Do guests actually care about bed bug safety: does it affect bookings?
General
Yes. In the Phocuswright × Valpas 2026 study (1,082 travellers across the U.S., U.K. and France), pests and bed bugs ranked as the #1 concern when choosing a hotel, above cleanliness and staff friendliness, and travellers classified a bed bug-safe room as a necessity, ahead of strong Wi-Fi and soundproofing. Check the details of the study here.
Around 7 in 10 take at least one pre-booking action tied to a hotel's hygiene and bed bug reputation, and when a credible certification is visible, 79–84% would book a 4-star certified hotel over an uncertified 5-star at the same price. Valpas member hotels see the same demand convert in practice: higher ADR, more direct bookings and RFP wins.
See their stories: valpashotels.com/case-studies.