Guests: Couple versus Single

[Harold75]

Greetings fellow hosts!
 I would love to get your comments and advice.

I am a humble Canadian host, who lives on-site in my home. I offer solo travellers a private bedroom (with single bed, desk and clothes drawers) and private bathroom.

The  private bedroom is about 175 square feet of space (not including the bedroom closet).

A few guests suggested I offer the private bedroom for a couple; remove the single bed (measuring 39" x 75 "), and put in a double bed (measuring 54" x 75").

To do so, I would have to remove the clothes drawers and get creative in the closet!

Would the end result  be too limiting, too cramped?  

As a host, do you tend to get more guest as couples  versus  singles?   

Again, your comments and advice would be greatly appreciated!  

Thank you! 

[Suzanne302]

@Harold75  I host a room in my home and my room is much smaller, only 10x10. I did find that removing the closet doors opened up the space because guests don't need doors on the closet! It makes the room appear a lot bigger.

I used to have a dresser in the room, but it was never used and so a waste of space. I have a corner shelving unit that works well for extra storage. I do find that guests like to have some sort of space to put "stuff" so I have a long skinny table for that.

I have a double bed and host a lot of couples, rarely singles. I've never had a complaint about the bed, although I do point it out in my listing that it may seem smaller than what most are used to.

As for couples taking over the common areas, this has not been my experience. Out of 100+ guests I would say less than 5 even used the common areas. 

I do think you would get more bookings if you opened up the room to couples, but then again, every area is different! I'd say 75% of my guests are here to explore the area and 25% are here for a wedding/visiting family/work-related.

[Sandra856]

Hi @Harold75 🙂

I also rent out a very small room and my bed is a double bed and I have had many, many couples and no one has ever complained about the size of the bed. I have written the measurements on the listing so guests are aware.

What I did when I started hosting was to get light furniture. A bed without a frame, a simple white table from Ikea - they have great "invisible" furniture for small living 🙂 . I just took a look at your room and I think I would buy a double bed and put it up against the wall (the short side up against the wall with the window). I would get rid of the drawer and add a table instead and 2 stools (I think that is the name?).

On the wall opposite the window I would put a big round mirror without a frame - big mirrors are great for small rooms as they make a room feel bigger and 1-2 shelves underneath so your guests got a place to put stuff. I think many women would use it for makeup etc. You can also add a little bedside shelf.

[Sandra856]

@Harold75 I forgot to write that at my place couples usually book during weekends and holiday seasons and single guests /or two friends (usually young girls who studies at universities around Europe) book during weekdays. I have a max. 4 day booking period and my guests usually stay 2-3 days.

I raised my prices last year so I'm no longer between the cheapest rooms. It means that my current guests do not only book my room because of the pricetag. Also they are not on a very tight budget so they hardly use the kitchen but eat out instead or bring back take-away. I painted and re-decorated the room last year. I always buy fresh flowers, fruit and snacks and prepare tips, maps etc. for when the guests arrive. So even though the room and the whole apartment is tiny they seem to be okay with it. My whole bathroom is half the size of a double bed.. Haha 🙂 

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856  I think it depends what part of the world guests come from as to whether they'd consider a standard double bed to be big enough for 2 people to sleep comfortably. Here in Mexico, Mexican couples use double beds a lot (they call them "matrimonials") But Americans and Canadians seem to always use Queen, King, or California King (which you could sleep a whole family on) beds It may have something to do with so many of them being obese 🙂

Also tall people's feet will hang off the end of a double.

[Sandra856]

@Sarah977 Yes, I think you are right about that. In northen Europe we don't have the same names for beds. We don't call it double beds for instance - or actually we do but it covers ALL sizes of beds that 2 people can sleep in. And now I realize that I was only thinking of how wide the bed is and not the lenght. It is because their is no difference in the lenght of beds where I live - not for adult beds at least. So I didn't even consider that.. Haha 🙂 

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856  I wish the bed sizes were just standard all over the world- it's so confusing. In Mexico, what they call Queen size is about 2 inches narrower and 5 inches shorter than what is known as a Queen in the US and Canada. When I first built my house here, I ordered a Queen size bed frame from a local woodworking place. They delivered it, hauled it up a flight of stairs, then left. When I went to put the mattress I already had (my foamie from Canada) on it, the mattress was hanging off the frame all over. I called them back and said it wasn't a queen they had delivered. They said "It's a Mexican queen". I had to get them to come back, take it back down the stais and make me one that fit my mattress and sheets.

[Sandra856]

@Sarah977 Ohh, no! 🙂 

It would be so much easier with the same measurement scales around the world. I have absolutely no idea of all the measurements used in this thread with square feets and inches. I'm used to cm and square meters so I will have to calculate in order to figure out what people are talking about. 

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856  Burma, Liberia and the US are the only countries in the world that don't use the metric system!. Metric is so much easier to use. 

My American unpholstery clients are always giving me the measurements in feet and inches and I have to convert them. No amount of telling them that metric is a super simple system that doesn't take some major studying to understand seems to convince them. They insist on believing that it's too hard to learn and keep using inches and feet in Mexico, where no one understands what they're talking about 🙂

[Helen427]

The sizing of beds will always be different for ever and a day, I noticed that when I purchased the one I did.

One must bear in mind that people have and always will be different shapes and sizes.

@Sandra856  In New Zealand  we tend to use metrics for measurements however I use a combination of both depending on how the brain is functioning that day.

UK still use pounds and ounces.

We should all use a combination of both as it's good for the brain to do a little mathematics.. 😉

Ditto with hectares and  acres..

Looking fwd to @Lizzie @Quincy @Stephanie @Laura_R @Laura_C @Noriko @Kirstie @Sergi  including a topic on what type of bed do you have and it's story in Host News!!

Btw @Harold75 

Do your guests use the bed frame to hang things on?

People surprizingly do use bed frames for hanging clothes, bags towels, blankets on so that's something else to consider when and if you change the bed - perhaps use part  of your bed as a feature, or use it as a bed on your other property listing.

Your location suits the outdoor natural look been in the countryside for a country experience.

[Harold75]

@Helen0   YES!  Calling all hosts! What type of bed do you use for your guests ...that is a host story!  

That is keen observation about the wood  natural look.  

Bed frame:  I discovered that guests used the front of the bed frame for hanging towels etc. 

[Helen427]

@Harold75  capitalise on the natural wood look in your marketing.

Ahh we will leave Admin here in CC to see if they will follow up on the bed topic - I'm sure if we looked in the searchbox we could find many a discussion, but a story condensing them would be fun.

[Harold75]

Thanks @Helen0   it was very keen of you to zero in on that natural wood look.  

I hope Admin actually follow up on the bed topic and not sleep on it  🙂

[Stephanie]

Hey @Harold75 ,

Excellent topic! If you wanted to start a new one about bed frames would be ace aswell!

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Suzanne302]

@Sarah977  All but 2 of my guests have been Americans and no complaints about the bed! A double IS rather small for two people, but I've never gotten a complaint I think for two reasons:

1 - I  point out in the listing that the bed is a double and therefore may be smaller than you're used to. (for those who actually read the listing)

2 - When you provide a great overall experience I think most people are less picky and willing to overlook something like a double bed as opposed to a queen.

That being said, I do hope to upgrade to a queen and a new mattress next year, but until then, my double is still working! And don't even ASK how old the mattress is..... lol

[Pete69]

This season only 1 out of 8 of my guests have been solo travelers.