|
|
Hotel Terms Demystified
|
|
|
You won't be surprised if we tell you a triple is a room for three. Number and arrangement of beds unspecified, though you might expect three twins or a double and a twin. If you want to sleep four in a room you'd be looking for a quad. Bed arrangement is up for grabs ... clarify it if it is important to you.
Hotels may have cots, and rooms large enough for an added bed. Most ordinary hotel rooms in Europe, though, are smaller, on average, than typical US hotel rooms ... quite a bit smaller. Often the addition of a cot in a normal European double (or twin) will not be permitted, or will be uncomfortably crowded.
Some hotels offer "junior suites". Arrangements differ, but the basic idea is to provide separation of a sort between sleeping and sitting areas. It is usually not large enough to sleep four. If it will sleep three (or four) the third bed will most likely be a convertible sofabed. The bedroom and sitting areas may be separated by wall and door, by a curtain, or by nothing at all. Most junior suites we've used have been smaller, in total space, than an average Holiday Inn double queen room in the US, albeit with a sofa. At best they're (almost, and rarely) comparable to a King Suite in a Quality Inn. Once again, if you have an interest here you'll have to get specifics from the hotel. Half-Pension Full-Pension MAP American Plan EP European Plan
Demi-pension, or half-pension, halbpension, half-board or Modified American Plan (MAP), include breakfast and one other meal, either lunch or dinner, though most commonly dinner. It may be your choice as to which, although it is now common for dinner as the only choice. (Logical, since most of us would be sightseeing or sun-bathing during the day, away from the hotel. Obviously another situation at a beach resort, though.) Full-pension, full-board or American Plan, as you now may guess, includes all three meals. Full- and half-board arrangements are now most often found, if at all, in resort areas, rare in cities. Quite often optional, though it's not unusual to be mandatory, especially at peak periods. Usually a good deal, though sometimes more food than you would normally eat. Note that beverages (other than tap water) are usually not included. You can add quite a bit to your daily meal cost with bottled water, coffee or tea, wine or an after-dinner drink. In many situations you may choose, day by day, to not take the second (or third) meal and receive (usually partial) credit; advance notice required, often by 10am, usually no later than noon. European Plan (EP), most common in European hotels outside large cities, is just the "continental" breakfast. (Also called Continental Plan, or EP.) " Italy, as well as France, tends to be a more restrained breakfast, though usually of much higher quality than our cyncical comment above would indicate. One usually has a choice of rolls, including a croissant or equivalent, butter, jam and jelly, coffee, tea or hot chocolate, sometimes fruit juice (usually canned, sometimes not.) The quality of the pastry varies. Usually quite good most anywhere in France. In Italy the quality is a tad below France, and better in more expensive hotels.
At the opposite extreme, some hotels in Rome and elsewhere are attracting American and English business, and others, by offering a "Full American Buffet" included in the room rate. These are usually extensive, and of pretty good quality, far beyond the normal European Buffets offered in Switzerland or Germany, for example.
Remember that the "carbon-copy" rooms of so many American hotels aren't found as often in Europe. (Where many hotel buildings were built for a different purpose several centuries ago.) Even if you're booked into a "run of house" room, ask to see it before you "settle". All the rooms may not look alike, have the same view, etc. European hoteliers will not be insulted if you ask to see the room. In fact most expect you to approve the room.
Strange? Probably goes back to inns with a place to sleep but without kitchens in the 17th century, or something similar. More oddly, many hotel garnis, perhaps most in Western Europe, do furnish in-room breakfast (price may or may not be included in room rate.) Further, some few garnis have arrangements with a nearby restaurant to provide elaborate room service. We've seen the phrase most commonly in Switzerland and it's common in France as well. Less common elsewhere, at least in our experience.
When applied to hotel rooms, most commonly in the British Isles, it means the bathroom is attached to, or "in", the hotel room. Usually consisting of a sink, toilet and shower or tub. In other European countries you'll often find the phrase used as well when the translator has a British-English background instead of an American-English background. Other bathroom phrases are "private" which usually means a bathroom not shared with anyone else, but somewhere "down the hall", possibly next door, possibly not. "Shared" means not in the room, not private, shared ... with someone else. Could be shared with only one other room; could be shared with the entire village. Particularly if traveling with several members of the family taking up two or more rooms the, sharing situation might provide for a virtually "private" situation. Hotel
Rating Systems ... Stars and Such TWEnJ's Hotel PagesTips on
Booking Hotels on the Internet Complete
Index of Ed and Julie's Our Favorites Trip Tips and Tools Copyright © 2000-2001 E.J.
Gehrlein Traveling
|
otels have never been easier to locate
and book with the emergence of a genuinely useful Internet for the common man ... or so it
seems. The 'net clearly makes hotel research easier than ever before.
et's start with room
"size". Most of us travel on holiday with our spouse or significant other. So,
most of us are likely to want a "double" room.
his is a good time to
note that most European hotels develop room rates per person, and usually, though
not always, quote room prices that way. Unlike the US where most hotel rooms will sleep
two comfortably and are priced the same whether one or two persons occupy the room, the
rates in Europe will almost always be different. Once again, be sure you're clear on the
rate the hotel will charge you.
ome will think of a
suite as a solution to their needs. A true "suite"
in Europe is most likely to be found in a luxury hotel, and equally likely to be very,
very expensive. If you've the budget, go for it!
n major cities
breakfast is often not included in the room rate and may cost from a few dollars per
person to over twenty dollars, even for just coffee and pastry. A $25 breakfast in some
5-star hotels may or may not include fruit or juice! If not included, consider going
to the neighborhood "bar" or cafe where you can enjoy beverage-and-roll
breakfasts. You'll enjoy the experience, and a roll and coffee will probably cost less,
far less ... perhaps as much as 75% less, than the hotel.
sually denotes a "standard",
"most-common" or "typical" room for which the "basic" rate
is charged. There may be smaller/cheaper rooms and usually larger/more expensive rooms,
including better views, corners, balconies, suites, king beds, etc.
French word
meaning, literally, "furnished". In a hotel context it means the bed and other
furniture are furnished, but the hotel has no dining room. As in "Hotel Villa Maria
garni".
ore French, today
meaning, literally, "in continuation". The colloquial phrase, however,
goes back to royal times when the king, traveling about, was followed by his court (en
suite meaning, here, "following") ... by extension taken to mean the
accommodations of the royal hangers-on. (From which the English word "suite",
one would guess.)