What Is A Double Bed In A Hotel? And Some Other Hotel Bed Types

When you are going to book a room in a hotel, you can see that the description of that room contains the bed type. But usually, it doesn’t say much to us because we just don’t know what these types actually mean. In this article, we want to tell you more about the bed types, their sizes, and features. You will be sure that your room is comfortable when you book a room in a hotel.

Of course, you still need to know that not all hotels provide you with everything they write in their descriptions. Some small hotels and cheap places write good things in their ads and then you get some completely other things when you get into your room. This may be annoying sometimes, but you can always complain and demand the service you were paying for.

Here’s what we’ll be talking about:

A double bed and a queen bed (king bed) – any difference?
How a twin bed differs from a double bed in a hotel?
What are the size standards for different kinds of beds?
What kind of bed should you choose when booking a room?

Let’s get started!

Size standards of double bed – what should it be?

A double bed is a bed that is optimal for two people. It’s not a bed that is formed from two single beds. It’s a bed that has one single mattress that is big enough for the comfortable sleep of two people. Usually, these beds are made to accommodate any people, so an average person will feel a lot of space here. It doesn’t mean that you will feel like a king or queen on this bed, this is just a simple bed for two.

Also, double beds always have one common headboard. Actually, this is pretty much always a single construction with one headboard and one mattress. This is what defines a double bed. But not all such constructions can still be called double beds.

Here are some size requirements:

the width should be 54 inches or 140 centimeters;
the length should be 76 inches or 193 centimeters;
also, the height should be around 25 inches but this may differ a little;
headboard sizes aren’t regulated;
the under-bed area isn’t regulated, it can be open or closed;
the height of the mattress isn’t regulated and it depends on the type of the mattress.

Do you think these are all requirements? You are wrong. The length and the width of a hotel bed are important, but no hotel can be licensed without some other important things. For example. At least 30 inches or about 65 centimeters should be left on each side of the bed. This clear space is used for the comfort of guests.

Mainly, these requirements are used for accommodating a wheelchair on the side of the bed. But actually, it’s not convenient to sleep in a room that has less than 30 inches on both sides of the bed. You can just bump into the wall with your head when you wake up at night and want to go to the bathroom, for example. So, this is also important.

What are King/Queen/Olympic Queen beds?

You can see that many hotels say in their ads that they don’t have just double beds in their rooms, but Queen beds or something even more sophisticated. What does it mean? Well, sometimes it means just nothing because those claimed Queen beds are just double beds. Will you take your roulette and measure a bed in a hotel? We sometimes do this and we know that many hotels are just tricking their clients.

So, here’s what you can expect to get from all those wonderful bed names:

The queen bed should be at least 60 inches wide and 80 inches long (155 to 203 centimeters).
The Olympic Queen bed is 66 inches wide and has the same length (about 168 centimeters wide).
The King bed is the biggest size and it should be at least 78 inches wide (it’s about 200 centimeters).

We’ve seen even wider beds that were called King beds and Super-King beds, but fairly speaking, you don’t need so wide beds in a hotel. They are not very comfortable. What’s more, they take so much space that some rooms look cramped and you can’t use a lot of space in your room because of that.

Be careful and always pay attention to the sizes, not to the names. If it’s critically important for you, you can contact the reception of the hotel you want to stay in and ask them to tell you the precise size of the bed in a certain room.

When doesn’t a hotel bed suit the requirements?

You may know that hotels are built and licensed according to a lot of requirements. To work officially as a hotel, a company must prove that it offers comfortable accommodation for clients and a safe space for short living. If the company doesn’t match the requirements, it will never get the license.

But it works in developed countries. If you have traveled to some countries in Asia or Africa, you could see the hotels there – they don’t match any requirements sometimes and are not comfortable at all. So, what are the requirements for a hotel bed?

Let’s see:

The mattress should not be placed too low or too high. Usually, it’s about 25 inches from the floor, but sometimes it can vary depending on the type of the bed.
The mattress shouldn’t be too hard or too soft. It should hold your body at one level and provide you with certain support. Otherwise, it doesn’t suit the requirements.
The mattress and all linen should be clean. This requirement is hard to check before you get into your room, but you can read reviews and understand this easily.
The mattress should be placed on the bed, not just on the floor. The bed is usually made of wood, but in some hotels, it can also be made of metal.
The bed should have a headboard. If it doesn’t have this board, the bed doesn’t match the requirements at all.
There shouldn’t be any sharp edges and objects that could hurt a person or be the reason for other problems when sleeping.
The bed shouldn’t have any smells that could disturb you from sleeping on them.

These are not just common requirements but very serious things that are checked regularly in good hotels. Once you notice that your room doesn’t match some of these requirements, you can complain and ask to give you another room or do something with the bed to get rid of all problems you have found.

By the way, if you book a room with a double bed but eventually the hotel staff sends you to the room with two single beds, you can also ask for a refund or ask them to give you another room that will have the double bed. This is important.

What is the difference between a twin bed and a double bed?

A twin bed is a bed that is made for one person only. Two people shouldn’t and actually can’t sleep well in one twin bed. But usually, hotels offer twin rooms with two twin beds. These rooms are wonderful for colleagues who travel together on business and don’t want to spend money on two single rooms or for two children who can sleep in a separate room from their parents.

The twin bed has some other requirements:

the length of this bed can be 75 to 80 inches (190-203 centimeters);
the width is usually 38 inches and it shouldn’t be less than that (about 96 centimeters);
the height and all other requirements are actually the same as with other bed types.

The only requirement that differs is the distance to the wall. You may remember that a double bed and also all other types of beds for two people should have at least 35 inches of space on each side. But the twin bed can be put just near the wall. The only requirement is that these two beds should have at least 35 inches of space between each other.

These requirements are simple to remember. You can check them easily: if you feel comfortable in your room, all the requirements are followed. If you don’t feel comfortable, you should check – maybe, the hotel tricks its clients with something.

Final words

It’s not hard to remember the size requirements for different kinds of beds. But actually, the majority of people will check them using their intuition. If you feel really comfortable in a hotel room, why should you take your roulette and measure something? You can just relax and enjoy your stay.

But if you have some problems with sleep or having rest in your room, you may complain and ask the hotel staff to work with the problems that disturb your sleep.