10 differences between American and European hotels that might surprise you (2024)

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The rooms are smaller.

One of the main differences between European and American hotels is the size of the rooms.The first time I stayed in a European hotel, I was shocked when I was presented with a room that barely had enough space to hold the bed and a dresser.

This, as it turns out, is perfectly normal and expected. You may not notice it from photos online — it's all about the angles — but just keep it in mind. Of course, not every room is tiny. I've stayed in hotels in Rome that offered rooms that were quite large — but for the most part, they're on the smaller side.

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The bed situation might not be as comfortable.

When searching for rooms in various European cities, I have often wondered if they were all created with just two guests in mind. The majority of American hotels offer similar bed options: a king, queen, two twins, maybe a double bed. If you want a room for four people, you get one with two twin beds.

In Europe, it seems to be different. For one thing, king size beds are not as popular. I personally have never seen one there. Instead, a large bed is usually two beds pushed together. European hotel rooms also almost always use a futon or a pull-out couch as a second or third bed.

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The floor numbers are different.

One weird difference is the floor numbers. In Europe, the first floor is often considered the first floor off of ground level. In America, we typically consider this the second floor. In Europe, most hotels say the lobby is on level zero, while in the US, we would say the lobby is on level one.

And if there is something below the lobbies, most hotels will refer to that as level -1. This is something to keep in mind when looking for your room or getting in an elevator.

The elevator might be tiny.

Speaking of elevators, those are often very different as well. Most European hotels have elevators (although I have heard of ones that don't), but they are usually a lot smaller than the elevators one would find in a hotel, or any building, in the US. They are usually smaller, more narrow, and a lot more cramped. I've stayed in hotels that had such small elevators I could barely fit in there with my luggage.

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Handheld showers are common.

It's no secret that European bathrooms and bathing rituals tend to be different, and that pertains to the shower as well. Wherever you are in Europe, you'll probably find that the bathroom shower features a handheld nozzle. Because of the handheld option, it's probably going to take you a few minutes to figure out how to work the shower head, but you'll get there.

Showers don't always have curtains.

During my last few trips overseas, I've noticed something interesting: most European hotels don't have shower curtains. In fact, of the several I've been in, only one had a curtain. They usually have glass doors, although several times, I've used a shower that didn't have doors that closed all the way. This means you're probably going to get the bathroom pretty messy when you're showering.

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There is always a bidet.

Even if you don't know anything about European bathing practices, you've likely heard of a bidet. It's the thing in the bathroom that kind of looks like a urinal, but has a very different purpose: it sprays water up your private parts to thoroughly clean them.

Pretty much every European hotel bathroom has one, and sometimes the fancy ones also give you a cleanser to use down there.

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The outlets aren't the same.

Probably one of the most important things you should know before traveling to Europe is that you'll need to buy converters for the outlets. Your cell phone charger or curling iron plug isn't going to fit in a European outlet, and if you don't have a converter, you're pretty much out of luck.

European outlets are also known to be more powerful, so be careful. Even if you're using a converter, you shouldn't use an American hair dryer. They will almost always blow a fuse or break entirely (trust me, I know from experience). I haven't had issues with curling wands or flat irons, but just be aware.

The outlets are also often placed differently. Many of the hotel rooms I've been in throughout Europe don't have an outlet right next to the bed, which is the most convenient for my phone charger.

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There are often no alarm clocks.

I've found that many hotels in Europe usually do not have alarm clocks. In fact, many don't really have a clock at all. In the US, it's pretty standard for hotels to include a clock with an alarm function right next to the bed, but that's not the case for many European hotels.

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Many places might feel more outdated than you're used to.

In general, European hotel rooms tend to feel a bit more outdated and old-fashioned than American hotel rooms. They sometimes mimic the style of an inn or a bed and breakfast, especially if they're on the more inexpensive side.

Even the more expensive hotels often have the tendency to feel somewhat old. There are obviously some beautiful and very modern hotels throughout the continent, but in general, I've found that many places just have a more old-fashioned feel to them. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just something to get used to.

Of course, not all European hotels are the same, and things will vary from place to place - you may end up staying in a hotel that is almost exactly like one you would find in the US. Embrace the differences that you find, because it's part of the fun of being on vacation somewhere different.

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