I've traveled a lot too and haven't encountered bed bugs, but that doesn't mean they can't be found everywhere, they can be. I work in a non-profit industry that follows the trends due to our work in providing low-income housing in a non-profit environment. It doesn't matter if you use your own bedding, so I agree that's a waste of space. Bed bugs are very hard to treat once there's an infestation. We have a trained, bed bug sniffing dog (it's true!) that we take through our buildings as well as our offices and then we treat when appropriate, but again, it's not just a simple pesticide. That said, bed bugs have been an increased presence this past year from the Four Seasons, to hostels to Department stores and used clothing stores, so it's best to google them and be informed about what they look for. If you are concerned, I'd definitely do room search, particularly around the mattress area and crevices. If you have any reason to think you've brought them home in your suitcase you can save the clothing by tossing in the dryer on high for 20 minutes.