HOTELS & SPAS

Nothing takes the pleasure out of a trip to a hotel more than a nasty nibble from a bedbug. These little pests (which used to get zapped by DDT before it was banned) are a real nuisance to the modern-day traveller. Luckily, there’s a new and non-toxic way to fix the problem: a company from New York, Advanced K9 Detectives (advancedk9detectives.com), has trained a pack of handsome hounds, from beagles to Yorkshire terriers, to track them down. Bedbugs emit a subtle, sickly-sweet aroma that is easy for dogs to search out. The hounds whiff the offensive critters in seconds flat, let off a signal bark to their handler, and the hotel eradicates them. The hotel can then treat only the affected rooms rather than having to spray every one, which is the traditional way of attacking the little nibblers. To make sure the job’s been well and truly done, the dogs return two weeks later to make certain the place is free of bugs and clean as a whistle. Cute and environmentally friendly – how good can it get?