5 Fast Facts You Need to Know About the Terrifying Atlantis Resort Bed Bugs Story

The internet is freaking out this week after a woman suffered horrific bed bug bites while staying at the famous Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.

The woman can be seen in photos online with dozens of red welts and painful-looking marks all over her body. In fact, she even has a creepy video to back up her claim.

Now, that woman is suing Atlantis Resort for damages. Let’s take a look at 5 fast facts you need to know about the case.

5) What Happened?

Atlantis Resort guest Cindi Avila claims she and her husband checked into the hotel in January 2016 for a two night stay. After the second night, she woke up with bed bug bites all over her body – including some bites that left her with scars.

Avila claims, according to TMZ and a report in the Miami Herald, that “a bed bug infestation erupted in her room”.

Now, Avila is suing the hotel for failing to change the bed skirt. She’s suing for compensation for damages, mental anguish, and medical costs.

4) What Did Atlantis Resort Do?

Atlantis Resort, according to the TMZ report, “immediately took the room out of service, [and] brought in the property’s professional pest company to eradicate the problem.”

They also compensated Avila for her stay and offered to cover her medical bills. Avila refused the offer.

Atlantis Resort, by the way, is a world-famous hotel in the Bahamas. It’s that hotel with the famous pools and water slides, along with the gigantic towers with the archway in between. Cindi was staying in the luxurious Royal Towers at the Paradise Island resort.

3) You Can View Video of the Creepy Bed Bug Encounter

Just in case you thought Cindi was fishing for lawsuit money, that doesn’t appear to be the case: Cindi actually took video of the frightening encounter.

You can view the full video at the Miami Herald’s website here. In that video, Cindi films the bed bugs up close, swarming all over her pillows, sheets, and blankets. She also takes a video of the room number.

You can hear Cindi and her husband Mike saying things like, “Oh there’s big ones here” and “Holy crap” numerous times.

Cindi would later claim that the made screamed when she walked into the room and saw the bed bug problem.

2) Avila Claims She Spent 2 to 3 Weeks in Pain from the Bed Bug Bites and “Literally Wanted to Die”

After the bed bug bites were reported to hotel staff, a nurse at Atlantis Resort treated Avila with calamine lotion.

After returning home to the United States, Avila spent 2 to 3 weeks in pain from her bed bug bites. She tried to treat the bites, according to the Miami Herald, “with numerous antihistamines, steroids, over-the-counter allergy medications, foams and prescription creams”.

Avila also claims that it was the most painful experience of her life, stating that,

“In the days that followed, I have never experienced more pain. I didn’t sleep for five days. I literally wanted to die.”

Doctors apparently told her that they had never seen a bed bug case as bad as hers. Now, Avila claims she’s scared to travel, and now frequently asks hotel staff to change her linens after checking in.

1) It’s Not the First Bed Bug Problem at Atlantis Resort

A number of TripAdvisor reviews for Atlantis Resort mention bed bugs. This Ontario couple, for example, stayed at the resort in2012 and noticed a bed bug problem along with other cleaning problems – like finding a previous guest’s food in the fridge.

A guest at the Fodors forum also described a “horrible experience” at Atlantis Resort, including bed bug problems. You can find similar reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Obviously, there’s no way to verify the claims made in these reviews, as there’s a limited quality control process on TripAdvisor and other review websites. It’s also important to note that hotels around the world – especially hotels like Atlantis Resort with thousands of rooms – will inevitably get bed bug complaints.

Nevertheless, this latest bed bug problem appears to have been particularly severe.

Bed bugs are a problem around the world. If you want to avoid frightening bed bug problems like what happened to Cindi Avila at Atlantis Resort, then consider traveling with a proven bed bug treatment like diatomaceous earth.

Above Photo Credit Terminix.com