The horror stories I've heard have been people finding bugs at home after a hotel stay. You can't always know if the hotel you're staying at has bed bugs. But

The horror stories I've heard have been people finding bugs at home after a hotel stay. You can't always know if the hotel you're staying at has bed bugs. But you could reduce the risk of taking them home with you by always keeping your bags a distance away from the hotel bed, so the bugs won't be likely to hide there. I've never encountered signs of bed bugs when travelling but it is a simple rule I follow, just in case.