Begbug free hotels in Rome?

Um,, don't over react,, they exist, but I have yet to see one in my travels( many trips to Europe over last 20 yrs)
Check your bed when you check in, ( google bedbug sites and you will see what to look for). I stay in mostly 2 star hotels, and I do research the hotels I choose by checking out reviews online( tripadvisor.com has an exstensive review site) but really bed bugs can be anywhere as you probaly know.

Don't over stress about it,, look for a decent hotel in a good area and check out bed.. and you will most likely be fine.. remember this forum ( and others like it) are filled with travellors who also have not been unlucky enough to encounter them.

PS If its any help I stayed at Hotel Selene in Rome, clean and conveinent but basic. No bugs as of last July,, but problem is bugs can appear ( brought in by other guests) at any time , so even a hotel that had none last month could have them now,, so the only guarantee of not ever encountering them is staying home.. and thats no fun!

Pat's right..don't lose sleep over this. Check out your hotels on Tripadvisor and learn how to do a hotel room inspection for signs of bedbugs. It only takes a few minutes.

Thanks for the replies! My best friend is an entomologist and works for an extermination company in the US, so she's explained in detail how to do a check of the mattress. I'm trying not to freak out about it, but I know that the bedbug population in the US has really exploded over the past 6 months or so.

Don't worry, the bites are only red for a day or two! I got bitten last June, no big deal...

The bites are really not the issue. Bedbugs love to travel as much as we all do. They love to come home with travelers and take up residence in their house. They are very difficult, expensive, and stressful to get rid of once you have an infestation in your home.

Sarah...besides the mattress check...try to do the follwoing:

At the hotel:

--put nothing on the floor..clothes, shoes, suitcases, dirty clothes, etc.

--keep all suitcases closed (and zipped or latched) when not in use.

--if you have been bitten and are sure it is bedbugs, upon returning home, immediately wash everything in hot water and that includes the clothes you're wearing. What can't be washed should be discarded outside. Don't even bring it into your house. It is much cheaper to get new luggage than to have to exterminate a house.

Ah, I did follow the "nothing on the floor" and "bags always closed" (and zipped) rule. It must have worked, none came home with me.

I stayed in 2 hostels so far in Rome, one time in 2 different rooms and didn't have any problems.
I only had problems with bedbugs in NYC 2 years ago.
tripadvisor.com is a good site to check your hostel.People post pictures on that site.

Sarah, could you share with us the tips your friend gave you to check for bedbugs? I am making my first trip to Europe in a couple of months and am also very, very concerned about encountering bed bugs.