Hostel Valentin

​I was bitten by bedbugs at this place. The owner offered one night's refund, bite cream, a free towel (usually 4 euros), and laundry at the hostel as compensation. I requested professional high-heat washing and drying, but the owner refused to budge. After 12 PM, I accepted his offer just to avoid ruining another day. The spot where I was bitten by bedbugs is the top bunk bed on the window side in the large room facing the entrance. ​ ​The owner claimed that I might have brought the bedbugs myself and refused to pay for professional external laundry, which provides high-heat washing and drying that the hostel cannot offer. ​ ​Even though I presented clear evidence that I did not bring them, the owner insisted until the end that I might have brought them. ​ ​They stated they would conduct pest control for the bedbugs. ​ ​On the day of checkout, I told a volunteer in the morning that I would leave my luggage, and she agreed. However, when I went to pick up my luggage, she screamed at me in front of other people, saying that I was "demanding too much just because I got bitten" and that luggage storage usually costs 4 euros. (She had already become hostile toward me after our argument when I first reported the bites.) I guess this "free" storage was also part of their compensation. Haha. When she agreed in the morning, there was no mention of a fee, though the policy was posted on the board. My bus was at 3:30 PM; I went out right after checkout and only returned to the hostel to pick up my bags. ​---The following are the details. ​*Clear Evidence ​Before coming here, I stayed for 3 nights in the same bed at another hostel, and no bite marks appeared. ​After 2 nights at this hostel, bite marks appeared on my arm and were itchy. I didn't think it was bedbugs at first, but after the 3rd night, more marks appeared elsewhere. Suspecting bedbugs, I lifted the mattress and found the 'crushed and dried-up adult bedbug' shown in the photo. ​If I had brought live bedbugs, how could a dried-up adult corpse appear under the bed? Bedbugs have strong vitality; a dried corpse proves they have been there for a long time. ​I continued my journey after checking out, but there were no more bedbug bites. I am writing this review 13 days after checkout. ​*Situation I was bitten, found a bedbug corpse after lifting the mattress, and told the volunteer (it was night). She moved me to a different room. She told me to go to a hospital if it got worse, but when I asked if the hostel would pay the medical bills, she said no. She asked what I expected from a 7-euro hostel. Since I had to wash my clothes that were on the bed, I sealed them in a bag. My towel was included, so I asked her for a new one. During this, the volunteer demanded 4 euros for the towel. After an argument, I got it for free. During the argument, she even claimed that it might not be a bedbug corpse and that it should be sent to a lab for testing. ​The next day, I contacted the owner and had the conversation on whatup app before he came to hostel at 12pm I requested high-heat washing and drying, and the owner said okay. However, the volunteer ran the laundry on a 'quick mode.' As it turned out, there was no dryer here. When I said I would wash them again outside, the owner claimed there would be no place in Skopje for high-heat washing and drying. (Of course, that’s not true.) I found a laundromat and sent him the link, but he claimed they only did dry cleaning. (Not true either.) Google Maps clearly stated they provide laundry services. The owner did not listen to me. ​I told the owner that finding a 'crushed and dried-up adult bedbug' was clear evidence I didn't bring them, but he still insisted I might have. In the end, he refused to pay for the laundry fees. ​Unfortunately, their washing machine did not supply hot water. I touched the glass and the machine while it was running; it wasn't hot at all. There was no moisture/steam inside the machine either.