'I spent night at Travelodge and woke up covered in 100 bites – people say I look diseased'

'I spent night at Travelodge and woke up covered in 100 bites – people say I look diseased' Travel blogger Hannah Stephenson has managed to largely avoid bugs during her trips to Asia and Africa, but she was left with more than 100 bed bug bites during a night at a Travelodge A woman who spent a night at a Travelodge hotel woke up covered in more than 100 bed bug bites that she says have left people fearing she has a disease. Travel blogger Hannah Stephenson, 31, had been expertly dodging creepy crawlies while travelling around Asia and Africa, but it was a night in Cambridge that proved her undoing. She was staying at the Newmarket Road branch of the budget hotel firm on July 26 after a day out with a friend. Hannah woke the next day feeling itchy before discovering her arms were covered in red spots. She soon discovered blood stains and black dots on her pillow before finding bed bugs crawling in the bedding. The horrified customer soon discovered more bites appearing across her chest, back, face and legs. She complained to reception but alleged she was simply told to contact Travelodge's customer services by email. They assured her that hotel room would not be let that night. Travelodge has since apologised to Hannah for the "distressing" incident and claim they have "resolved the matter to her satisfaction". They also confirmed there were bed bugs in Hannah's room and claim they are retraining housekeeping at the hotel. Hannah, from Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, said: "I was horrified and shocked. I didn't expect it from a Travelodge, I always thought they are pretty reliable. The swelling has gone down. Now it looks like I have chicken pox. "People have been horrified, they've said I look like I have a disease. Everyone is saying how bad it looks." Hannah admits the incident left her "embarrassed" to attend her cousin's wedding earlier this month. She was forced to cover up the bite marks with foundation while she also switched outfits to a dress with long sleeves - not ideal given the current hot spell. She added: "I felt really embarrassed going to a wedding. They're on my hands, which are hard to cover up, I feel very self-conscious. People are going to think I'm dirty or something. "I don't usually wear foundation but I went to buy one to cover up for the wedding, I couldn't wear my original outfit which had no sleeves." Hannah, who has travelled in Asia and Africa, says she's never experienced anything like it anywhere else in the world. She called 111 who advised her to visit a pharmacy, where she was given steroids and antihistamines to tackle the bites. But she is still scratching after a week while the incident is making her want to avoid hotels - especially other Travelodge branches. A Travelodge spokesperson said: "We are deeply sorry for Ms Stephenson’s experience and recognise how distressing an incident like this can be. "The safety of our customers is our priority and we maintain stringent, expert-led measures to prevent and manage pest issues, including training our housekeeping colleagues to be vigilant and to spot early signs wherever possible. "Bed bug activity affects the wider hospitality sector and is completely unrelated to hygiene or cleanliness standards. "In the rare instance that an issue is reported in one of our hotels, we immediately take affected and surrounding rooms out of service for inspection and treatment by independent pest control experts. We have apologised directly to Ms Stephenson and resolved the matter to her satisfaction."