The great bed size debate

[Laura2592]

I recently started an Instagram for our cottage and have been following a few other hosts who also have one for their Airbnb. Yesterday there was a post where a host decried the lack of "king-size beds in rooms that would fit them" and a exhortation to ALL HOSTS to put in king-size beds (and then a description of the bedding they use themselves.)

So this got me to thinking. We recently replaced a bed but kept it a queen. Both our bedrooms have queen sized beds. We have queen beds in our own home. Arguably we could have king in our cottage upstairs but made a conscious decision to buy the same size beds everywhere in order to make it easier to change out linens.  I figure that anyone who insists on a king will pass our place by and perhaps look for a hotel where they can pick exactly the bed size they want. We tried to get the most comfortable mattresses we could find first and bed size was a distant second in consideration after that.  People seem to really think the beds are comfy and no one has said boo about the size. 

So what say you, fellow hosts? Does size matter? Do you think there should be more king-sized beds in listings? Or is far down on the list of considerations?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Laura2592 Queen size beds are fine for us brits. They are similar to a king in UK sizes anyway. We have (in US sizes) 5 Queens and 1 King in our apartments. The king is an absolute pain to launder and iron.

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

Yes, as @Mike-And-Jane0 says, what you call a Queen is what we call a King sized bed in the UK. I therefore think that what you call a King must be a Superking bed here. While two of my guest rooms are large enough to accommodate one, none of them have one. One room has a 'Queen' (UK King) and people seem to think it's pretty luxurious. The biggest room only has a double. I have often wondered if I should have put a bigger bed in there, but I found an antique bed that I really loved and went for that.

I've only once had a guest complain about the size of the bed, but he was simply told that it was clearly stated in the listing. He was a bit of a complainer anyway, so think was just looking to nit pick. He still left me 5* (but I'm guessing the champagne and help with theatre tickets probably did the trick).

Most guests love my beds. They are pretty but also, I am told, super comfy. That's down to extra thick (4 inch/10cm) mattress protectors which I bought inexpensively while they were on offer. I'd highly recommend them.

Maybe it's different in the US though, where size seems to matter more.

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  "Yesterday there was a post where a host decried the lack of "king-size beds in rooms that would fit them" and a exhortation to ALL HOSTS to put in king-size beds "

Hosts who say things like this really irk me. Like the ones who insist that you must  use white linens and towels because otherwise guests don't think they're clean. Or that all hosts should have TVs in the bedroom, or whatever.  

The rising popularity of king size beds in the US (and probably Canada) may be directly proportional to the rising percentage of obese people and North American's obsession with 'personal space' 🙂

[Laura2592]

@Sarah977  I didn't comment yesterday but the post did rub me wrong a bit as it was sorta virtue signal-y. There are a million ways to make your space comfy and special and we don't all have to be in lock step.  But then I thought  "hey, maybe this is true." So im asking. 

[Debra300]

@Laura2592 

A couple of years ago, we changed from US-queen size beds to US-king size beds in most of the spaces at our guesthouse (one bedroom has twin beds which can be put together to make a king size bed), and many of our returning guests have mentioned how they appreciate the additional bed space.  I do think that it is a feature, and mention the bed size in the listing titles.  

Keep Cool and I also sleep on a king size bed, and I really like it.  I have always disliked anyone breathing on my while I am sleeping.  We usually sleep with the ceiling fan on, not the air conditioner, and I like a cooler temperature than him.  So, I will scoot and sleep closer to the foot of the bed where it's directly under the fan.

We both tend to toss and turn, and flay our limbs.  The larger bed has saved us from knocking, poking, and kicking each other while we're in bed.

[M199]

One of our first reservations, when we opened last Fall, was a gentleman and his fiancee.  He loved the place!  What he didn't notice was all the beds were singles.  Of course, his fiancee caught this.  My suggestion was "surprise your fiancee, take the 2 singles and drop them in front of the cozy gas fireplace". They and their 2 dogs were probably our best guests.

[John5097]

I put a lot of thought into this when designing the space. The largest bed that could fit was queen. I think the California king was only 6 inches wider but that would have been too big as it meets the minimum space required.  I mounted the lamps on the wall and used a sliding barn door. It was a bit like designing a tiny home. As small as it is it has a 10 foot high ceiling that makes it feel open. Not a single complaint. The mattress alone cost $600 which seemed like lot. I also have had to return king size comforter that was way too big for a high capacity washer. Some thinner weight ones will work. I wash all the bedding between guest so the queen has been perfect. If I had the space I would likely opt for a Cali king and buy lighter weight blankets and comforters, although the queen size hasn't been an issue and guest comment on how comfortable it is, and how horrible other mattresses have been in other BNB.   

