What is an "American style hotel"?

I must occupy a different realm than the rest as I see western living as well...western. The hotel/restuarant routines that happen in Tokyo happen in Lisbon but with subtle differences. To me western culture has gotten so exponentially homogenous just in the past few years that trying to find differences has become very difficult to a point you have to compare older generations from different cultures. It's a great question though, I just don't see a way to describe anything as 'American'. I'm interested in what others think though! Maybe the fact we deny we like separate beds with the cover hogging spouse?

When I think of an American style hotel( and you could insert Canadian here) I think of a larger room, guaranteed to have an elevator, bigger beds, often two queen sized beds, and often will have a pool, hot tub, often a gym, room service and a restaurant or cafe at least. There will likely be bell boy, or at least extra desk staff to help with bags. Hotels seem larger in general, often 100 plus rooms. When i think of the types of hotels i usually end up in Europe,, i think of small rooms, small beds, no pool, no restaurant( breakfast room maybe, sometimes in cellar or basement), no porters or room service, often very small ,, maybe 30 rooms.. I like both,, but in europe i avoid the American chain hotels as they are often very exspensive .

German hotels don't have pictures of Peoria in the windows?! (dang)

Kent, since Peoria is only 45 miles from here, I'd be happy to go over and take some pics and send them to you so you could put them in the windows yourself, if you want.

hmm, when I think of an "American Style" hotel I don't think of any of the services Lee mentions at first. Especially when it's used in the context of European travel it would usually mean a larger room to me, possibly with two queen sized beds. Probably also a larger hotel overall. In Italy, we've only stayed in one such hotel which incidentally also had the largest breakfast selection and the worst coffee I ever had in the entire country - very American and not typical for Italy AT ALL ;-) We hardly ever stay in hotels in Germany, in part because those "American Style" hotels which are much more family friendly than a "typical European hotel" are hard to find. So we usually end up in appartment rentals if we can't stay with family or friends.

"American Style Hotel" is really an antiquated term. It was first used to describe a hotel with private baths in each room, elevator, air conditioning, etc. Many of these were not common in most European hotels prior to say the 1980's. Today, so many European hotels have the above mentioned amenities that the term is no longer necessary. That being said, the term is still used by some tour companies to comfort some passengers whose idea of European hotels is from films shot in the 1950's and 60's. It reassures them that their baths and toilets will be private and in their room, that their breakfast will have more than just a small roll and coffee, and the front desk won't shut down at 9 PM.

My definition would be similar to what you find in a chain hotel. I'd consider most of the hotels run by Accor (Ibis, for example, is sort of like the European equivalent of an American Hampton Inn). Guest room square footage would be larger than what Frau Helga in her little 6 room "hotel" offers, but if I'm travelling in a city like Paris or Rome, I don't expect the sq ft to be anywhere near as large as a Topeka, KS Best Western. I expect maid service daily and don't expect (or even care) if they have "American style linens" (BTW, lots of American chains are now switching over to & promoting their use of fresh duvet covers for every guest - similar to Europe so no more top sheet or bedspreads you'd be afraid to scan with a blacklight. It would also include a 24-hr front desk, more than 30 rooms, key card access, elevator that fits more than 2 people, wifi, air conditioning, a restaurant where breakfast is continental & included or pay extra if they have a kitchen that puts out a bigger spread with eggs. I don't expect 24-hr room service at a 2 star budget chain, but figure it would be offered at a more expensive chain like Hyatt or Marriott. Inevitably, in bigger chain hotels the front desk staff contains plenty of employees who can speak more than 1 language w/ English generally being that 2nd language. There will be cable TV (usually including BBC World News for guests who don't speak the local language). I don't expect a mini bar in budget chains but if they have one, great. I expect the decor will be pretty generic & frankly, I don't care. I don't spend time sitting inside the room all day. It's a place to shower & sleep. And I am thrilled to get a cheap rate off the Internet either direct or via an "evil" booking site like Expedia instead of looking for that 25 Euro room in some old lady's home that is listed on the local town website.

ha ha Frank,, you must have a good budget then, i can still find plnty of hotels in paris that do not have elevators or ac,, but yes, private baths are the norm now. yes,, and the front desk staff and many hotels i have stayed at in paris , while present usually seem to be the ones who barely speak english,, and can rarely do anything to help you if there is a problem ( need more towels, but the towel room is locked and the maid is gone for the day, lol ( I edit this to correct what I typed( was sleepy), when I talk about desk staff not being fluent in english or super helpful I am referrring to the night desk staff, seems the ones with the best english get the day shifts.

