Please Help!! (bed Bugs)

On October 19–21st My mother and I had one of the most horrific hotel experiences of our lives at Niagara Falls Marriott on the Falls. On our second night, we found bed bugs crawling on my mattress. We caught one in a bag and called the front desk immediately.

Housekeeping didn’t even inspect the room before taking the bug and leaving. The night manager, Peter, called a few minutes later, apologized, and said he’d move us to another room. It was already 11 pm, and we had to pack everything up in a panic.

We checked out early the next morning even though we had another night booked. They removed only one night from our bill. Later, I found another couple online who had stayed in the EXACT same room just two weeks before — and they also found bed bugs. They had taken photos and documented it to the hotel. This meant the hotel had prior knowledge of the bed bugs.

When we got home, the real nightmare began. We spent: $50 at the laundromat washing everything, $45 to have our car steam-cleaned, $30 on airtight storage bags, and $15 on bed bug bombs. Then the bites appeared — over 20 on my arms, legs, and feet. I ended up at urgent care with an allergic reaction ($50 copay + $25 prescriptions).

That was 2 weeks ago. We thought we were finally in the clear until I woke up covered in bed bug bites again. We called an exterminator and he confirmed we were in the early stages of an infestation that we brought home with us. $4,000 dollars later our home has been treated and will need to be treated a second time in 30 days. My mother is 65 years old and i’m autistic and have a lot of mental health struggles. We are beside ourselves over this situation, this has not only cost us a fortune but seriously affected us psychologically and me physically.

The hotel has claimed their exterminator “found nothing” and refused to share the report — the exact same response they sent the previous guests who also found bugs. After hours on the phone with Marriott customer service they removed one more night from our bill. Even with that, our total was still over $500 for the hotel alone. plus the over $4,230 now spent in the aftermath.

Do we have any leg to stand on? is there any laws or protections on our side? Is there any chance that with a lawyer we could get our money refunded and all the exterminators fees paid? We could barely afford the exterminator let alone lawyer, so even if there’s a chance is it worth it?

Location: Hotel in Niagara falls Canada, live in the US