are rollaway beds comfortable?
 

We have a reservation for 4 nights in a family room for 5 - the confirmation stated that a double bed and 3 rollaways are reserved for us. Has anyone slept on a rollaway in Europe - will the 3 kids be comfortable? (asked the hotel, but I'm not sure they understood the question) Thanks.

Does this mean that the room is normally just a two-person room, and they're adding in beds to make it for 5? I'd be more worried about 5 people in one room, with one bathroom, than I would about the comfort of the beds for the kids. Have you looked into the price of two rooms, one with twin beds where a rollaway could be added?

I think kids would be just fine on rollaways. My "kids" (when kids) slept on a few and never complained.

By the way, what's the name of the hotel and where is it?
I ask, because there could be 10 people who report bad experiences in Europe with rollaways, and another 10 who found them very comfortable. IMO it's irrelevant since it's the beds in YOUR hotel that you're concerned about.

Hi kwren, which country and city and which hotel? Most (I am not saying all of course) European hotel rooms are not overly large. I would think that if you could afford two hotel rooms which would give you two bathrooms that would be a better situation. But of course have no idea where you are staying so perhaps in your case it is not true. Also, are your 3 children little ones or do you have any teens that are the size of adults (especially teen boys). That could make a difference. Best wishes.

Rollaway beds are intrinsically neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. They are, after all, only a metal frame/spring that folds up with a mattress inside.

It is the construction and hardness of the mattress that is key - and it varies from one country, bed manufacturer, and hotel to another (and probably some variation within the same hotel).

In other words: the question is meaningless.

I've slept on rollaway beds and no, they aren't that comfortable. Not as comfortable as a bed, anyway. I wouldn't worry about kids so much, they may adapt fine. It really does depend on the rollaway, though, as some are much better quality than others. No one knows if you'll get a decent mattress or one a couple inches thick.

The thing that would really worry me is the idea of a double room with the addition of three rollaway beds! This sounds incredible to me and it will be, of course, wall to wall beds. Apparently this is a room that normally only has a double bed, it's not even a triple with added rollaways. I think rooms that are normal triples or quads are not furnished solely be rollaway beds.

A hotel can't answer a question like that, and I wouldn't even ask them, you have to rely on your own judgment and what you are willing to tolerate for economy -- what can they possibly say, some people will find them okay and others won't. They certainly aren't going to tell you that no one has ever found their beds comfortable.

I guess I should have said that, from what I understand, this particular "family room" is comprised of 2 rooms with a bathroom in between. It's in the Gablerbrau in Salzburg. In one email they had said 2 doubles with a single or a rollaway, in another the double with 3 rollaways. Part of me thinks my kids don't mind sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags with friends so how bad could it be, the mom part of me had to ask the ("meaningless") question. :)

Thanks for the replies - at least every single person didn't say "STAY AWAY FROM ROLLAWAYS!!!" That's better than nothing, but I might write back to the hotel for clarification on why we have 2 rooms with 3 rollaways anyway. Maybe the second room is intended as a living room, who knows.