"so no more top sheet or bedspreads you'd be afraid to scan with a blacklight." Thank you for that wonderful mental image!

Dutch That McDonald's in Roma is no longer open.

I think mostly what Pat said, plus ensuite full bathroom, air conditioning, TV with multiple English speaking channels, and a larger overall room. I think the only time I've stayed in "American style hotels" was when I took my mom on a tour of the British Isles. The hotels were nice, but I didn't need most of the amenities offered. My mom, however, would have been hugely put out not having air conditioning, a full ensuite bath and an elevator or staying in a smaller room.

The hype on RS helpline about "authentic family-owned hotels" is a tad over the top in my humble opinion. Then, as we'd naturally expect, the hype spread. I don't understand, honestly, why so many American national travelling abroad to Europe try so fervidly (from what we can read on Helpine and other forums) to avoid anything that remotely resembles Americana, from the "OMG shorts and tops in Paris" to the "Geez, so sad, Abercombire and Flitch just opened a shop in Champs Elysée right next to a Pizza Hut!". Most people from most countries are happy and proud when their cuisine, business, stores, fashion are peacefully exported abroad. Now going to the hotels: I understand that "American style hotel" is used as a synonym for chain-branded hotel (Accor, a French company, is the biggest operator of hotels in Europe). There are all advantages and disadvantages of chain hotels we know off. But one good thing they did was to raise the bar of every other hotel that is not chain-branded. As for the items cited by the OP: - reasonable to expect somebody in the front desk do speak basic English, not all employees like the maid. - resembling overall trends in households, hotels are switching to "American-style" duvets and bed quilts instead of hard-to-wash-easy-to-look-old blankets. - bacon and egg, like cheeseburgers, are commonplace in Europe, more in Northern Europe than Southern - mini-bars are increasingly being left empty for you to restock them in lower priced chain hotels
- room service is less ubiquitous in Europe than in US

Adding to what all the other posters have said, I'd also guess they would come with a daily supply of wash clothes...........oh, yes, and an ice machine at the end of each hall.........LOL. But we far prefer the typical, charming European style hotel, as long as we have a private bath and A/C in the summer months.............so, would that be considered quasi-American style?...LOL.

I agree with what's been said so far. American style is more about bed size, private bath, a/c, 24/7 front desk help etc. But can someone tell me why "European" pillows are so huge and the beds so small??? And to Andre L: Americans are strange creatures. Half of us are extremely proud that our culture/brands are exported all over the world (some of us to the point of blind patriotism) while others are horrified that our culture would even dream of sullying other countries. I have a friend who is Irish American. She has no problem bragging about the Irish pubs her grandfather opened when he emigrated to the US, but she is absolutely disgusted with all the American bars she encounters in Europe. I find Europeans tend to take more of a "meh" attitude to their cultures being spread outside of Europe.

Yes, Pat, I do have a good budget to spend on hotels. Meanwhile......What I find interesting, like Andre stated, is the extremism on both sides. The choice is either staying in an "authentic" Europe hotel without A/C or an elevator, or at the Hilton. There is a large group of middle ground hotels that are small, owned by a local yet offer a few more comfort amenities. I don't see how air conditioning during a heat wave or an elevator is taking away from my experience of Paris or Rome or anywhere. I don't understand why having a TV with one English language news station is ruining my "cultural" experience? I've been overseas during some very major news events back home and it was helpful having that news station available to keep me informed. I personally think a lot of it has to do with following the crowd or in this case, following the leader. Rick says do this so people do it. Anyone not following along is an outsider or outcast. I first read Rick in the late 1980's and felt he had a lot to offer. But one thing I never followed was his suggestions in those days of having to stay in one star hotels with the bath down the hall or at a hostel. There's nothing wrong with it it just isn't for me. I like my own bathroom and always booked a room with one. Did that take away from my "European" experience? I doubt it. And that doesn't mean I booked in some 500 room monster. I'm not telling anyone how they should travel. That is completely up to each of us. But what I don't understand is the disrespect so many people show if someone else decides to travel differently. Let people do what they want. If it doesn't affect you, why should it matter?

