Hotel Pest Control Costs Broken Down
Last Updated: October 25, 2023
Reviewed By: Ryan Maguire
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For a hotel to thrive and generate new or repeating business, it must offer clean, comfortable accommodations and services. This is why a pest problem in a hotel must be resolved immediately. Otherwise, your hotel may take a massive hit to its reputation.
Hotel Pest Control Costs #
Here are typical hotel pest control pricing points with key costs bolded:
For routine preventative treatments at small hotels (under 50 rooms), expect to pay $50-$100 per month on average. This covers basic spraying for common pests.
Larger hotels (over 100 rooms) may pay $150-$300 or more per month for preventative services. More extensive methods like heat treatments for bed bugs will be more expensive.
For major infestations requiring extensive treatment, costs can range from $2,000-$5,000 or more for a hotel. Bed bug jobs in particular can be very intensive.
Ongoing quarterly or biannual treatments at hotels average $300-$1,000 per service. This maintains pest prevention between major treatments.
Hotels in busy urban areas like New York City will be at the higher end of pricing.
Additional charges may apply for weekend or emergency visits if pests are spotted between treatments.
Hotels with full-service restaurants, lots of events, and heavy kitchen usage will need more frequent treatments.
Overall, pricing starts around $100 per month for basic prevention, ranging up to thousands for large hotels or major infestations.
Real-Life Hotel Pest Control Cost Examples #
Here are some real-life examples of hotel pest control costs with pricing bolded:
A 50-room boutique hotel in California paid $75 per month for preventative spraying for common pests like spiders and roaches.
A 200-room hotel in Florida had a bed bug outbreak and paid $4,500 for a heat treatment and follow-up chemical treatments over 2 months.
A large 300-room hotel in New York City budgets $250 per month for routine pest prevention services given their urban location.
A 100-room beach resort in Hawaii pays $1,200 twice a year for major treatments to control ants, rodents, and other pests around their extensive outdoor amenities.
A 150-room hotel in Colorado paid $350 for an emergency weekend spraying when guests spotted bed bugs in a room.
A luxury 400-room hotel in Las Vegas with multiple on-site restaurants pays $600 per month for comprehensive pest prevention services.
So in summary, hotel pest control costs can range from $75 per month for basic prevention up to the thousands for emergency treatments or handling major infestations like bed bugs across large properties.
Effects of Pests on Hotels #
Pest are a major worry for hotel owners, as they cause myriad issues that can put you out of business. Between conference halls, guest rooms, laundry rooms, pools, and on-site restaurants, there are multiple places pests can make their home and disturb guests. It is incredibly important that you act on a pest problem as soon as you notice it; a single bug in the lobby can quickly become a colony spread throughout the building.
Beyond the damage to your property, pests carry diseases and germs that can be spread throughout the hotel and (if they bite) can lead to secondary infections due to scratching. This means unhappy guests that will likely not return and might even tell others about the pest-riddled hotel they stayed at, which has massive consequences for your business.
Common Hotel Pests #
While just about any type of pest can invade a hotel, there are some that are more prevalent in this particular environment, such as:
- Bed bugs: Difficult to locate and eradicate, bed bugs are cause for serious concern for hotels. They enter buildings attached to people's clothes and luggage, easily spreading in close quarters and shared spaces. Bed bugs feed on human blood and live in carpets, furniture, mattresses, and even the cracks of headboards. To truly end a bed bug problem, all bedding, including box springs, headboards, and mattresses, must be replaced to prevent the spread of the insects.
- Cockroaches: Difficult to control because cockroaches breed quickly, which means a roach problem needs to be addressed right away. These insects are attracted to humid, warm areas that give them access to food and moisture, making hotel kitchens and laundry rooms (as well as vacant rooms) prime locations for roaches. Cockroaches are known to transmit diseases and affect those with asthma, as the excrement produced by large amounts of them can cause upper respiratory problems.
- Rodents: Many people think of pest problems as bug problems, but there is more to worry about than just insects. Rodents, specifically mice and rats, wreak havoc on a hotel. In addition to causing structural damage and making guests feel like your establishment is unsanitary, rodents transmit diseases and breed quickly. Mice make their homes in closets, framework, ventilation systems, and walls, while rats commonly burrow into the ground around the building, near areas with access to food.