Even the Best Hotels Have Uninvited Guests
A high room rate and a great reputation are wonderful things. They just do not keep bedbugs out.
Here is something nobody tells you before your first big trip: bedbugs do not care how much you paid for your room. They are not impressed by the lobby fountain or the chocolate on your pillow. They are hitchhikers, and they have been riding luggage, clothing, and housekeeping carts through some of the most famous hotels in the world for a very long time.
When news broke about bedbugs at a Disney resort property, a lot of travelers had the same reaction. Shock, then a little disgust, then that creeping question: if it can happen there, where exactly are we safe?
The honest answer is this: no property is automatically exempt. Not a budget roadside stop, not a five-star resort, and not even the most magical place on earth. The risk lives in the volume of people moving through a space, not the price tag attached to it.
That might feel unsettling, but here is the flip side. Knowing this actually puts you in a better position than most travelers. The ones who get caught are almost always the ones who assumed they were fine.
A quick inspection when you arrive, before you unpack anything, takes about sixty seconds and changes everything. Luggage on the rack, not the floor or the bed. A glance at the mattress seams and headboard. It is not dramatic. It is just smart.
The road teaches you things that no travel guide covers. This is one of them.
“The hotel is not the risk. Assuming you are safe without checking is.”
Why This Matters Now
With Bedbug Awareness Week taking place the first week of June, this is the time travelers, companies, and road warriors should be paying attention.
For some, this is not just theory but rather real life.
Deanna Vigliotta, founder of The Traveling Saleslady, knows this firsthand. After acquiring bedbugs while traveling for work, she turned that experience into a powerful and practical resource:
The Traveling Saleslady Meets Live Bedbugs: Sales Tips Galore for Road Warriors
What makes this book different? It is a two-for-one concept:
A real-world, relatable guide on how to prevent and handle bedbug encounters while traveling
A collection of practical sales tips for professionals living life on the road
It is where travel reality meets professional growth, a combination few would expect, but one that resonates deeply with anyone who travels for a living.
3 Things Worth Thinking About
1. Do you have an arrival routine?
Or do you drop your bag and hope for the best?
A simple 60-second habit at every check-in is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself.
2. Does your company travel policy cover bedbug incidents?
If it happened tomorrow, would you know what to document, who to call, and what is covered?
3. What does “this looks like a nice hotel” really guarantee?
Comfort, probably.
Protection from pests? Not necessarily.
Final Thought
You do not have to be paranoid to travel smart.
You just have to be a little less trusting of assumptions and a little more consistent with habits.
Media & Speaking Opportunities
As Bedbug Awareness Week approaches, Deanna Vigliotta is available for:
Media interviews
Podcast guest appearances
Speaking engagements for sales teams, travel professionals, and organizations
Her story, turning an unexpected and uncomfortable experience into a business, a brand, and a resource that helps others offers a fresh, relatable, and highly practical perspective.
Travel smarter. Sell smarter. Stay aware.
Your next trip depends on it!
𝙅𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙊𝙣,
♛𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗱𝘆♛