To me, it means the type of corporate chain hotel where I stay when traveling on business (and sometimes for personal travel if I get a great deal): Hyatt, Marriott, Sofitel, Hilton, Fairmont, etc. Regardless of where I'm traveling, my personal travel lodging choice most of the time is either going to be a small independent hotel or B&B for a variety of reasons, but I'll stay in corporate hotels if the planets all align just right. I think Frank II hit the nail with respect to why it's called American style, but you never actually here that term in the real world (i.e. outside of Rick Steves' world). Corporate chain hotel is probably the best descriptor, just as most people would understand what is meant by the term corporate restaurant.

I figure most or all of the following. A front desk staffed 24/7 with someone who can speak English Private bathroom * large beds AC parking daily house keeping Elevator, unless only one story *American style toilets (no squatties)

Each of the last five summers our family has taken a long trip outside the country, staying in a wide variety of lodgings, but no large chain hotels. Also, in each of the last five summers we have had one night somewhere in the USA where we needed to stay in a hotel (weddings, mostly). Each time when we walk to our room, down the long hallway, past the vending machines, past dozens of doors just like ours, searching for the correct room number, one of our children comments something to the effect of; "You can sure tell this is an American hotel." It's not that they don't enjoy their stay. They do - especially the requisite indoor pool. But even they can tell the difference without having to list amenities or quibbling about what is or isn't "authentic". It's just obvious to them, and they appreciate the difference.

American style to me means they have ESPN on the television and bad coffee.

I have to go with Margaret and Richard on this one......any place with an ice machine is in the ballpark and you haven't lived until you've seen the German version of Jackass while staying in Praha. Kathleen, being a bit more serious here........to this day, the most depressing 'presence' I have discovered in Europe is the Mickey D's in the same ancient square as the Pantheon in Roma.

I'm originally Italian (then lived in many places, including US). I was quite surprised to found ice-machines everywhere in US, even in cheap(er) hotels near Interestate exits. And the ads displayed on TVs, it always amazed me the 1-800-LAWSUIT ads and so on, until I got used to them. Something that definitively changed the market here in Europe were sites like Booking and Venere. Had they not arrived by the time they did, we'd have seen massive consolidation of properties around franchises and chain brands like it happened in US in the early 1980s. These sites developed some expertise dealing with one-property-only hotels that usually have a hard time negotiating with other OTAs like Travelocity, as it is a time-intensive business. So now there ir a fairly large coverage of independent (family-owned cozy, resorts, big towers, near highway exits) properties online, and they developed surprisingly reliable review systems allowing only confirmed paid guests to write. In any case, business-oriented hotels sometimes offer knock-out fares during weekends, certain holidays and summer in cities that don't attract large tourist crowds in relate to the usual flow of business people (Lyon, Bruxelles, München, Zürich, Milano, Rotterdam, Frankfurt, Zaragoza, Porto, Manchester, Wien all come to mind in relate to cheaper fares on business hotels during summer and holidays), while hotels in more touristic areas hike prices.

