Hotel room terminology

Also, does twin standard mean there are 2 twin beds or one twin bed? Thanks.

Standard could refer to the level of the room in the hotel's set of rooms, it is equally likely to just refer to the double bed being of standard size, ie 4 foot 6 wide. Context should make this clear.

A room with only one twin bed in would be a single ... so twin bedded does mean two.

Baths could be shared, private, or ensuite irrespective of the number or type of beds. This should be mentioned somewhere.

Just to emphasize what Marco already said: the most important thing is for you to see that the room is described as having a "private bath", "bathroom en suite", or some similar terminology. If you miss that one, you may be utilizing the facilities down the hall, shared with others.

Unless you pay the big bucks for a Hilton or something similar, a room in London will be noticeably smaller than here.

Probably worth clarifying the distinction that a private bath just means no other guest uses it and it does not mean necessarily that it is accessed directly from the bedroom, which would be ensuite. It could be across the hall or even in a small place on a different floor.

Thank you for the correction, Marco.

Marco has given you good information, however, I had the same question when booking rooms on my most recent trip this past fall.

I found it helpful to email the hotel directly to ask all my questions.

Since I was traveling with my mom, I wanted 2 twin beds and an elevator (lift) & number of stairs to the room or entrance to the hotel.

Some hotels use the terminology " twin standard" to mean a room with 2 single beds (thus 'twin')
others use "double standard" to mean a double bed for 2 persons or in some cases there are 2 twin beds & they are pushed together.

As Marco & Ken pointed out, a private bathroom is imperative, unless you want to walk down the hall & you may have to wait if occupied...

Twin standard means two twin beds. Even when traveling with my husband, I request two twin beds instead of one double. The double is often smaller then an American queen size bed, so you well have more room with two twins which are usually pushed together anyway.

Besides , you also don't have to engage in military tactics to maintain your fair share of the blanket !

Keith, I think this is a U.K. / U.S. terminology difference. In the U.S., "twin" is used to denote one of the standard sizes of a beds. A single bed in the U.S. is often referred to as a "twin" bed (even if there is only one bed). An American might say that a room has two twins (meaning two beds of twin size). This would of course confuse someone in the U.K. who would interpret two twins as four beds.

If you are looking at rooms in the U.K., single will be used for a room with one bed that sleeps one and "twin" will be used for a room with two beds that each sleep one.

Thank you all for the help!

Watch the assumption that a "private bathroom" means its a bathroom in your room.. I have stayed in hotels with rooms with private bathrooms.. but the bathrooms were not in your room.

"ENSUITE " is the term you need to qualify. Now.. obviously if staying in very pricey places you will likely not have to worry too much about wording as most place do now have ensuite bathrooms.. but anywhere budget priced.. do read carefully.

If you want to see small hotel rooms, you needn't go all the way to Europe...come to NYC! :)

You may also see the term "family room" which usually means a double bed and a twin or three twins or some variation on that idea.

Another variation that I have run into is, a shower and a sink in your room, but the toilet is across the hall.

BTW you can still find standard double beds in some smaller, cheaper hotels in the US too. It's always a shock. Once when I was very, very late in booking for a stay in NYC about 5-6 years ago I was put in a room in a Comfort Inn in the 20's. It had three single beds. And the bathroom was raised up a step from the rest of the room. I had to turn on the TV to make sure I was still in the US.

Pam

To me the use of the word standard when used to describe a room usually means that the room itself is a basic room in terms of size and amenities or the room is their norm and you have pay more for their other rooms eg with sea views, seating areas etc. How standard is standard will depend on the overall standards of the establishment eg the Ritz as against a Premier Inn.

"Family room" can also mean a double bed for the adults and a sleeper sofa for the kids.