Do guests really pay that much more for a queen bed?

[Cheryl741]

I bought a property that includes an Airbnb rental and the previous owner squeezed a queen bed into a very small bedroom. I'm having a hard time even cleaning the room and changing the sheets due to the extra large size of the bed relative to the room. Do guests really pay that much more for a queen bed? I'm thinking about changing it to a double to allow for more breathing room.

[Jennifer1773]

@Cheryl741  We had a double bed in the master bedroom and two XL twin beds in the 2nd bedroom when we first started hosting at our 2 BR cottage. It didn't seem to affect bookings, but after guests left I had a few complaints about the "short" bed and noticed that some couples would go sleep in the twin beds instead. My conclusion was that folks really missed that 5" extra you get with a Queen or the XL twin (both 80" long) compared to the double bed (75"). So... if it was me I'd keep the Queen if possible, but if not, what about an XL double? It seems to be a thing and would also be 80" long. A double (regular or XL) would be 6" narrower than the Queen--not sure how much that would help or how hard this size bed is to find...

[Sarah977]

@Cheryl741 Personally I think it's best to aim for an uncramped space and host less guests if necessary. If guests can barely get around the bed or not open the door fully, or it doesn't leave space for bedside tables, or a chair or a desk, it's just going to seem like a too big bed is crammed in there.

I host a private room/ bath in my home. The room is small and there is really only enough space for a single bed without the room feeling cramped. So I only host solo guests. They all love that room- I get lots of positive comments on it. I could have crammed a double in, but it wouldn't have worked nearly as well.

You don't say if there are other bedrooms. If so, maybe just list that room for one person and put a double in, or bunk beds. It kind of depends on who you are going to be marketing towards.

I have found single travelers to be easy to host. They are usually quite self-sufficient, respectful, don't make a big mess, and are quite adaptable. At the least the ones I get.

[M199]

@Cheryl741 

My first ever booking last year was for a guy and his fiancee. We had single beds because of the small size of the rooms. He didn't notice this, after he "surprised" his fiancee with the  vacation plan, she  noticed the separate beds on the listing.  They realized his "oops". Now they are coming back  +1.

So, really  I don't fret about bed sizes, sometimes it's an unknown blessing in disguise😁

[Lisa723]

@Cheryl741 I don't think it's so much a question of paying more for a queen, as that some guests just won't book a place without a queen (or king). If traveling solo, I would, but if traveling with my husband, I would not. So the question for you is, in your market is there sufficient demand for an accommodation with only a double bed? You could try it and see.

[Christine615]

Because our home was built in the 1920's we're constrained by room size and lots of doors/windows. We put an antique double bed in the front room, a queen in the middle room and two twins in the back room (one is an XL but the other is not because of the width of the room.) We've had no complaints even when it's a group of unrelated guests (for instance a girl's weekend).

What I can say is that if you provide your guests with a great space (and you vett your guests before they book if they have no prior good reviews) the right people will come to your space and appreciate what you offer.

A full should be fine if you're upfront about what you're providing and have photos in your listing.

[Anonymous]

@Cheryl741   As a guest, the most uncomfortable Airbnb room I've ever stayed in fit this exact description. The roominess of the bed did not even begin to make up for the lack of storage space, the absence of bedside tables, and the fact that there was simply no space in the room that wasn't the bed. My partner and I had to do some Simone Biles-level gymnastics to climb around each other to get out of bed - even charging the phones became a drama. 

People booking hotels might pay more for larger beds, but only because they trust hotels to automatically have all of the space and features that this room lacks. In contrast, an Airbnb home gets the best results when every room is the best room it can be - not necessarily one that can squeeze in the most people or the biggest bed. If you have to downsize to a solo sleeper to make room for some storage space and room to breathe, that room still has more appeal than a boxed-in Queen. Plus, all the time and energy you save with faster changeovers has value too.

[Michelle53]

@Cheryl741  I have two doubles and two singles (daybed with trundle), but my maximum occupancy is 4 people, so where folks sleep depends on the makeup of the group.

I'm booked pretty solidly - I get all kinds of guests. My space does have lower ceilings, which I disclose in the "weaknesses" section of my listing. So maybe that pre-selects for  people who don't mind about bed size.   Mostly, they comment on how comfortable the beds are.