Hotel
Your own room and bathroom, cleaned every day, staff at the desk.
What it is
A hotel is the default everyone pictures: a private room with a private bathroom, a bed made for you, and a reception you can walk up to at any hour. You are paying for the fact that nothing is shared and nothing is your job.
- A private room and a private bathroom
- Towels, soap, shampoo, and usually a hairdryer
- Your room tidied and the bed made every day
- Someone at the desk who can take a parcel, call a taxi or let you in at 2am
- A kitchen — a kettle, sometimes a mini-fridge, and that is the limit
- Breakfast, unless the rate says so; it is often the most expensive breakfast in the street
- Laundry you do yourself — there is a service, and it is charged per item
What this means for your bag
A hotel is the one stay where you can safely leave things at home.
Skip the toiletries
Soap, shampoo and a towel are already in the bathroom. Bring your own only if you are particular about it.
Skip the hairdryer
Almost every hotel room has one. It is the single bulkiest thing people pack for no reason.
Pack all your clothes
There is no washing machine you can use. For anything over a few days, that is the number that decides your bag size.
Mid-range, and the price you see is rarely the price you pay. Expect the room rate plus a city tax collected at the desk, and check whether breakfast is in the rate before you agree to it.
- City tax — per person, per night, paid on arrival
- Breakfast, if it is not in the rate
- Parking, in city centres almost always separate
- Want a predictable, private night with no admin
- Are arriving late or leaving very early
- Are travelling for work and someone else is paying
Plain links, no referral tags — we earn nothing if you book. They are here because they are where this kind of place is actually listed.
Questions people ask about this
Only if the rate says so. The same room is usually sold twice — once with breakfast and once without — and the difference is often more than a café down the road would charge. Check the rate name before booking.
No. Towels, soap and shampoo are standard in every hotel, at every price level. This is the main practical difference from a hostel.
A local tourist tax, set by the city and not by the hotel. It is charged per person per night, it is usually not in the online price, and it is often cash only. Budget a few euros a night for it.
Not yourself. Hotels offer a laundry service charged per item, which for a week's clothes costs more than most people expect. If you are travelling long enough to need washing, an apartment or a hostel changes the maths.
The calculator already asks where you're staying. Start with this answer filled in and it will size the list around shared bathrooms, kitchens and laundry.