I've looked at a lot of pictures of Italian hotel rooms (mostly in low budget ranges, but not exclusively) and I've observed that almost all of them seem to not have carpets. I have no objection to this and I think that a freshly washed floor is always going to be cleaner than a freshly vacuumed carpet, so I like it from a hygiene point of view. But I just wondered if my perception was accurate.

You rarely see wall-to-wall carpets in either homes or hotels. Much cleaner. I hate the thought of walking across a carpet in a hotel room. Yuck.

In my experience, I've only seen wall-to-wall in newer and chain hotels in Italy. I also much prefer the cleaner uncarpeted floors. However, I'd advice a pair of soft rubber flipflops for inroom and shower use-- those old floors can be cold and hard on the feet after a day of sightseeing.

That question started me thinking. I don't recall one hotel room in all my years of travelling in Europe that had wall-to-wall carpet. I can only recall either wood or tile flooring with small rugs here and there.
Its a much cleaner way to live anyway.
I'm planning on getting rid of ALL the carpet in my house in the near future.

As you may already know, Italy exports most of the world's ceramic and porcelain tile. Lots of tile there. And, I agree with everyone else here carpet is kind of nasty.

Now, you've got me wondering about the hotels I stayed in last year. I'm going to check my pictures, but I think that only the one in Venice had carpet and frankly, tiles would have been nicer. I agree with everyone else that carpets can get rather nasty. I know that at home I hope so happy since last year I replaced all my carpets on first floor to hardwood floor, much better, especially with pets.

Hmmm... Both of the hotels I stayed in while in Rome had wall to wall carpet. One hotel was extremely clean. The other was nasty, and I checked out early. I did see quite a few pics of hardwood floors, while browsing hotel sites, though. If it is that big of a deal, look at the pictures before you book, and bring slippers along - just in case.

Thanks for the interesting question, I don't think this has been brought up before so it got me to thinking too.

In all of my years of renting villas, apartments and staying in hotels in Italy I don't remember any of them having wall to wall carpeting. I have seen throw rugs in bathrooms and in hallways but that is it.

I don't like wall to wall carpeting either and I too think it is so much cleaner to have tiled, linoleum (my tiny apartment in Positano) or wooden floors.

>>I know that at home I hope so happy since last year I replaced all my carpets on first floor to hardwood floor<<

Ok, I don't know what I was thinking, I just reread the above sentence...this is how it was meant to read...

****I know that I was so happy last year when I replaced all of my carpets on the first floor to hardwood floor****

You know sometimes the brain and the hands don't seem to have the same ideas.

I think wall to wall carpets are not the European norm (maybe UK excluded). Floors are either wood or tiles. It is both a question of taste and of hygiene. People have allergies and in that case carpets are 100 % out. Wood and tiles are way easier to keep clean and dustless.

And people usually think that good-looking tiles and polisehed wood look better. With some smaller carpet to add color.

For those who hate walking on carpeting in a hotel room.... have you ever stayed in a hotel in the US that didn't have carpeting?

Grasshopper,

I don't like carpet in any hotel...I personnaly didn't say that European hotel floors are dirtier than U.S. And yes, as disgusting as it might I do walk on hotel carpets barefoot at times. Since I walk barefoot on the ground outside, I don't think it can be much worse.

I don't worry about carpets, they've always looked clean in any European hotel I've been in. They are vacuumed regularly, daily it seems. I've been in a lot of European hotels with w/w carpeting, in all kinds of countries (from 2* to 4*). I think people are assumign a lot of things just based on Mediterannean countries or something. Most of the European hotels I've stayed in have w/w carpets. All of the French hotels I've stay in have (maybe not 1-2 down in Provence, but I'm not sure), both Czech hotels, all London hotels, my Madrid hotel... those are the main ones I've been to in last ten years that I can remember.

Now I remember, my hotel in Paris had beautiful wall to wall carpeting, but we were paying $$$$$ at the time.