My mother and I recently stayed at the Days Inn Atlantic City, S Morris Ave At Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 9/04/09 to 9/07/09. When I made the reservation Friday night via Day Inn 800 #, I was told that Saturday night was sold out, but I could inquire with the hotel directly which, I did when we checked in. We checked in around 3:00 am or so on Saturday morning 9/05/09, and inquired about Saturday night, the rate quoted was $325 which was quite steep for a smelly musty room. The night staff told us check back in the morning to see if the rates would be any less but that was the rate at the time. I agreed.

We were checked in to room 266 in double room, which was smelly, the carpet was old and looked disgusting. Around 8:30 a.m or so, my mother frantically woke up and screamed “what’s this walking on me?” She had on a white tee shirt so she could see 2 little black things on her shirt and they were red with blood. She tossed them off of her and then I looked on the sheet and there were little bugs walking around. I called the front desk immediately and told them there were beg bugs in the room. The front desk staff said someone will come up. Within 15 minutes a gentleman came up, I suspect he was one of the managers. He got a cup and took a couple samples of the bugs, both large and small. After he left I noticed something crawling again on her bed. I pulled one of the pillows and wow, I was disgusted, it was an infestation. They were crawling around. I panicked and called the front desk again and told them there’s more. The front desk staff then called us back within 15 minutes and said they would move us to another room, and sent up a bell boy. We were moved to Room 556 with a balcony around 9:30 am or so. Apparently we were moved with the intention by management that we were checking out within 2 hrs by the checkout time 11:30 am. No one conversed with me about reimbursement or anything, and no one said they were sorry. Seeing that they had moved us to a completely different room I inquired with the manager directly and alerted him that I did enquire about staying the additional 2 nights before all this happened and was told to check on the rates in the morning. He gave me a rate of Sat $329 and Sun $225, then said he’ll apply 20 % off of the future nights which was Sat $275 & Sun $180.

My mom was traumatized and we were paranoid when lying in the beds even after they moved us because this was our first experience with bed bugs. We decided to stay there because it was close to Tropicana and it was on the broad walk. Later Saturday evening, signs surfaced. All over my mother’s arms (both left and right), elbows, neck, chest, over her left eye and on her eyelid were visible bite signs which suddenly emerged. She was mortified and so was I, because I have never seen anything like this as far as insect bites, so huge. I called the manager on call that evening and he dismissed me showed no interest in his tone on the phone and said that I would have to talk to the manager in the morning. I couldn’t believe the treatment I was getting! Unbelievable! This staff was so dismissive!

We decided to go downstairs to show them the visible bite marks and the front desk staff who was very callous, said that the manager went upstairs and he would be back. We waited down there for the manager about 20 minutes while this front desk staff quoted others, the nightly rate, and checked in and out other customers. I approached him and asked him after waiting so long, if there’s and emergency situation how he would contact the manager, if he has a radio? He looked at me, and responded bitterly. No I don’t have a radio, and dismissed me yet again.

Later a gentleman showed up in the reception area. After a few minutes I approached the gentleman after seeing that the front desk staff did not bring me to his attention. I asked him if he was the manager and she said “no mam I am off and dismissed me, and continued to work in the area”. Then after 5 minutes or so the front desk staff whispered something to him and came over to me to find out what the conversation was about with the person I spoke with on the phone. How peculiar? This was the manager and he was acting as if he wasn’t and didn’t want have anything to do with me and didn’t want to witness her bite marks as a result of being placed in the previous room 266 when we checked in. He didn’t want to get involve and totally took himself out of it. I then turned my attention to the manager and told him that his response and behavior as a manager was totally inappropriate with clients and he should have shown some interests especially when we are customers and we didn’t bring this upon ourselves. We were placed in this predicament by an environment that was being controlled by them. I needed him as a Days Inn employee and manager to show some interest in the clients that service the industry to keep him employed. He needed to be aware of my mother’s condition which had surfaced when he was on call. I think he clearly needed to document that he had witnessed the bed bugs bite marks so that Days Inn in Atlantic City at S Morris Ave at Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ can work on controlling their bed bugs situation to make the facility comfortable for clients, especially when clients are expecting to be sleep in a comfortable environment monitored by them.

In the morning I called the front desk and spoke with the day manager 9/7/09 who was also non-chalant about my mother’s visible bites, and told me he had already given us 20% off the future stay which was like getting the first night of $109 free. He figured that was compensation for the 1st night stay. I asked him had we not stay the extra 2 nights, seeing that they had moved us to a room not infested by bed bugs, would he have compensated us for the first night because he moved us and never got back to us about anything and no one apologized for this situation we were placed in, in their facility. I did not get an answer. I also told him about the night manager’s behavior and as the conversation went on with this day manager, realized that he was just as bad. They were all complacent and had a nasty behavior towards clients.

This Days Inn staff was unresponsive and didn’t care to see the bite marks that had surfaced, while we were still there in the establishment. They acted as if it is quite normal to go through this type of event and be bitten by bed bugs was the norm. I couldn’t believe what we were experiencing. Never in my life had I seen a bed bug until I stayed at this location and I have never felt so disrespected by a hospitality service. And seeing that I previously worked in one year’s ago, I am totally appalled by this Days Inn staffs self righteous actions as if we were bothering them to alert them that as a result of us being placed in Room 266 upon check in, my mother was now suffering. They moved us when they learned of the infestation however, after they moved us something further transpired from the initial infestation, which were those painful, itchy, disgusting bite marks which I have taken pictures of.

This incident could have been avoided if Day Inn showed interest and took measures & steps to control their bed bugs infestation. In other words, this incident should not have happened and this Days Inn in Atlantic City at S Morris Ave at Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ should avoid this from happening to future clients. Especially when customers entrust this facility, by paying them for equal treatment of service by checking into their establishment expecting a comfortable nights stays. We paid for service to have a good night’s sleep, not for us to be horrified, and my mom who is elderly, bitten up all over body by bed bugs, and suffer uncomfortable pain and itching. This was not expected. Now I am paranoid about their eggs or them coming back to my home. I HAVE TO WASH EVERYTHING IN HOT WATER AND PRAY THAT THEY ALL STAYED IN ROOM 266. I sure hope no one else was placed in that room, I am sorry for them.

This Days Inn in Atlantic City at S Morris Ave at Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ management and staff should realize and get through their heads that when clients pay for services, clients are the ones who keep their establishment successfully in business and keep their staff employed. We should not be treated with such disrespect.