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By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A couple from New York has alleged that a bed bug infestation at a resort in Grand Bahama not only ruined their trip to The Bahamas but had left them both physically and emotionally scarred after reportedly being bitten over 300 times in their hotel room.

Naa Dedei Addoo is frustrated because one year after the incident she still has yet to receive a report of an investigation by authorities at the Department of Environmental Health in Freeport concerning a complaint she filed.

“It was my first trip to The Bahamas, and my last,” Ms Addoo told The Tribune on Tuesday.

She said the couple came to The Bahamas to celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday.

The couple arrived in Freeport on June 5, 2015, staying four nights at the Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach Hotel. Although check-in time is at 3pm, the couple was allowed to check-in a little earlier around 2.45pm.

“When we got to the room, it was not ready and personnel were still inside cleaning and it smelled like insect/bug spray,” she recalled.

Since they were on an island, Ms Addoo said she thought the insect spraying was part of the normal cleaning practice at the hotel.

In addition to the unpleasant smell, she said they were given a double bed, instead of a single bed guestroom they had requested. When she asked for another room, she was told that the hotel was full.

According to Ms Addoo, after waking up the next morning they noticed some bites on their bodies but thought they were mosquito bites.

On the last night of their trip, the couple slept on the second bed. When they woke up they allegedly noticed the bed bugs, and shot a video of the reported infestation and took pictures of the bites on their skin.

“I asked to speak with the manager Angel Mercedes who told me they were island roaches, and not bed bugs,” Ms Addoo said. “I took pictures and showed him our injuries and he offered to wash our clothing, but we did not want to miss our flight back home and declined his offer.”

Once back home in New York, Ms Addoo said she and her boyfriend did not want to unpack their bags at home and immediately took their clothes to have them cleaned.

She claimed they also sought medical treatment and were reportedly told by a doctor that they had an allergic reaction to bed bug bites.

Ms Addoo claimed that the hotel manager did not take an incident report and pleaded with them not to post the incident on social media.

“I asked him why would he put people in a room that was infested with bed bugs. I am traumatised by this incident; we have scars on our skin it is something we have to take with us every day,” she claimed. “I can’t wear sleeveless shirts, even though it is hot. I can’t sleep; I have had nightmares.”

Ms Addoo said the hotel has referred her to its insurance company in the New York area concerning any claims for damages.

Although she has provided the photographs and video of injury and the bed bugs, she said the insurance company said it would need actual documented proof of bed bug infestation, such as a report from environmental health officials that an investigation was conducted and what their findings were.

Ms Addoo said she has called Melanie McKenzie, manager of visitor relations at the Ministry of Tourism in Nassau, who referred her to call officials in Freeport. She said that a tourism representative in Freeport then referred her to Bertha McPhee-Duncanson, chief health inspector at the DEHS.

Ms Addoo was able to make contact with Mrs McPhee-Duncanson, with whom she made an official complaint.

“She told me that she would not able to get in the room to inspect it if persons were occupying it. It has been a year and I have not been able to get a report from Mrs Duncanson,” she told The Tribune.

Ms Addoo said she received word back from Mrs Duncanson that she, along with a tourism representative, met and spoke with the hotel general manager on June 23, 2015, and that he promised to forward the bed bug report that occurred on their property, but that the department is still awaiting the information.

Ms Addoo said she intends to file a lawsuit but is in need of documentation from DEHS.

“The insurance company is telling me they are not going to move forward with anything unless I have actual proof that there was a bed bug infestation. The only way I can get that is if the DEHS gives me documentation from whatever investigations they held,” she said.

Mrs McPhee-Duncanson told The Tribune on Wednesday she could not comment on the allegations, as it was a legal matter. The Viva Wyndham referred this newspaper to the hotel’s attorney, who said she was not aware of the incident and would speak to the general manager.

No further response was received from the hotel’s attorney up to press time last night, despite messages left for her.