Thanks Robert, I think that's good news, nice to hear

First, I want to thank to all of you who have made thoughtful suggestions. Don't stop. Air conditioning never occurred to me. Of over 100 nights, mostly in Germany, there was only one night (Rothenburg, Aug 2002) where I was uncomfortably hot. I might have included AC if I had gone to Italy or Spain. Apparently, the typical room in the US, with two king sized beds is important for Americans in Europe. It's nice for a family of four, but kind of excessive for the single traveler. I'm not sure you get more space overall, but you need a bigger room to fit the bigger beds. Some people obviously don't want to be left alone, ever, with non-English speakers. You want someone on staff, all of the time, who speaks English. As for mini-bars, hours of front desk manning, and hours of room service, these are all part of the DEHOGA requirements for stars, so maybe an American Style hotel means it has lots of stars. Elevators seem to be a desirable characteristic of the American style hotel. And I intended to include this in the original question - American credit card accepted.

Lee I would agree with what you said about stars. You really can't have a one star or two star American style hotel. And while I forgot to list yes, must take american credit cards.

I went back to my old Hotel Management text books and looked up "American Style." And yes, there was information: The term originated in the 1820's when a new large hotel opened in Boston. Unlike it's European brethren which catered only to those high up in society or in a certain economic class, the new "American Style" hotel was open to everyone regardless of class or wealth. From then on, when an a hotel advertised itself as "American Style" it was saying anyone could stay there as long as they could pay. The dining rooms were open to all and there was no separate "class" seatings. As more and more European hotels opened themselves up to this "American Style" the term morphed into something else which had to do with amenities. Today, "American Style" hotels stay in business because people want to stay thereand not just Americans. Guests are from all over the worldeven Germans. They cater to both leisure and business travelers who like a little extra comfort and amenities. And many of these hotels are not even American owned.

This is for Frank II. You state "the new "American Style" hotel was open to everyone regardless of class or wealth" Was that true if they were black?

Can't say for Boston or the north part of US but if it was the south very highly doubt any blacks would have been allowed. These Jim Crow laws were in force until at least the early fifties at least for the south.

In Boston, people of color were probably allowed into the hotel. In the south, definitely not.

History brush-up for those who were curious: Slaves were freed under the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862/1863, so there would have been some "gap" years between the date given in Frank's book and when the American Style hotel would have literally opened its doors to all Americans.

History Brush-Up.....there were no slaves in the North. So, none needed to be freed. Only the southern states and some midwestern ones that would eventually side with the Confederacy allowed slave ownership. I'm not saying people of color were treated 100% equally as whites...but.....they traveled freely, went to school, owned businesses and served in local militias. In fact, the first American shot at the Boston Massacre was Crispus Attucks.....a black man. So, it is likely that blacks were allowed in that first "American Style" hotel in Boston.

A fun fact, in the 1830's, the finest hotel in Charleston, SC was owned by a mulatto (mixed race) man. I'm sure even free blacks weren't allowed to stay there, but it goes to show that not all "people of color" were degraded and deprived in the 19th century South. On the other hand, the more privileged position of mixed-race people was the origin of discrimination within the black community on the basis of skin tone and hair texture.

This post is for Frank. While there were not as many slaves in the North, because most of the agriculture was concentrated on the plantations of the South,
you might want to skim thru the info in the attached link. Don't know the complete validity of it (since it is secondary research), but it is similar to what I recall learning in Advanced Placement History classes in high school. There were definitely pockets of slaves in the North immediately prior to the Emancipation. http://www.slavenorth.com/ But, sorry, Lee, this has gotten way off the original topic of the American style hotel. I'm shutting the computer down now :) and hope the thread will go back to what Lee originally intended......style of hotels.

Thanks, Margeret. I started this post about "American style hotels" in Europe. I think maybe Frank's posting about European hotels that were independent of class and wealth was Germain, although only in a historical sense, as there were probably earlier hotels in Europe that did distinguished by class, and maybe not distinguishing by class was considered making them, at the time, "American style", but that is no longer relavent. Whether hotels in the US allowed blacks in irrelevant. So, what is an American style hotel in Europe, today?

