Standard Hotel Room Size And Equipment You’ll Have

If you have already read our blog, you may know that we love standard hotel rooms. The reason for this is quite simple: we don’t want to pay more for basically the same service. So, we usually avoid those deluxe, deluxe-queen, deluxe-king, and other super-duper rooms you will love only the names of. That’s why we stay in standard rooms and sometimes we have the pleasure to stay in suites.

But we’ve never talked much about standard rooms. What size should they be? What services should you have included in your bill? What furniture should be there in your room? OK, let’s talk about that in our today’s article. We hope you will find all the answers to your questions about standard rooms in hotels.

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

The equipment in a standard room – what should you have?
The room size question – is your room standard or economy?
Different types of standard rooms in hotels.
Should you overpay to get some more advanced rooms?

Let’s get started!

What should be the size and main features of your standard hotel room?

We don’t know why but many people think that hotel standards and requirements are very important. Do you know that even some chain hotels with very well-known names don’t obey those requirements when they are building new rooms? These requirements are more of an advice for hotels but not strict requirements.

Though, some standards still exist. And they depend much on the number of stars in a hotel.

Here are some basic requirements for a standard room in all types of hotels:

the room should have its own entrance;
the room should be indicated by a number or a letter on the entrance door;
the entrance door needs to have an option of locking from the inside;
the entrance door needs to have a spy hole (have you seen it everywhere?);
the single standard room shouldn’t be smaller than 10 square meters
the double standard room shouldn’t be smaller than 17 square meters;
to get 5 stars, a hotel needs to have all double standard rooms of at least 26 square meters.

These are just some standard requirements but we have seen 5-star hotels with some double rooms much smaller than 26 square meters. How could they get those 5 stars? Of course, the receptionist couldn’t answer that question, so we just refused to check in and asked for a refund that time.

But more or less they still should keep to that minimal requirement. If your double room in a hotel is smaller than 17 square meters, this hotel is illegal. It’s proven that staying in a more cramped room is uncomfortable and people can even get some kind of depression if they stay in a tiny room for a long time.

What about the equipment for a standard room?

All hotels should offer a certain level of quality for all guests. Otherwise, these hotels will not get good reviews and they won’t be able to get the certification. We are not talking about any optional comfort features like a washing machine or a kitchen in your room – only some hotels will offer these conveniences.

We are talking about some things that should be in your room without any exceptions. So, here are some factors that will make a hotel room a proper room for staying:

lighting – general room lighting and also bed lighting suitable for reading in bed;
a bed or beds according to what’s written in the room description;
curtains that will prevent any person from looking into the room;
individually regulated heating and air conditioning in the room;
a ventilation system or an openable window;
wardrobe with shelves, and also a cupboard;
telephone with the instructions on how to use it;
a TV with remote control;
wastepaper basket for some garbage;
two seats at least for a double room (armchairs, chairs);
a table that is suitable for different activities.

These are the things that every standard room in every hotel should have. We believe some states and countries can make changes to this list because not all climate zones will need air conditioners or heating systems. But more or less, this list shows what you can expect to get in every room.

This list includes the items that should always be there in your room. If you don’t have a wardrobe with plastic hangers for your clothes, you can complain and the hotel staff has to come up with some idea to solve the problem.

What can you get in a standard hotel room on request?

Apart from some necessary things, you can also get a lot of services on request. In many hotels, the list of these services will be very long. But today, we are mainly talking about the services that are necessary for becoming a hotel and getting a certification.

Among the obligatory services on request, we can think of the following ones:

additional pillow of a different size or type for your comfort;
additional blanket in case you feel cold at night;
ironing equipment if it’s not presented in the room as a part of standard equipment;
change of towels and bed linen on request (not in 1-star or 2-star hotels);
baby bed on request and other equipment like special chairs, etc.

Also, each hotel has to have additional equipment and facilities for disabled people and allow them to use these facilities and equipment on request. Without this, any hotel can’t get certified and work legally.

Now, the standard hotel room doesn’t seem so empty to you, right?

What can be the types of standard rooms?

Single standard room. This is a room that can be used by one person only. It’s cramped and it usually has a single bed of at least 90 cm in width and 200 cm in length. But all the things mentioned above are obligatory.
Double standard room. Basically, the same room, but it’s OK for two people. It can have one double bed of at least 140 cm in width and 200 cm in length or it can offer two single beds.
Tripple standard room. It will have one double bed and one single bed or three single beds. It’s a good and economical choice for people who travel in a group of three.
Quadruple standard room. Not all hotels have this. Usually, it consists of two separate rooms, but it can be one big room with two double beds or any combination of beds for four people.
Economy standard room. Any economy room in a hotel should also offer you the same set of services. It can be less modern, less beautiful, and more cramped, though.
Deluxe standard room. Deluxe is a magic word in a hotel business that is the synonym for Expensive. This is a more beautiful standard room which may be a little more spacious and it costs a lot of money.

Should you book a standard or any better room?

We believe that a standard room is absolutely good for a traveler (including business travelers) all over the world. But if you are traveling to a poor country like some countries in Central Africa, for example, you should overpay for a better room. You will pay a couple of dollars more but chances are you will get more or less bearable service.

If you are traveling to Europe or in America, you should always book a standard room and only opt for a better option if the price difference is negligible. Or if you just don’t have any other options available.

Standard rooms are equipped with everything important for your stay. And you will feel comfortable in them. Paying for deluxe standard rooms or deluxe queen rooms is something you will not get the pleasure of.

But if you still want to spend more money, you can go for a suite. A suite will offer much more space and it will be a much more beautiful room with a better view, better decoration, better furniture, and other equipment. Suites are important for all hotels, so they try to renovate them all the time.

Final words

Unfortunately, not all hotels around the world follow simple instructions on what they should have in their standard rooms. Because of that, we can’t be sure that we’ll get the needed service whenever we book a standard room. If you feel that some kinds of equipment are the most important for you, you should ask a receptionist or hotel staff before booking. This will save your nerves in case you will have to quarrel with hotel staff after you check in.

We’ve provided you with short and easy-to-read information on what exactly you need to expect when you book a standard hotel room. But bear in mind that many hotels will not be good enough to follow all these rules. While some hotels will be good enough to overdo with the rules and will offer you a much better room and much more wonderful services.