[Helen350]

Looks lovely @John5097 ! So what width is that Queen?;  it looks quite narrow!

[Sarah977]

@John5097  I think there must be some pretty crummy mattresses in some Airbnbs, especially budget-priced ones, because my well-traveled guests almost always comment on how comfortable the bed is. 

And it's not some high-end expensive mattress, it's a 4" slab of high quality firm foam, with a slab of 2" softer foam on top and a nice mattress pad.

Re high ceilings: my guest room is quite small in terms of square footage, but the ceilings are high and there are lots of windows, so it feels way more spacious than it actually is.

[Helen350]

Yup! My most comfortable bed is the one with the old mattress topped  with a 4" slab of cheap memory foam costing £40.

[John5097]

@Helen350  thanks its standard queen 60'' x 80'' ...

A California king is actually 72 x 84 

@Sarah977 It is essentially a firm kind of foam topped with a softer kind of foam.. it isn't memory foam. I also found a two inch memory foam topper on the pull out sofa and seemed comfortable to me.

I've never actually slept in the bed. I meant to test it out. I built the entire place and put so much consideration into every detail, but didn't want to clean it again. 

I did get two cotton acrylic cashmere blankets that were made Portugal but guest but guest are too hard on bed spreads so will likely try to go with the duvets. I agree you don't need white either. The main advantage was supposed to be able to bleach them but I"m not seeing how you even need bleach.   

[Helen350]

@John5097 So your standard Queen is what we in the UK call a King!

(We have a size called Super=King, which is like 2x extra long Twins together, so I guess our Super-King is your King!  - Work well as split version, which can be used together or separately. Too big for my place!) 

[John5097]

@Helen350 Absolutely! I still think its useful in this situation as its just a lot more efficient to communicate, although in this case could have included the measurements as well.  

[Carole894]

I recently started my first airbnb, and definitely a king bed.  We also usually end up in hotels for the bed size reason.  Would never rent a place with a queen, husband is too tall and I need my space.  As a nearly retired interior designer, I've run into this question a lot.  It helps to know that there are two sizes of king in the US.  California King is 72x84 (182.88 x 213.36 cm.) and Eastern King 76x80 (193.04 x 203.2 cm).  Queen size is 60x80 (152.4 x 203.2 cm )

      Buying bedding can be difficult.  Fitted king sheets must be the correct size and top sheets and other bedding can be somewhat interchangeable but never really ideal unless they are the correct size.  Some just say king and that means Eastern king, so if you have a Cal kings like I do they will be a little short. 

      I have been full since I started my airbnb while it looks like my competition is not.  I have had all men renting from me, nearly all single.... they seem to like the king bed.  But I am new at this so can't be sure the bed is the reason. 

As far as space, if you have a wall that is 9' 6" wide or so, you can use a cal king bed.  Use a small 14" square table on one side and a wider one on the other.   Keep the most accessible  side wider and use a wider stand.  I like cal king because they have a better shape.  Easterns look almost square.   But..... if you put two extra long twins 39x80 together, you get an eastern king.   If you buy ex long twin size you can push them together use a eastern king sheet set and have both.  Be careful of the frame though because it will need to be small enough not to overlap the mattresses.  You can buy Eastern king frame from Amazon and it comes in 2 pieces equal to ex long twins.  Then you will have both. 

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592   I guess I've been out of the States for a long time, because it really does my head in seeing the extreme and bizarre contortions that Americans (and to some extent the British) go through to avoid simply using the simple, easy, universal metric system.

Americans had a revolution, only to turn around and find bizarre ways of appropriating monarchic terms in measurements of everyday objects, when a number will do. I mean really, what do you want to know about a bed - whether it fits the dimensions of your body, or where your access to it places you in a non-existent royal lineage? (Oh, if I can get this mattress through my doorway I must be the King Of California. Right.)

When the DMV asks for your height, you don't say "Queen." (Unless maybe you're a character in "Pose.") You give them a measurement that is the distance from your head to your feet. Your height when you're standing, your length when you're unconscious. And you probably have a pretty good idea of your width too, as well as that of your partner(s), and how much extra space you need to accommodate your bedtime routines. You do 5 seconds of arithmetic and there you go, a number of centimeters that suits your needs. A simple, elegant, indisputable number. 

This can not possibly be improved upon by referring to your mattress as an inbred monarch.

So here's a suggestion for American hosts: get ahead of the curve, join the rest of the world and the 21st century (which, let's admit, is not shaping up to be an American one) and just describe your beds by their numeric dimensions. In the metric system, too - inches are only for porn titles. And take all this Queen and King garbage and throw it in the dustbin of embarrassments from our persistent past, like Swimsuit Competitions and Jell-O and racism.