10 differences between American and European hotels that might surprise you

• European and American hotels have many different features you should be aware of before traveling.
• The room sizes and beds are often smaller.
• Bathrooms are designed with different features, like bidets.
• You need to buy a converter for outlets.

Planning a vacation to Europe is no small feat.

You have to deal with all of the headaches related to traveling by plane, figure out how to transfer your money without losing too much of it, and make your way around the language barrier.

On top of that, you have to be aware of the many cultural differences that will come up, otherwise you're going to feel like a fish out of water. One worth noting is the differences between European and American hotels.

Whether you're heading on a vacation to London, Paris, Rome, or Madrid (or really anywhere in Europe), you should know that the hotel situation may not be the same as you're used to experiencing in the US. While most major cities in Europe offer American chains, like Hilton, many of the options are smaller boutique hotels.

Below are some of the biggest differences you might come across at these hotels. Of course, not all European hotels are the same so this is by no means a definitive guide.

The rooms are smaller.

One of the main differences between European and American hotels is the size of the rooms. The first time I stayed in a European hotel, I was shocked when I was presented with a room that barely had enough space to hold the bed and a dresser.

This, as it turns out, is perfectly normal and expected. You may not notice it from photos online — it's all about the angles — but just keep it in mind. Of course, not every room is tiny. I've stayed in hotels in Rome that offered rooms that were quite large — but for the most part, they're on the smaller side.

The bed situation might not be as comfortable.

When searching for rooms in various European cities, I have often wondered if they were all created with just two guests in mind. The majority of American hotels offer similar bed options: a king, queen, two twins, maybe a double bed. If you want a room for four people, you get one with two twin beds.

In Europe, it seems to be different. For one thing, king size beds are not as popular. I personally have never seen one there. Instead, a large bed is usually two beds pushed together. European hotel rooms also almost always use a futon or a pull-out couch as a second or third bed.

The floor numbers are different.

One weird difference is the floor numbers. In Europe, the first floor is often considered the first floor off of ground level. In America, we typically consider this the second floor. In Europe, most hotels say the lobby is on level zero, while in the US, we would say the lobby is on level one.

And if there is something below the lobbies, most hotels will refer to that as level -1. This is something to keep in mind when looking for your room or getting in an elevator.