I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
(thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
a "quad" room?

Thanks,

Boris

PS--I am absolutely thrilled at all the charming family owned hotels I
see. These look so much more interesting than the large corporate
hotels.

On 22 Oct 2004 01:21:26 -0700, [email protected] (Boris) wrote:

    >I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    >(thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    >is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    >family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    >a "quad" room?

It usually goes something like this:

single - one bed that holds one person
twin - two beds that hold one person each
double - one bed that holds two people
triple - room sleeps three (either three single beds or a single
bed plus a double bed--sometimes the third bed is just a cot
brought into the room)
quad - room sleeps four (a combination of single and/or double
beds)

Enjoy your travels.

Darby Jo

"Boris" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] om...
    > I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    > (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    > is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    > family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    > a "quad" room?

Yes. A double is one double bed. You may find hotels which have 2 double
beds but that is not the norm.

    > PS--I am absolutely thrilled at all the charming family owned hotels I
    > see. These look so much more interesting than the large corporate
    > hotels.

Well you might likely have a more difficult time then, the chain hotels,
like travelodge et al, are often more kid friendly and have sofa beds and
pullouts etc.

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 11:04:11 +0100, "Mark Hewitt"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Boris" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    >news:[email protected]. com...
    >> I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    >> (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    >> is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    >> family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    >> a "quad" room?
    >Yes. A double is one double bed. You may find hotels which have 2 double
    >beds but that is not the norm.
    >> PS--I am absolutely thrilled at all the charming family owned hotels I
    >> see. These look so much more interesting than the large corporate
    >> hotels.
    >Well you might likely have a more difficult time then, the chain hotels,
    >like travelodge et al, are often more kid friendly and have sofa beds and
    >pullouts etc.

As have Holiday Inn. Often a double, a single and a pull out bed.

--
Martin

Boris wrote:
    > I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    > (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    > is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    > family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    > a "quad" room?
    > Thanks,
    > Boris
    > PS--I am absolutely thrilled at all the charming family owned hotels I
    > see. These look so much more interesting than the large corporate
    > hotels.


You could also try searching for "family room" or "family suite" especially
if looking at Independent hotels/guest houses in the UK.

These would usually be either one large room with 1 double & 2 singles/bunk
beds. Or 1 double room with a twin room off.
Try searching at www.activehotels.com

Jan

On 22 Oct 2004 01:21:26 -0700, [email protected] (Boris) wrote:

    >I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    >(thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    >is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    >family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    >a "quad" room?

In europe, this is normally true. A double room usually has either a
double bed or two single beds. (Actually, the double bed is usually
two singles pushed together and made up as a double.) Often there is
no place to put an extra bed or cot. So, yes, you should be looking
for a quad.

Luxury hotels may have two double beds as in the US, but even then,
you will have to reserve the room indicating that four people will be
occupying it.

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

"B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > On 22 Oct 2004 01:21:26 -0700, [email protected] (Boris) wrote:
    >>Actually, the double bed is usually
    > two singles pushed together and made up as a double.)

Usually? I would dispute this as to while I don't doubt it exists, in all
the hotels I've stayed in I've never found this.

[email protected] (Boris) wrote in message news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    > (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    > is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    > family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    > a "quad" room?
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Boris
    >
    > PS--I am absolutely thrilled at all the charming family owned hotels I
    > see. These look so much more interesting than the large corporate
    > hotels.

Accommodating 2 adults and 2 kids can be a little difficult. Most
hotel rooms in Europe are fairly small and have one double or two
single beds. Most can add a third single folding bed at little or no
extra cost, but there's rarely room for a fourth. Queen and King size
beds are rare or non-existent.

So you can land up paying a <supplement> for children. A double room
for the adults and a slightly more expensive twin room for the kids.
(I've done it more than once)

Some tips:

the Novotel chain has rooms that will take 2 adults and 2 kids. A
double, a sofa converting to a single, and a single rollaway under the
sofa is the format I've seen. Although quite expensive, the kids go
free, including breakfast.

