What you should expect your hotel room to be like

European hotel rooms can be very different than you are used to. We break it down for you!

A hotel room can make or break a vacation. Getting the right one for you is essential. We identify some of the key differences that you should be aware of before you book a reservation. The biggest surprises in Europe aren’t always the famous landmarks—they’re the little everyday differences that no one tells you about until you’re standing in a hotel room wondering why the bed is so small or why your room is on the “first” floor when you expected the second. This guide explains what to expect before you book.

Contents

Reading Hotel Reviews
Boutique Hotels vs. Chains
European Room Sizes
European Bed Sizes
Understanding Floor Numbers
Elevators and Accessibility
Related Hotel Resources

How can I find out what my desired hotel room will be like?

The best way for you to get a sense of a hotel is to read the reviews. Reviews should mainly be read for context to get an impression, looking only for things that matter to you. Also, note whether issues are repeated. Every business will have customers that will not be entirely satisfied and some of them may write negative reviews. Sometimes the issues that are brought up are bit on the bizarre side. Unless it mentions something that is of particular concern to you, the one-off complaints or issues that are trivial to you should be ignored. Pay attention to items that impact you and are repeated. For instance if several reviews indicate significant street noise and you are worried this might be a problem for you then perhaps a different hotel would be a better choice.

When reading hotel reviews, pay attention to:

Noise complaints
Cleanliness
Staff friendliness
Air conditioning
Elevator availability
Neighborhood safety
Wi-Fi reliability

When checking reviews, first check the number of reviews. If a hotel only has a few there won’t be enough information to get a good idea. If there are enough reviews then, to really understand whether the hotel is right for you, you need to read lots and lots of reviews.

If everything looks good then check the google map street view to get a sense of the neighborhood. Look at what kind of shops are on the streets: are they bars and strip joints, or upscale boutiques? Do you feel comfortable on these streets? Are there things around the hotel that will be useful: restaurants, grocery stores, train stations, etc.?

Will I be comfortable in a boutique hotel or go with a larger chain hotel?

Larger chain hotels generally have larger rooms – similar to what we experience in North America. They may have elevators, night staff, perhaps room service as well.

Standard European hotel rooms are generally much smaller. The floor space around the bed may be large enough to walk around but space for luggage may limited.

We’ve experienced this several times. It’s ok during the early part of the vacation, however as we near the end of two weeks the small rooms crowded with luggage on the floor starts getting old.

The bathrooms are generally small and the bed sizes are narrower. Standard twin beds in Europe are 35” x 79” whereas in the US they are 38” x 75”. A double room may be two twins pushed together.

This can be a bit of a challenge. We had a room in Germany where it took me a couple of days to remember not to bang my leg on the corner of the sink as I headed for the toilet.

With the recent heat waves throughout Europe we should mention the need for air conditioning. Not all hotels have A/C and if they have it, some even limit its usage.

Showers

handheld shower heads
tiny shower stalls
Few, if any, grab bars
high bathtub sides – older adults take note!
half-glass shower doors
wet bathroom floors

Do not assume you’ll have:

coffee maker
microwave
ice machine
refrigerator

Some hotels have limited english language TV broadcasts (mainly consisting of news). Due to the jetlag you may find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night. Having a movie downloaded onto your phone to watch can be useful.

The website says a queen bed, but will it really be queen-sized?

If the hotel website suggests they can provide either two twin beds or a queen it might mean they will push the two twin beds together. If it is a concern and the website is unclear you should call to make sure you get what you want.

Hotel bed terminology varies widely throughout Europe. Don’t assume a “double,” “queen,” or “king” matches North American dimensions. If bed size is important, check the room specifications or contact the hotel.

What floor is my room on and why does it matter?

In Europe the first floor is our second floor in North America. If you are thinking you can make it up and down one flight of stairs you might be in for a surprise as you climb to the US equivalent of the third floor.

Because the buildings are older they don’t have a lot of room to add an elevator. It might be a challenge to fit a wheelchair in some of them. Also, smaller hotels will not have anyone to help you with your luggage.

Be aware that we have been in hotels that had an elevator and yet we were still required to climb a few stairs to get to the room. If this would be difficult you should call the hotel directly to make sure there are no steps from the elevator to the room AND that there are no steps leading into the hotel.

Also, the main floor is the “zero” floor as shown in the picture. That means that any floor below will be shown in negative numbers. The first time we saw this we were a bit caught off-guard. We took several trips up and down the elevator before we stopped commenting on going to zero, or worse, headed into negative territory.