This new hotel in Finland promises you a bedbug-free stay
Few two-word combinations can instill such a tremendous amount of fear into travelers, city dwellers and, well, anyone quite like "bedbugs" can.
TPG's director of travel content, Summer Hull, and her family recently brought the infernal pests back with them after a trip and dealt with the bugs for months.
I, too, encountered bedbugs in a previous New York City apartment where I was living, and ended up being forced to move out after trying in vain to exterminate them for several months. Long story short: These things aren't fun.
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While there are a seemingly infinite number of ways you can find yourself dealing with the plight that is bedbugs, picking them up in a hotel and bringing them home with you is one of the most common scenarios. No hotel -- no matter how much you spend on the room per night -- could claim to be bedbug-safe.
Until now, that is.
A soon-to-open Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in Helsinki, Finland is the first new-construction hotel that claims to be entirely bedbug-safe.
You may be thinking: "How, exactly, can a hotel make such a claim against these menacing creatures that have tortured humans for thousands of years?" Well, same.
The answer -- according to Hotel U14, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel -- is that the property is designed in collaboration with a Finnish startup known as Valpas, which was founded in 2013 after CEO Martim Gois caught bedbugs while traveling in Asia. He set out on a mission to eliminate bedbugs in hotels -- without using pesticides or throwing furniture away. Now, Valpas holds four patents in technology and design, and has set a standard for hotels to achieve in order to be known as bedbug-safe. Hotel U14 claims that it will "reduce [bedbug] infestations to zero compared to other modern hotels, but it also ensures people travel and return home safe without carrying bedbugs along."
Specifically, in-room technology is leveraged to prevent an infestation of bedbugs. Primarily, this consists of "smart" legs on the bed frame that attract and subsequently capture these vermin before they're able to implant themselves in the bed. Once a bug is caught, the hotel staff is immediately notified, and then they can take steps to further protect the hotel.
If this claim holds true after the property opens in Helsinki's city center in March of this year, it will be an answered prayer for travelers everywhere who have (totally legitimate) fears of bringing bedbugs home with them after a trip. It seems like Valpas is really on to something, too. Over the last two years, the company has partnered with hotels in a dozen cities across eight countries in Europe to make them bedbug safe, though U14 is the first new-build hotel that's been designed to the Valpas standard.
If this hotel is successful and Valpas's expansion continues, we're optimistic these preventative measures could become standard at more and more hotels worldwide. With more people crisscrossing the globe at a given time than ever before, it's all too easy to pick up these nefarious insects in one location and bring them home with you, where they can easily spread to infest every corner of your home.
Enjoying a hotel stay without living in fear of picking up bedbugs would certainly be a welcome development for all travelers.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.