This is in answer to people who think hotels in the US discriminated only against African-Americans and to those who think racism or antisemitism is limited to any one country. I still remember when traveling with my parents after WW II, their worried discussions about whether a hotel was "restricted;" i.e., didn't admit Jews. You see, my father had a last name (given to him by an immigration officer) that revealed nothing. But, in person, his eastern European accent and some quirks of appearance triggered a "loss" of the reservation and no rooms available response from some hotel personnel. It's only since the civil rights legislation of the 1960's that hotels discovered one person's money is as good as the next.
Racism has had and still does have a great appeal to many people in many countries. It's just aimed at different targets in different places. That being said, I cannot for the life of me see why a poster telling about a nice experience in France should provoke a diatribe about French antisemitism.

History brush-up for those who were curious: Slaves were freed under the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862/1863, so there would have been some "gap" years between the date given in Frank's book and when the American Style hotel would have literally opened its doors to all Americans. ----- Above is not true. History brush-up for those confused. The end of slavery did not no mean equal rights. While the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves it did not mean that American style hotels would be open to them any more than rail road carriages. See Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). It was not until after Brown and the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that all "American" Hotels were open to all Americans.

Oh Ed, An A you will not get. Big red X next to that true/false answer. I will not post a "DUH" re: the continuation of your post, but anyone with a high school education would know that...but thanks for the brush-up nonetheless. But, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you did not closely read the statement that you pointed out as "not true." Please re-read. Did it say when the gap ended? The original definition from the textbook Frank referenced was early 1800s. Posting space did not allow a full explanation of those individuals who were not even graced with "class or wealth" at all....who were looked on as sub-human, and thereby would not have even dreamed of sharing a hotel floor with others, much less staying in a hotel. As recently as 20 years ago, I witnessed an African American Federal bank examiner being told it was not safe for her to stay overnight in hotel in a rural community in the South. She had to drive an hour away to a larger city. So, Ed, the Civil Rights Act did not OPEN the doors for all, it merely legislated that doors be opened. A big difference, unfortunately, between laws and what is often practiced (at least in subtle ways...often the worst kind of discrimination). Gaps existed for years and years after emancipation AND years after the Civil Rights Act. Ask any African American, especially those over the age of 50. Ask any woman who served in a corporate management role in the 1980s/1990s...equal opportunity was legislated....hmmmm. One can certain say there are gaps today, if not so much for African Americans, definitely for some other targeted Americans. Now, please, back on topic of Lee's question. And, I suggest you and I remove our posts.

When I think of "American style" hotels, I think of bigger and probably a chain. Because location and being within walking distance of the center of town are most important to me, I tend to pick small, family-run hotels. Several years ago I did stay in a fairly large chain hotel in Bremen, however. Location was great and, being a business hotel, the weekend price was incredibly reasonable!

@Lee: your original question you asked how people would "define an American Style hotel" which most here agree can be summed up as a corporate chain. I don't really see anywhere where someone said they can't ever stay somewhere unless there is an English speaking front desk attendant on duty 24/7. Successful marketing of a corporate chain depends on having multi-lingual staff as it's not just North Americans staying there. Many Asians and South Americans stay at these places who can't speak the local language but who often speak some English which makes it a common default language for the front desk to communicate with someone from other parts of the world. As for "building a wall" between oneself & the locals by staying in a corporate chain hotel, that's a big load of RS poo. Whether it's a behemoth chain or the old lady with 6 rooms for rent in her house, that front desk is still managed by someone in the hospitality industry and I don't really see the need to look to them as the penultimate issuer of my "authentic" Euro experience. I can generally get better unbiased opinions and conversation by striking up conversation while in a bar or the line at the local drugstore or grocery. I'm all for mixing it up and staying at the old lady house every now and then if she's giving me good value for the price. But I don't end my trips feeling like I missed out on interacting with the locals just because I got a cheap rate and an air-conditioned room at some Ibis.

If I stay at a chain hotel with lots of Americans I might find myself more likely to take the comfortable road and converse with Americans, rather than when I stay at a small hotel and there are no other Americans I am forced to try to meet more Europeans... I really don't think its as much about the staff (obviously they are locals) as it is about the other travelers you might meet.

