Las Vegas Strip Hotels Cited Over Recent Bedbug Sightings

The Las Vegas Strip has been hosting very unwelcome guests at some of its most popular hotels. According to Southern Nevada Health District records obtained by 8 News Now, seven hotels in Las Vegas have had bedbugs in the last year and a half. The bedbugs were discovered via complaints that prompted inspections at the properties.

The seven hotels reportedly named in the records are Circus Circus, Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood, Palazzo, Tropicana, MGM Grand, and Sahara. Filings show that at Circus Circus, the bedbugs were found, and given a two-week treatment.

Only two of the seven hotels responded to 8 News Now requests for comment—to be honest, I cannot imagine a sufficient response regarding the presence of bedbugs at high-volume hotels. This feels like the kind of news that in the 20th century, Fredo and Michael would have killed to keep quiet. Nothing makes my skin crawl quite like the idea of sleeping in a bed full of bugs that can lay five eggs a day and ingest up to seven times their own body weight in blood.

“While highly unlikely, in the event of a complaint, we immediately isolate the affected room and its surrounding areas,” Tropicana Las Vegas told reporters in a statement.

“We have comprehensive procedures in place to address and resolve any issue that may arise,” MGM International Resorts said.

Unfortunately, the report of these bed bug cases is not a rare occurrence for hotels. Besides single-family homes and apartments, hotels are the third most likely place to find bedbugs. Pest control officials say that summer is generally the busiest time for bed bug activity—meaning the likelihood of encountering them is even higher during these popular vacation months.

In 2022, Orkin reported that the nation’s top three cities for bedbug infestations were Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, while Las Vegas didn’t even land among the ranking’s top 10. That means Las Vegas is doing an excellent job of keeping their bedbug issues off the record or, more likely, that bedbugs are a universal issue and Vegas—even with all of its tourists—actually has a relatively firm handle on the situation.

“Bedbugs are extremely resilient, making them difficult to control. As people begin to ramp up their travel plans this year, it’s important they know how to protect themselves through pest identification and proper control,” said Ben Hottel, Orkin entomologist, in a statement back in January. “Contrary to popular belief, bedbugs are visible to the naked eye, but are excellent at hiding. Involving a trained professional at the sight of a bedbug introduction is recommended.”

For tips on how to best protect yourself from bedbugs on your next vacation, this viral TikTok has some essential information. Add even more armor to your anti-pest arsenal by learning how to identify bedbugs with our guide on all things related to the horrible little creatures.