin unpacking,’ says MattressNextDay’s Martin Seeley.
However, he notes that by doing this, ‘you’re putting your luggage and clothes right onto the place bedbugs are commonly found and giving them a free ticket home’.
With this in mind, he recommends storing ‘your suitcase as close to the room door as possible’.
ALWAYS STORE YOUR CLOTHES IN A WARDROBE, NOT DRAWERS
It’s recommended that you avoid putting your suitcase on the hotel bed and always store your clothes in a wardrobe, not drawers
After a long day of travelling to your destination, you might be inclined to quickly throw whatever you’re wearing into the conveniently placed bedside drawers – but Martin declares this move a ‘big mistake’.
Why? He explains: ‘Although bedbugs can’t fly, they can crawl, and putting your clothes into bedside drawers gives them a perfect opportunity.’
TAKE A SPARE PLASTIC BAG FOR DIRTY CLOTHES
Martin says: ‘Bedbugs are more attracted to dirty clothes, so make sure to take a spare bag for your dirty laundry in your case and tie the bag in a knot to make it completely sealed.’
UNPACK ON A HARD FLOOR AND NOT IN YOUR BEDROOM
There are more preventative measures you can take when you get back from your holiday, Martin reveals.
The mattress expert says: ‘When you get home, unpack your luggage in another location apart from your bedroom. Even better if it’s on hard flooring, as you won’t be able to spot bedbugs on a carpet.’
He continues: ‘Inspect your suitcase closely and use a flashlight or torch to look into the seams, folds and pockets of your suitcase. Always vacuum-clean your suitcase before putting it in storage.’
WASH EVERYTHING YOU TOOK, EVEN CLEAN CLOTHES
Finally, Martin recommends that – even though it ‘may seem like overkill’ – you ‘wash every single item of clothing you took on holiday with you, even those that are clean or you didn’t wear’.
He explains: ‘If bedbugs have crawled into your suitcase, they won’t discriminate between items of clothing.’
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
