Cockroaches in a Greek hotel, what can I do and what are my rights?
I stayed in a hotel on a Greek island and one morning I found a cockroach (alive) in the shower; later that day I spotted a dead one on one corner of the hall.
It was pretty clear that the hotel had some problems with these insects and it was also clear that they were actively addressing the problem since they cleaned the rooms and the shared areas quite often.
In the end, since I found only one in my room I decided to avoid complaining but I wondered if there exists some laws, expecially in western countries, that apply to this case or a standard way in which the hotels and the customers cope with this problem (refunding, having a new room, etc.).
Best Answer
I am not aware of any specific laws on the matter. However, the fact that you found a dead one in the corner - as you already mentioned - might be indicative that the hotel is actually doing something about it. Usually I take the position that cockroaches in some regions of the world are simply "a fact of life". I have lived in such a region myself, where it was a constant battle to beat these nasty creatures and still with all efforts you would see one once and a while.
That of course, isn't a waiver for the hotel to do nothing, but if it is just one or two cockroaches, especially since one being dead, I would give your hotel the benefit of the doubt.
I would however report it. Good hotels want to act on these sightings. If they are indifferent to you mentioning a cockroach, you might want to mention it in an online review.
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