There have been a couple of other posts on Fluther regarding bedbugs, so you may want to read through them using the search field. (I can’t find the thread with my response, so my apology to those that might be reading this a 2nd time.)
I worked for Hilton for 24 years, with 5 of those in the hotel inspection dept. In all that time on the road, at ~175–200 nights a year, a different hotel every night, I have yet to experience bedbugs, nor did any of my co-workers. Trust me, we would have talked about it.
From what I’ve read, bedbugs are attracted to body heat, so they get into dwellings, be it home or hotel, from the outside or by being transported on clothes or suitcase to another place. Cleanliness is not an issue. They just want blood, which is why the tend to nest in bedding and come out at night…to feed on the blood of the warm human.
Yes, the # of bedbug cases is growing in the U.S. Several sites attribute it to international travelers carrying them in their luggage. This is why NYC is battling them…many intl. travelers visit the fine city.
My peeve is that the blame seems to often fall on hotels. There are many, MANY more cases of bedbugs in residential dwellings than hotel rooms. They just don’t make a sensational news story. Read some postings on Q&A sites that discuss bedbugs, and you will see what I mean. No one who has an infestation in their own home is going to call the local news to report it.
When selecting a hotel, there is really no way to find out in advance if one has had reported problems with bedbugs. And some of the reported cases simply are not true. As for inspecting your room after check-in, that is virtually impossible as well. They are tiny, tend to be nocturnal, and come out when they feel body heat. The best visible signs are typically the next morning when spots appear on the skin or there are small blood streaks on the sheets.