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?

[Karol22]

I'd say a king size bed isn't necessary unless it is somehow a focus of your offering or is more fitting for the size of your bedroom. But primarily, I'm an advocate for consistency for the sake of your turnover operations, especially when you're dealing with cleaners. Managing different sizes of bed linens isn't always straight forward, especially when you're dealing with several beds in the same house. It's easy to confuse the storage and retrieval of different sizes of linens.

Generally, go for consistency. Unless you find some niche such that a king size bed is required for such niche, don't add unnecessary overhead on yourself.

[Nunya1]

Great for you.  And you will make a lot less of a rental profit in "overhead" as well!  ; )

[Nancy458]

I am a host with Queen size beds. They fit the rooms. We could put a king, but then everything would seem crowded. As long as your listing is transparent and honest, then guests can make the decision for themselves , and even filter listings based on bed size. 

[Lynnette32]

Except you can't filter listings based on bed size. That's the frustrating part as the customer.

[Nunya1]

I agree.  I get so frustrated when I find the "perfect" vacation property and they take pics to make the bed sizes seem bigger and you can't really tell if they are king or full ("queen" is nonsense, it's not enough bigger than a full to make any difference)....and so you get excited but are forced to read all the information with a fine tooth comb to find out, sometimes it's not even listed and you have to dig into the reviews to find out what size the bed is.....I wish I could rewind the clock to my younger days when bed size made no difference, I could sleep anywhere, even on a pallet in the floor.  Youth truly is wasted on the young....

[Richard-And-Nancy1]

A queen size bed is adequate for a short term rental. Having beds of similar size makes for a cost savings and ease of switching linens. The mattress quality (not expense) is important. So also is whether or not the bed squeeks!

[Nunya1]

Maybe for you and a few others but not for the majority of paying customers.  If a rental property owner wants to make maximum profits off of their AirBnB, I guarantee them that if they replace the full size bed (aka "queen") with a roomy King, their rental income will jump way up.  A queen size bed works for a few who  were blessed by God to not have hot flashes, insomnia, claustraphobia and frequent urination at night.  And a King size bed would work just as well and accomodate everyone rather than exclude most.  Not rocket science.  I always pass up any rental with a full size (aka "queen") bed.  It's the Number One deal breaker for me.  And I am not overweight or obese, but I do have all the other problems mentioned and need space to be able to fall asleep.

[Lorina14]

A full size bed is not the same thing as a queen bed. A queen bed is larger than a full size bed. I’ve had a full size as a college student and then a queen and now we have a split king (so one person can have a different firmness of mattress if preferable. It also made it easier to get the latex beds into the house as a queen is heavy and a king would be too difficult to maneuver).

[Denis130]

Occasionally struggled with having a queen sized bed until three college aged girls spent a couple nights using only my guest room queen sized bed.  Nostalgia for earlier life sleepovers, that my own daughter enjoyed, and would never let bed size get in the way of companionship, and fond memories.

Also really don't have room, except to remove a dresser, that am sure some folks will need as soon as I move it out.

[Sarah977]

@Denis130  In Mexico, it isn't unusual for 4 family members to share a bed. And I'm not talking about a California king. Doubles are the most common.

Americans and Canadians seem to require a lot of "personal space" 🙂

[Nunya1]

Smaller beds are no problem when you are young and sleep like a baby no matter where you lay down.  When you get older, and regular bouts of insomnia, hot flashes, frequent trips to the bathroom at night become the "new normal"...where you sleep and how much room you have to stretch, move about is crucial.  Otherwise, what little sleep you are able to get is also taken away....

[Nunya1]

P.S.  Whoever coined the phrase "Youth is wasted on the young"....was spot on!!!

[Kelley3]

My rentals with King size beds do better than the queens. Tall & large people are more comfortable especially if sharing the bed.

[Sharon683]

I have a full bed.  Nobody has complained so far.  Not even my couples.

[Sarah977]

@Sharon683  I only host one guest at a time, as only a single bed fits comfortably in the guest room. I once had a young newbie guest show up with her boyfriend, and their reaction when I said I only accept one guest was such that I could tell they weren't trying to pull a fast one, they just didn't understand that you can't have more people than is stated as the max, or more than you booked for. They were very sweet and polite, so I said, "You're both going to squish into that single bed?" They said no problem, stayed for a week, and she left a review that said she spent the best week of her life here. 🙂