I don't avoid American style hotels because Rick preaches against them. I avoid them because I don't need the amenities and would rather spend my money elsewhere. It gets odd when people pay extra for an "authentic" European hotel - which could mean a small room with a small bed and the bathroom down the hall. I just go with the most affordable option because I can be comfortable anywhere.

Why go to Europe to have an American experience?

It is just a hotel, just a bed and a bathroom. This does not define a trip to Europe. I know all I ever do is sleep there, maybe peruse the TV to see what they watch in the country I am visiting. It certainly doesn't matter that much to me where it is or what they offer as long as it matches what I want. For others it does, but who gets to be right and who gets to be wrong here? I get this idea that some people believe all of Europe is in some kind of time warp, that Europeans don't appreciate elevators, big beds, mini-bars, 24 hour reception, and yes, even A/C when it gets hot. As though modern was a bad word. Maybe it is time to get rid of the label "American style hotel" and use full service hotel or business hotel. What do you think they offer in Australia for example? Do you think the Milan business woman is going for quaint and cosy while she visits a trade fair in Munich or Paris? No, she wants the same comfort and amenities as many travelers. Ibis, Ramada, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Marriott, or Hilton aren't making a fortune from Americans staying at them in Europe, they just appeal to anyone who wants that level of comfort.

True, I go to Europe to take part in the European experience, however that varies. Aside from price that's the main reason I don't patronise American chains in Europe, be it Marriott, Hilton, Best Western, Day's Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn, etc. RS and his travel philosophy have nothing to do with it...it's irrelevant. Most of the time when I am staying at 2 star or small hotels, or in a Pension, I don't need the amenities...elevator, air conditioning, internet access, phone in the room, TV with or without English programming, WC and shower in the room, on-line booking. I know Pensionen like that in Berlin-Charlottenburg and München, all meeting German standards and with a traditional German breakfast.

"...I don't patronise American chains in Europe, be it Marriott, Hilton, Best Western, Day's Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn..." Most of the chains you list aren't American. Holiday Inn, and Travelodge are owned by UK companies. Best Western isn't really a chain, it's mostly a reservation service, most of their "properties" outside of North America are independently owned by locals. For 40 years, until 2006, Hilton properties outside the US were operated by a British company called Hilton Group. Day's Inn (the name is owned by US based Wyndham), is a worldwide franchise operation; most owner/operators are locals.

... not to mention that Ibis is not, and has never been, American owned.

I think the term American Style is applied more to a chain type hotel as many have mentioned, but what is not mentioned is the method of charging for a room. The norm in europe is to match room style to the number of guests, and charge by the number of guests. The US method is to charge by room type (Double, King, Suite, etc) allowing any number of guests (usually up to four) and the same price if only for one or the four guests. In American style hotels, breakfast included is also not a given, and certainly no other board options, breakfast included, continental or full, would be seen as a perk.

Good...thanks for the information. I wouldn't stay at Ibis either, have done so in the past in France...it's overpriced and not worth it in my opinion. As far as the Marriott, Radisson, and Hilton are concerned, I would have no problem spending 200 Euro on a room, provided I had the money, but I don't, plain and simple. If I had this type of disposable income, I would prefer to spend it staying at the Kempinski in Berlin. If they offered some sort of promo rate at 75-85 Euro for a single at the Kempinski, I certainly would not pass it up.

Lee - Air conditioning can seem unnecessary until you're in a small European hotel room with tiny windows up against a brick wall with no ventilation when it's 85 degrees outside with 80% humidity at night. Then it seems pretty damn important. Learned that lesson the hard way. My house in Stuttgart up on the hill never gets that hot, but inner cities with less breeze can and do. Also I can't think of any American hotel that would have TWO king sized beds in one room. It would have to be a huge room! Usually an American hotel will have two "double" beds or 1 queen size bed. A European hotel has the much smaller beds - more similar to what we call a "twin" in the US - and just shoves two together. It does make a difference. In the US, when traveling with my mother and grandmother, we can get a "double room" with two beds and one of us can share a bed with the other. Not possible in European style hotels here. Since Europeans don't use box springs, beds are often far lower to the ground than in American-style hotels. This can be a problem for people with mobility issues, as can be low toilets and very small showers, or showers only in bathtubs. I don't mind the lack of elevators, but it can be a serious issue for people with mobility issues. Europe in general is far less friendly to people with mobility issues than the US and the hotels reflect this - as I learned booking my trip with my mom and grandma, who while is energetic at 77 but cannot manage stairs well, much less lugging even a small bag up them. The snobbery kind of implied in this thread and some of the responses is a little irritating. Sure, some Americans are lazy and difficult and want things to be "just like at home" and thus seek out "American-style hotels" in Europe. Other people are disabled or elderly or pregnant and need some of these amenities when traveling.

