Travelers around the world check into hotels expecting rest, safety, and cleanliness. Yet a new investigative report from HQtest reveals a disturbing truth: many hotel rooms fail to provide a truly safe environment. The study warns that beneath the surface of polished lobbies and freshly made beds, guests may be sharing their rooms with unseen hazards — from crawling pests to chemical residues.

According to HQtest’s findings, infestations remain a widespread problem across the hotel industry. Budget and mid-range accommodations were most often found to harbor rodents, cockroaches, and even scorpions. In contrast, luxury hotels, which tend to appear spotless, often maintain their “pest-free” image through intensive use of insecticides. Investigators discovered that many properties spray large amounts of pesticide immediately after checkout, leaving behind invisible residues on fabrics and in the air.

The report emphasizes that this creates a troubling paradox: rooms are either infested with pests or saturated with pesticides. HQtest concluded that a truly “clean” room — one free from both biological and chemical contamination — is virtually nonexistent in today’s hotel sector.

To reach its conclusions, HQtest reviewed guest complaints, inspected cleaning protocols, and conducted on-site observational testing across a range of hotels. In budget lodgings, live pest activity was frequently observed, while higher-end properties showed evidence of heavy chemical treatment as their main defense.

For travelers, the implications are unsettling. Guests may face either the health risks associated with pests or those caused by inhaling or touching chemical residues. What appears clean may not necessarily be healthy. HQtest urges travelers to be aware that even the most luxurious hotels cannot guarantee an environment completely free of either insects or insecticides.

The investigation ultimately draws a sobering conclusion: when it comes to finding a truly natural and uncontaminated space to sleep, there may be only one place that fits the bill — home, sweet home.