Hilton apologizes after Irving bitten by bed bugs
OKLAHOMA CITY — Hilton Hotels apologized Tuesday after Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving said he was bitten by bed bugs during a weekend stay in downtown Oklahoma City.
Irving played just nine minutes on Sunday in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team blamed flu-like symptoms, but Irving later said he was not feeling well after discovering bed bugs on a pillow and ending up on a couch instead of his bed at the Skirvin Hilton. He said he didn’t get much sleep Saturday night and had a sore back, too.
Hilton and environmental health inspectors from the Oklahoma City-County Health Department both called it an isolated case and said the room was being treated.
“The comfort of our guests is a top priority, and we are very sorry to hear about Mr. Irving’s stay,” Hilton said. “Since bed bugs can be easily transmitted anywhere and are often lodged in luggage or on clothing, our hotel maintains high levels of vigilance and we perform regular inspections.”
Irving said he had just three hours of sleep the night before the game and felt nauseated.
“Just imagine how freaked out you’d be if you saw friggin’ five big bed bugs just sitting on your pillow,” he said. “I woke up itching, and I’m just looking around and I’m like, ‘Are you serious right now?’ It was 3 a.m., and I was so tired at that point.”
The Skirvin Hotel had not had a bed bug complaint since 2013, and corrective action was taken then. The city-county health agency said it had provided suggestions to treat the room, and the hotel has been cooperative.
“Skirvin Hotel management had already started the process of corrective action as we were launching an on-site inspection today at the hotel,” the department said.
Adjacent rooms were inspected, and no other signs of bed bugs were noted.
“We actually had the company come out first thing [Monday] morning, and we found it was an isolated case in the one room, and we’re taking the necessary steps to remediate the problem,” a spokesman for the Skirvin told ESPN.com.
On Tuesday, Terminix posted an offer to Irving and the Cavaliers on their Facebook page:
Despite playing most of the game without Irving, the Cavs beat the Thunder 115-92. Irving said he felt better Monday, when he scored a team-high 30 points in Cleveland’s 96-88 loss to the Pistons.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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