The Unexpected Size Difference Tourists Always Notice When Staying At Hotels In Europe

If you're the type of traveler for whom size matters, and you've been to Europe before, you probably noticed some differences in the hotel rooms compared to American accommodations. The beds are smaller, the bathrooms have limited space, and the elevators hardly fit all your luggage. From super romantic hotels to cheap lodging options, the sizing of things tends to boast minimalism in European accommodations.

Redditors sounded off on a thread, inquiring about the size differences. Commenter u/blipsman wrote that many U.S. hotels were built more recently and on less expensive land, lending to their larger sizes. Many European hotels, on the other hand, were built long ago, so some features, like plumbing, aren't equipped to handle a larger volume. Some estimates suggest that the average European hotel room is about 215 square feet, whereas the typical American hotel room is roughly 325 square feet. It's only a 110-square-foot variance, but when you sit on a toilet and your knees touch the wall in front of you, it makes all the difference.

Besides the room itself, what exactly is smaller in a European hotel compared to an American stay, and why? For starters, elevators can be tiny in some places — if they're available at all. While many people hate being on the bottom level of a hotel, you might want to consider the ground floor when you're overseas. After a day of travel and lugging your bags around, being on floor "0," or the American first floor, could be just what you need to avoid cramped elevators (or long, winding staircases). Since many buildings in Europe are antiquated, you may only find small, shaky elevators instead of modern lifts. This is just one of the many reasons people stress about packing light for Europe.

Once you're in your room, you may also notice a difference in standard bed sizing. It's typical for U.S. reservations to have a queen or even a king bed, but this isn't the case across the Atlantic. In Europe, you'll most likely find twin beds in basic hotel rooms, sometimes pushed together to form a single larger bed. With that said, Europeans often focus on quality with luxe amenities, like a pillow menu or sheets with a higher thread count, over size. Lastly, the bathrooms in European hotels are typically tiny and designed to be practical, not spacious. Europeans tend to think about functionality first, and they can add the bells and whistles later, as space allows.

The European way of living is often vastly different from American living. With more tight, closed spaces, tourists are encouraged to walk outside and explore the country. The European lifestyle is more simple and traditional in that the locals often gather at parks, go to cafes, or hang out at bars to get a sense of community and human connection. It isn't common for Europeans to want to hang out in a hotel room all day long and watch TV. While it may not be the case for all Americans, U.S. hotels certainly make their stays so accommodating that you would never have to leave your hotel if you didn't want to.

According to HotelHub, the average hotel price in Europe in 2023 was $176, whereas the U.S. average was $218 (via Business Travel News). While multiple factors could be at play, cheaper stays in Europe might be in part due to an essentials-only lifestyle. There are also more options for affordable stays in Europe, such as hostels and guest houses. No matter which type of property you choose, travel writer Rick Steves recommends calling your accommodation before you arrive to reconfirm your reservation, as some hotels get overbooked. With such small spaces, it's no surprise that European hotels might not be able to fit everyone.