Submitted by "EM" on 07/24/2008

July 9, 2008, we checked into the La Jolla Marriott on La Jolla Village Drive, and after 3 attempts of finding our room (I had booked 15 rooms at this hotel for my daughter's softball team and they could not find our correct block of rooms, but that's another story for another blog). So Thursday morning, July 10th, we became the victims of bed bugs, i found blood on my pajama bottoms and on the sheets of our bed. I had never experienced anything like this so I was not sure what had happened until I found a bug on the bath mat in the bathroom. We also found blood on my daughters bed. I called our event coordinator at the hotel to inform her and they came to the room, removed the bug, called their pest control company and then let us know later that day that yes it was indeed a bed bug. So we had to end our day @ SeaWorld and return to the hotel so they could take all of our clothes to be cleaned. They also took our luggage ( 3 suitcase and 2 backpacks which I had to replace before we left and new clothes to get us through the next day.) Never once were we contacted by the hotel General Manager, Darren Munoz - and we had to fight to get reimbursed for what they told us to purchase and replace, all they wanted to do was comp us 1 nights stay!!! Mind you I had booked 15 rooms in this hotel for 5 nights and we all spent well over $15,000 in lodging and food. It wasn't until I threatened calling the health department and media on Monday morning did the General Manager of this hotel contact me - after I had flown home - I never saw him face to face. Why he did not contact us immediatley is beyond me and very insulting as we know for a fact by his staff that he was in the hotel when this was brought to his attention. So if you are looking for a hotel in La Jolla avoid the Marriott at all costs. The Hyatt is just a block away!!