What to Know when Booking a Hotel in Europe

European hotel star ratings vary from those typically associated in North America, and can also vary from country to country. A North American 3-star property may closely resemble an European 2-star property. This is because most European households generally have smaller living spaces, therefore, the same applies to hotel rooms. If you enjoy the minimum 3-star quality in North America, ensure to book a 4-star or even 5-star hotel in Europe in order to avoid disappointment.

How do you know the size of the room? If you’re booking a hotel in the city center of a big city like London, Paris and Amsterdam, never get the lead-in category. That will most likely be ½ or ⅔ the size of a lead-in room category in North America. A typical name for a lead-in category would be “Classic Room” or “Standard Room”. Opt for a category with a name like “Deluxe Room”, or even a suite.

• Private Bathroom: while this may sound like a marketing feature, not all rooms in Europe have a private bathroom. You must ensure this appears in the room description
• Shared Bathroom: this is something often overlooked. When a hotel has a “shared bathroom”, it means that every hallway has a public bathroom and/or toilet, often separated from each other. Yes, you read that right – no bathroom or toilet in your room, it must be shared with everyone staying on that floor!
• Toilet and/or shower: Europeans distinguish between a “toilet” and a “bathroom”. Just because it says “bathroom” does not mean that there is a toilet in the room. Always make sure that the hotel description says in-room toilet and shower!

• King Bed: Same as in North America
• Double Bed versus Twin Bed: In North America, a double bed is simply a bed for 2 which is smaller than a king bed. However, this type of bed is not as common in Europe. Most rooms, unless they have a king bed, will have what is referred to as Twin Beds. A twin bed is the European term for a single bed. So, if 2 people book a room, it would be two twin beds. If the description of the room you’re booking shows twin beds, you can request a room with a double bed. However, that might mean that you will get a room where the two twin beds were pushed together. This is very common in Europe. To avoid this trap, ensure you book a room with a king bed.

Most hotels in Europe will include breakfast. However, don’t get your hopes up. Europeans usually eat a very light breakfast, hence the hotels will serve what is known as continental breakfast. Continental breakfast typically consists of fruits, pastries, baked goods, toast and coffee. But no worries, they do have coffee, orange juice and apple juice. If a hotel does serve the breakfast that travelers from North America expect, that is referred to as “Full Breakfast”. If it does not say Full Breakfast, it will most likely be continental breakfast.

Hotels located in the city center and close to public transportation are perceived as desirable as this feature makes it easier for hotel guests to get to top attractions. However, if your budget is low, I have good news! You don’t really need a hotel within a 10-minute walking distance to the Eiffel Tower or Big Ben in order to enjoy the top attractions in Europe. The public transit system in most European cities is much more efficient than North American cities, so many Europeans never end up learning how to drive! If you stay in an area a bit further from the big tourist attractions, chances are you will still be in the city center, at a 10-25 minute subway ride away from the attractions and pay a fraction of the price for the accommodation. Taking public transit can be a cultural experience itself, and you’ll have the city by the tail without having to take a taxi everywhere!