When I travel in the US I book a double room and the kids (5 and 8) share a queen bed and my wife and I share a queen or king bed. All we need is two maybe three beds to make it work. Is this an issue in Italy? It’s been difficult to select “4 people” and still find a room online because the booking sites want to find a room with 4 beds every time. So I will put “3 people” and come across rooms with two or three beds that will suit us just fine. Is this going to be a problem when I go to check in and they see I have two kids with me or is this a non issue like here in the states? Has anyone been in this same circumstance? How did it go?
Posted by
new york
532 posts
I never use third-party booking sites for hotels in Europe.
Put together a list of hotels and either use their own booking engine, or send them an e-mail asking for a triple room with 2 adults and two children. See what they offer you , and at what price.
I do not understand why so many travelers rely on these third party sites when there are advantages booking directly with the hotel. The hotel, of course, prefers this and many times if two groups arrive at the same time, one who has booked with booking.com or another agency, and one who has booked directly with the hotel, which group do you imagine will be alloted the better room?
I have been thanked many times by hotel staff and managers for booking directly through them, thus saving the hotel the cut due the agency.
Posted by
OP
US
3 posts
..I haven’t booked anything on the booking sites, I’ve booked all direct with the hotels. I use the booking sites to get a preliminary check of availability and to see the reviews etc., then I either email or use the hotels own booking software, which are structured very similar to the big name booking sites. (Try to find me four beds for four people even though I only need two or three) Anywho, I’m gathering that it might be pretty important in Italy that you do not show up with more people than you stated in the booking on the hotel websites and I do not want to cause an issue for any hotels or myself. Just looking for other travelers similar experiences.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8652 posts
In your case you are better off contacting them directly. You must indicate the actual number of people (4) but with small children they can be more flexible, even adding a cot, assigning a room with two larger beds, or offering a family room.
Hotels just are not standardized, all shapes and sizes, all kinds of bed variety, so easiest to ask.
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
35217 posts
Hotels need accurate counts not only because rooms are only allowed to have X occupancy in each room, and fire regulations require names of every person as well as numbers ...
You can't take a room for 2 and show up with 4. Sorry.
Speak directly with the hotel and explain your situation. They will do what they can to fit you in.
Posted by
1280 posts
I have traveled with 4-5 people in Italy several times and do the same with beds and have never encountered this. Usually I enter the number of people and the website shows me the bed situation, whether two doubles, two queens, or a double and two singles, or a double and a fold out couch, This way I can find a room with the beds I prefer (prefer not to have a fold out couch unless thats all I can find, for example). I agree about calling the lodging.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
17267 posts
Welcome to the forum, Martin -
If you've not traveled to Europe before, I think you'll find the size of hotel rooms to generally be smaller (sometimes a lot smaller) than you're used to in the US. There are also far fewer rooms with the type of multiple-bed setup many hotels have here (2 queens is the most common in the States). So if you're searching for 4 people, that's probably why you're coming up with 4-bed quad/family suite rooms. If it's a price thing you're worried about, I don't think the difference between a triple - which would generally be a double or queen + a single bed - would be all the much but I haven't done the footwork.
With 4 people, even though a couple of them are small-ish , I think you'd be happiest in a 4-bed family suite just to have the floorspace. Some even have more than one room. For Rome, you might look at the Family Suite at Hotel Smeraldo? That particular hotel has been mentioned favorably by lots of posters on the RS forum.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16689 posts
How about renting a small apartment? Check AirBnB and VRBO.
I generally don't like apartments for less than 3 nights, but if you are staying 3 nights or longer, it is probably the better solution for your family. Hotel rooms in Italy (Europe) are often much smaller than the typical 2 King bed room in America. You'll feel very cramped in many quad rooms in Italy.
Posted by
new york
532 posts
Which cities or towns do you plan to visit?
If Venice is on your list, You might consider this gem of a hotel which offers two configurations of room for four guests--their junior suite and their quad room.It's one of the loveliest hotels I've stayed at in Venice with an ideal location.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
17267 posts
Similar question from another family of 4 today (Venice specific):
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/family-friendly-hotel-in-venice
Posted by
OP
US
3 posts
Thanks for the responses. So far I’ve been able to secure rooms for all four of us and I’m make sure to mention our full count and the kids ages in all emails from this point on. Just have Assisi, Orvierto and Rome left to book
Posted by
Calgary, AB, Canada
646 posts
This is one place that I feel a plug for the Rick Steve's guidebook is helpful. We travelled for years with 5 of us ( 3 kids). The guidebook tells you if they have family rooms, quads etc, and also gives you the websites.
We had good luck in some convents as well, if you are wiling to sleep on narrow beds at times!