I think the idea that one has to drag luggage up 5 flights of stairs, forego air conditioning and make friends with the owner's cat in order to have an authentic European experience is a bit outdated. As someone else said, Europe is not in a time warp. When I have stayed in chain hotels, I have seen Middle Easterners, Asians, Brits, Africans, Americans, but mostly Europeans. If only Americans patronized these places, they would go out of business. I recently stayed at All Seasons Hotels in Spain and Germany. They are owned by the Accor chain and were an excellent combination of comfort, location and price. Both were under 100 euros. So it is possible to do it on the cheap.

I think what most defines an American Style Hotel in Europe is predictability. When I stay in a Ramada or Sheraton I know what to expect. Kind of like going to a McDonalds anywhere in the world. Walking into European Hotels, or even into locally managed hotels in the US, can be a walk into the unknown. If you are going for "budget accomodations", like I usually do, you sometimes end up having to walk several flights of stairs lugging your suitcases, or in the US, sleeping in a flea bag, lilterally. Even some corporate chain hotels in the US are all over the place. Not so much in Europe. A Hilton or Marriott is a great bet if you want to slip into a secure, predictable environment, if only for one night. So the question for me is not so much "should I stay in an American Hotel or a European one", but "am I willing to take a risk on accomodations, and if so, how large a risk am I willing to take?" I can tell you, though, my best and most memorable experiences have yet to come from a Sheraton, anywhere.

Dax I think you have it exactly right. When it's just me and my husband, we stay at "unpredictable" European-style hotels, because they're cheaper and we don't mind the lack of amenities. But if it was a case where we had the money to spend and it was absolutely crucial for whatever reason that we have a good night's sleep and easy of mobility (comfy beds, a/c, elevators, etc) I wouldn't take that risk because like you said, you don't know what you're going to get (even sometimes with plenty of research online). And at this point the "American" vs "European" terminology is outdated, absolutely. A lot of the budget European chains are fantastic and provide those amenities that one might want or need.

I did not invent the term "American style hotel". Someone used it as a recommendation for a hotel. I just wanted to know what it meant. I guess it means "amenities". Things like 24 hour reception and 24 hr room service - things I don't need but would have to pay for. Almost all hotels I've stayed at have been 2 story. Any hotel with more floors has had elevators. In over 100 nights in Germany, only one night did I need AC. I would like to have AC. I don't think it is essential to an American style hotel, but I don't want all the unessential fluff it comes with. I have never had an uncomfortable bed in Germany and I don't think I have ever been in a room, even in a hotel without stars, with a double bed narrower than 180 cm

The American chains, regardless of ownership, usually are three star hotels in France and Germany, their prices I have checked out personally in Paris, Berlin, and other cities. It's beyond what I am willing to pay, unless nothing else is available. Now, the question is if they were within a 2 star range, say 35-75 Euro for single, would I patronise the "American style hotel" with all their presumed amenities? Maybe...and then in London, if it were going for 35-75 quid. It would depend on the circumstances, so far I have not stayed at "American style hotels" anywhere in England or on the continent. I am used to staying in hostels and Pensionen since the early 1970s when the norm of the singles (EZ) at a Pension had the facilities down the hallway and all you had was a sink, (mit fließendem Wasser), some basic furniture, and the bed. The breakfast was traditional German or French, no buffet. Of course, there was no A/C and no elevator. You can still find Pensionen and small hotels like that in German cities, if you know where to look.

