I'm planning a trip for my parents to visit me, starting in Rome for a few days. I didn't realize until now that there's a difference between double and queen-sized beds. The vast majority of hotels (three or four star too)I have come across in Rome are listed with double beds. My father is a big guy who needs at least a queen. Does that mean I have to find an "americanized" hotel in order to get a room with a sufficient bed? I am surprised by this considering how many americans visit Rome and are accustomed to hotels with minimum of queen beds. Any advice is appreciated, or recommendations for hotels in the $200-300/night range.

Hi !

It is hard to find other than double beds (160cm x 200 cm) and single beds (80cm x 200cm) in general. Of course there are other bed sizes which privates can get, such as what we call "una piazza e mezzo" (120 cm x 200cm), but it is usually very difficult to find sheets and duvets etc for this type of bed and I imagine for hotels it would be a nightmare!
Now with the Ikea invasion, we also have what was once called "French bed" (140 cm x 200cm) and another hybrid which would be the single bed (90 cm x 200cm). For these types of bed, either you specifically order sheets or you (happily ) go to Ikea.

It is true that there are many Americans in the area, but it is also true that hotels usually get what the local market has available.

I am sure that you can find some higher level or more "americanized" hotel, as you say, which has beds other than the double-single ones.

Do not take that for granted though, always ask.

Ciao, and have nice holidays in Rome!

Bob, a little clarification for a double bed in Italy. Gloria gave the dimnensions but I thought I should point out that double bed here means two twin beds pushed together as hotels normally make up their beds with twins as it is easier if they want separate beds or one whole bed. It is not a double like in the US. A double in the states is 54" wide, a queen in the states is 60" and a doppio in Italy is 63" so your father should be fine. Length wise, double is 75", a queen is 80" and a doppio here in Italy is 79". Hope this helps.

Bob,
As Cristina says, a double bed in Italy is not the same as a double bed in the U.S. An American "double" size bed is more like a "letto francese" or as Gloria said, French bed. Ask for a "matrimoniale" and you'll be sure to get what is either 2 twin beds pushed together, and made up with a single mattress pad, or more or less a queen-size bed.
- Marie

I knew I could count on you guys...the answers I wanted to hear, thanks.

Bobster, I had the same worries about bed size, until a very nice fellow working at the Hotel Flora in Venice actually measured the bed for me, and it turned out to be actually larger than our USA queen size beds! (Though I didn't actually end up staying at that hotel, they were so nice by e-mail!) As somebody else mentioned, if you ask for a "letto matriomoniale" (if I'm remembering my Italian correctly), you'll get a big bed. Just to be sure, I asked for a big letto matriomoniale for 2 people, mentioning it was for my husband and I.

In Rome we had a nice big bed (larger than a USA queen) in our room #407 in the very classy Hotel Nazionale a Montecitorio on Piazza Montecitorio in Rome. It's in a wonderful walkable neighborhood, walking distance to restaurants, the Pantheon, the Piazza Navonna, Trevi fountain...You can read more about this hotel in my trip report #487, "Mind-Boggling First Glimpses of Italy With Teens", on slowtrav. I would definitely stay in the same hotel the next time I visit Rome.

>>the vast majority of hotels (three or four star too)I have come across in Rome are listed with double beds<<

We have stayed in hotels all over Italy over the past 12 years....probably a total of 6 months in hotel rooms. One thing that has been a constant is that "double" beds (letto matromoniale) are queen sized at the smallest and more frequently just twin beds made up as a king size bed. I don't even remember seeing any bed as small as an American double.

So I wouldn't worry about the size of the bed in an Italian hotel room....now Italian hotel bathrooms and showers--that is an entirely different story.

Today I got an e-mail response from a hotel that specified bed sizes....this is the first time I have ever seen that.

The double standard room has one double bed ( King-size = cm. 160 X 190) or two single beds ( cm. 80 X 190 each) ; the double room with queen-size bed is smaller than double standard room and has one reduced double bed (cm. 140 X 190).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jim Zurer,