A triple and a single can sometimes work out cheaper than two
doubles/twins, but can lead to arguments over who gets the single
room.

the following web site has information on budget hotel chains, some of
which have rooms for 4/5:

http://www.eurapart.com/

and the following contains some useful information:

http://www.hotelsabroad.com/index.html

as well as offering a booking service

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 18:13:59 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On 22 Oct 2004 01:21:26 -0700, [email protected] (Boris) wrote:
    >>I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    >>(thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    >>is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    >>family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    >>a "quad" room?
    >In europe, this is normally true. A double room usually has either a
    >double bed or two single beds. (Actually, the double bed is usually
    >two singles pushed together and made up as a double.) Often there is
    >no place to put an extra bed or cot. So, yes, you should be looking
    >for a quad.
One needs to be sure and check out whether a double room has one large
bed or two small beds. I have learned to ask for a twin room, and in many
hotels there are not all that common. I had become accustomed to hotels and
motels in the U.S. providing two beds almost by default.

"Boris" <[email protected]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:[email protected] om...
    > I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    > (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    > is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    > family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    > a "quad" room?
Yes - you'll need a quad. And here the offers are quite limited.

Alternatives:
All "family friendly" youth hostels have normally 4-bed rooms.
Some pensions and hostels offer also appartments with 2 2-bed rooms.
e.g. The Circus in Berlin http://www.circus-hostel.de

Vacation appartments or farm stays are the cheapest option. These are of
course easier to find in the country side than in big cities. And often a
minimum stay of 2-3 nights is required.

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 21:46:02 GMT, Rita <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 18:13:59 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:
    >>In europe, this is normally true. A double room usually has either a
    >>double bed or two single beds. (Actually, the double bed is usually
    >>two singles pushed together and made up as a double.) Often there is
    >>no place to put an extra bed or cot. So, yes, you should be looking
    >>for a quad.
    >One needs to be sure and check out whether a double room has one large
    >bed or two small beds. I have learned to ask for a twin room, and in many
    >hotels there are not all that common. I had become accustomed to hotels and
    >motels in the U.S. providing two beds almost by default.

In Italy, nearly all hotels are as I described, so a "twin" room can
easily be converted into what is called "matrimoniale" and vice versa.
Actually, I never stay in 5-star hotels, and rarely in 4-star, so
maybe they are different.
--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Sat, 23 Oct 2004 00:39:23 +0200, "Martin Stock"
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >"Boris" <[email protected]> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
    >news:[email protected]. com...
    >> I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    >> (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    >> is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    >> family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    >> a "quad" room?
    >Yes - you'll need a quad. And here the offers are quite limited.
    >Alternatives:
    >All "family friendly" youth hostels have normally 4-bed rooms.
    >Some pensions and hostels offer also appartments with 2 2-bed rooms.
    >e.g. The Circus in Berlin http://www.circus-hostel.de

If you want the low end of the lodging market, but a bit above the
youth hostel level, get a copy of Let's Go, Europe, or even better the
Let's Go guide for the specific country you're going to. They indicate
in their lodging section which sorts of room each hotel has, and give
the prices by type of room. This is the easiest way to find quad
rooms.

--
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

On Fri, 22 Oct 2004 18:13:59 +0200, B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On 22 Oct 2004 01:21:26 -0700, [email protected] (Boris) wrote:
    >>I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    >>(thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    >>is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    >>family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    >>a "quad" room?


In most Western European countries, to put 4 people in a room, the
room must be licensed to allow 4 people. If you try to put 4 in a
room for 3, the front desk will visit.

One of the best places to search for available and existing quads is
www.venere.com

"Mark Hewitt" <[email protected]> skrev i
meddelandet news:[email protected]...
    > "B Vaughan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >> On 22 Oct 2004 01:21:26 -0700, [email protected] (Boris) wrote:
    >>>Actually, the double bed is usually
    >> two singles pushed together and made up as a double.)
    > Usually? I would dispute this as to while I don't doubt it exists, in all
    > the hotels I've stayed in I've never found this.
But on the contrary, to my experience most hotels provides two separate beds
in a double.
Exception may be countries like France with the typical Grand Lits.
Anyway , if in doubt , just ask the hotel.

We needed a triple 1 night in Freiburg, Germany last week. We checked at 3
hotels (the tourist office was already closed Sat. afternoon) and they all
said that we needed a "family room". We were offered a double and a single.
We finally got a "family room" with 2 singles pushed together to make a
double and 2 other singles. It was great, but not cheap.
Laura
"Boris" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] om...
    > I've been doing some surfing and checking out hotels listed on the web
    > (thanks for the great websites), and one question I have...If a room
    > is listed as a double, does that mean it will only sleep 2? I have a
    > family of four (the children are ages 12 & 13), does this mean I need
    > a "quad" room?