Lee - you've also mentioned that you don't like big cities and don't tend to stay in them. I have lived in homes without A/C for my entire adult life (and currently do so) so I'm not a wilting flower when it comes to heat, but the sheer miserableness of being in a large city during a massive heatwave with oppressive humidity at night has at least convinced me to follow what other guidebooks had warned me about and never, ever get a room without AC in Paris in the summer. Obviously this doesn't apply to all over Europe. I don't think any city in Germany regularly can get as hot as Paris does. But this is a general European travel forum, not just a German travel forum. There are several cities in Europe in which summer traveling makes A/C a good idea if you want to get a good night's sleep and can afford it. Also most hotels in cities tend to be more than 2 stories. Your experience seems differently focused from how a lot of other travelers do things, honestly. My original point was not about "fluff" but rather that for SOME travelers - the elderly, infirm, pregnant, small children, whatever - what people are calling "fluff" might be necessities and the much-maligned "American style hotel" are likely to provide these.

I'm still trying to find out what defines an American Style Hotel - not whether the amenities they provide are necessary or not - just what they are. I don't think it's elevators or air conditioning, as I think there are non-American style hotels with these characteristics. I would definitely say my favorite hotel in Munich (Poing) is not American Style, but it's over 3 floors and has an elevator. Maybe it is just a German hotel with 4 or 5 stars. According to Sarah, American Style hotels cannot exist, or are at least rare, outside cities. Has any one but me stayed in the Koenigshof in Mainz? I don't think I would describe it as an American Style hotel, but it is dangerously close. It has a desk manned most of the time, with multilingual (German/English speaking) staff. It has an elevator, WiFi, air conditioning, and they serve bacon and eggs as an option on the buffet at breakfast. They don't show symbols of credit cards on their website, but if you book online, they ask if you are paying by credit card. It doesn't have a star rating. So, if you stayed there, did you feel it was American Style or not?

Lee...give it up already. As someone who has worked in the travel industry, I can tell you there is NO PRECISE DEFINITION OF "AMERICAN STYLE HOTEL.' It is completely up to the hotelier. Usually it must include -- private bath, -- larger room, -- at least a double bed, --24 hour desk.
--probably more than 50 rooms. After that, it's completely up to interpretation. Usually it's just used as a selling point to get Americans to book rooms. It's not an official anointment, the German Hotel Association doesn't go around deciding what is "American Style" and what isn't. It's up to the hotel. And yes, we know you have stayed in rooms that have the above and you wouldn't call them American style but it's not up to you. It's up to the hotel.

Lee: What does it matter? Will you boycott the Hotel Konigshof if other posters deem it "American Style"? If opinions matter so much when it comes to booking future hotels for yourself, then yes, the Konigshof looks similar to a budget hotel in N. America right down to the air conditioning & breakfast buffet included in the room rate. And it also looks similar to European owned hotels (like Ibis) who offer the same amenities to business and leisure travelers. Does it make the Konigshof a "bad" place to stay because the front desk staff might try to speak to you in English? Whether it's a chain hotel or privatzimmer, it's just a place to sleep. The type of lodging that tends to be your preference in Germany doesn't have to be what works for all others, and it doesn't make you the superior traveler because you chose to stay there over staying at a larger hotel. There are many different reasons why people choose hotels. I don't get why people visiting Boston on business or vacation decide they want to go eat the Never Ending Pasta Bowl at Olive Garden when we've got lots of great Italian restaurants here that are locally run. But it doesn't keep me up at night, and it's their money to spend however they want. To each his own. I just got back from NYC staying at what deems itself a "boutique" hotel (meaning it has all the amenities mentioned in the posts above but the decor is a little bit cooler than a Hilton). This "boutique" hotel is part of a chain. The lobby was crawling with European tourists (some German) & all looked pretty happy to be staying in a place with A/C (it was 85 degrees outside), elevators, WiFi, cable tv, free breakfast & a free nightly wine hour in the lobby. Europeans like the same things we do. No need to act like they don't, especially if the price is right.