Woman alleges she, her son were bitten by bed bugs while staying at an Ocean Boulevard hotel
A new lawsuit alleges a woman and her son were bitten by bed bugs while sleeping at a Myrtle Beach hotel, the second such suit filed against the hotel in recent months.
The lawsuit was filed in Horry County last week against Grand Strand Hotels, LLC, which owns South Bay Inn and Suites, located at 520 N. Ocean Boulevard.
Lakeisha Preston filed the lawsuit on behalf of herself and her minor child. Attorney Trevor P. Eddy of the Eddy Law Firm in Columbia represents Preston in court.
A Florida couple in December filed a similar lawsuit against South Bay Inn and Suites, claiming they were bitten by bed bugs while staying at the hotel in Myrtle Beach. The couple alleged the bed bugs traveled with them back to their Florida home and caused an infestation there.
Preston said in her lawsuit her son woke her up about 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 5, 2021, and said something was biting him.
Preston called the front desk, where an employee Preston and her son would be moved to another room, the filing alleges.
Hotel management told Preston to leave her belongings in the infested room during a bed bug treatment. Pest control technicians confirmed to Preston that the room had bed bugs, the lawsuit alleges.
Bed bugs were in the mattresses, bedding, and carpet of the hotel room, she said in the lawsuit.
Preston asked the court for an undisclosed amount of money, stating the infestation caused her and her son severe emotional distress.
A spokesperson for OTO Development, which manages South Bay Inn & Suites in Myrtle Beach, e-mailed a statement to The Sun News saying she was unaware of the February lawsuit.
Diane Jackson, director of public relations, provided a written comment.
“We cannot comment as we have no knowledge of this lawsuit being filed, nor have we been served. We can state without reservation, however, that we follow all industry best practices related to preventing and mitigating bed bug occurrences.”
