Is it normal to see a cockroach in a hotel?

It is not rare: 49 of 192 (26%) hotels in our scan had a review reporting cockroaches or another pest. One sighting in a warm city is different from repeated reports — read the recent reviews.

Should I ask for a refund if there are cockroaches in my hotel room?

Report it on the spot with photos and ask for a room change first. Hotels are far more likely to compensate when the problem was reported during the stay.

Do 5-star hotels have cockroaches?

Some do. 48 of 153 (31%) four- and five-star hotels in our scan had a review mentioning bed bugs or another pest.

Cockroaches in hotel rooms: what guest reviews report

192 hotels scanned · 95 cities · data refreshed 2026-11-13

We read the guest reviews of 192 highly rated hotels and counted the ones where guests report cockroaches, mice, ants or other pests besides bed bugs: 49 of 192 (26%).

For bed bugs specifically, see hotels with bed bugs; for the wider picture of a room that was not cleaned properly, see dirty hotel rooms.

How often do guests report cockroaches in hotel rooms?

49 of 192 (26%) hotels had at least one English-language review reporting a pest other than bed bugs — most often cockroaches, ants or mice. We count these together and do not separate cockroaches from other pests.

Price is no shield: among 153 four- and five-star hotels we scanned, 48 of 153 (31%) had at least one review mentioning bed bugs or another pest.

Ratings are no shield either: 37 of 159 (23%) hotels rated 9.0 or higher on Booking.com had at least one review mentioning bed bugs or another pest.

Where cockroaches show up in a hotel room

Guest reports cluster in bathrooms, around drains, in kitchenettes and minibars, and in older buildings in warm, humid cities.

Switch the bathroom light on before you walk in at night, and look under the sink and behind the minibar on arrival.

What to do if you see a cockroach in your hotel room

Take a photo and report it to the front desk the same day. Ask for a different room, ideally on another floor.

Keep food sealed or in the fridge, and keep your suitcase zipped and off the floor.

If the hotel will not fix it, the refund and complaint steps work the same way for cockroaches.

Browse researched hotels

Cities where every listed hotel has a full HotelShortlist review dossier:

Alytus Athens Barcelona Birštonas Bona Breuil-Cervinia Cervinia Cortina d'Ampezzo Davos-Klosters Dubai Gstaad Holzgau Jamaica Jennersdorf Kaunas Kitzbühel Kraków Kretinga Lisbon Madonna di Campiglio Magland Megève Milano Méribel Palanga Paris Pärnu Riga Rimini Rubuliai San Vigilio Sanya St. Anton am Arlberg St. Moritz Tartu Tauperlitz Trakai Trento Utzmannsbach Vilnius Vysoké Tatry Wagrain Warsaw Zakopane Zermatt Łódź Žiaukos

How we counted

We scanned the English-language guest reviews of 192 hotels in 95 cities for mentions of bed bugs and other pests (cockroaches, mice, ants, fleas and similar). Reviews that deny a problem ("no bed bugs") are excluded, and each hotel counts once however many reviews mention it.

A mention is a guest’s report, not an inspection result — it may be old, and the hotel may have dealt with it since. This page shows totals only and never names a hotel. If you represent a hotel and believe a figure is wrong, write to members@hotelshortlist.com and we will review it.

Questions

Is it normal to see a cockroach in a hotel?: It is not rare: 49 of 192 (26%) hotels in our scan had a review reporting cockroaches or another pest. One sighting in a warm city is different from repeated reports — read the recent reviews.
Should I ask for a refund if there are cockroaches in my hotel room?: Report it on the spot with photos and ask for a room change first. Hotels are far more likely to compensate when the problem was reported during the stay.
Do 5-star hotels have cockroaches?: Some do. 48 of 153 (31%) four- and five-star hotels in our scan had a review mentioning bed bugs or another pest.

More guides

Hotels with bed bugs: what guest reviews report10 of 192 (5%) hotels we scanned had a guest review mentioning bed bugs. City-by-city data and how to check your room. How to check a hotel room for bed bugsA five-minute room check, the signs to look for, and what to do if you find them. 10 of 192 (5%) hotels we scanned had a bed-bug review. Which cities have the most hotel pest reports?Bed bug and pest mentions in guest reviews of 192 hotels across 95 cities, compared city by city. Why 9.0+ rated hotels still get pest reports37 of 159 (23%) hotels rated 9.0+ had a guest review mentioning bed bugs or pests. Why a high score doesn't rule them out. Hotel chains with bed bugs: Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Accor and moreBed-bug reviews at 18 chain hotels, group by group — Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Accor, Hyatt — against independents. Quiet hotels: how to find one, and how to get a quiet room542 of 1,792 (30%) hotels we read are rarely called noisy by guests. Quiet hotels by city, and how to get a quiet hotel room. Is there a bed bug registry for hotels?Most countries keep no official bed bug registry for hotels. What exists, how to search it, how to report a hotel. 10 of 192 (5%) had a report. What to do if your hotel has bed bugsFound bed bugs or bitten in a hotel? What to do in the first 30 minutes, how to get a refund, whether you can sue, and how to keep them out of your… How to tell if a hotel has bed bugs — before and after you bookHow to tell if a hotel has bed bugs: the review search to run before booking and the room check on arrival. 10 of 192 (5%) hotels had a report. Dirty hotel room: what to do, and how to avoid oneDirty hotel room? What to do on the spot, how to get a refund, and how to spot a dirty hotel in the reviews. 54 of 192 (28%) hotels had a pest report.