Theo Turner, who stands at 7ft tall, was left with his knees dangling off the bed as he spent a night in one of the country’s smallest hotel rooms
One of Britain’s tallest men had a rather snug experience after spending the night in one of the UK’s tiniest hotel rooms. Predictably, it was a bit on the snug side. From his legs hanging off the bed to the odd head bump in the shower, the stay put the everyday quirks of being tall to the ultimate test.
Theo Turner, who is 7 foot tall, tried out the accommodations at easyHotel in Shoreditch, London, where the beds measure just 6 foot 2 inches and the room itself is a mere 10 square metres. It follows a survey by the hotel chain which identified the top 20 gripes people have with hotels.
Featured on the top of the list were dirty rooms, uncomfortable beds, and noisy neighbours. Other gripes included poor Wi-Fi, unexpected charges, and less than stellar customer service.
30 year old Theo from Middlesbrough commented: “Being seven foot tall has its pros and cons. But it’s something that I’ve come to live with, and personally I love it – I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
He added: “When I’m travelling, I always have to pay for extra leg room on flights and trains and I duck everywhere I go. Finding a bed that fits my large stature can be difficult – so my go to is to starfish across the bed, otherwise my legs are hanging off the end.”
Despite the challenges, he said: “Hotel stays are always an adventure, but as long as I have a comfortable bed and can rest easy, I’m happy.”
A representative for easyHotel, quipped: “We like to call our rooms ‘cosy’, but even we’ll admit this was a bit of a squeeze.”
Recent research has revealed a staggering 96 per cent of guests aren’t bothered about room size when booking a hotel.
The study found that two-thirds of travellers see hotels merely as places to rest their heads, suggesting that as long as basic comforts are met, the luxury aspect is non-essential.
“When you’re on an exciting city break, we know our guests value experience over expanse. You don’t want to spend your money on a huge room you’re not going to be in for most of the time,” the spokesperson added.
The main frustration for 14 per cent of travellers is hotels inconveniently located to their main destination, with 32 per cent wanting to be close to transport.
Meanwhile, for 37 per cent, the most important attribute is price per night. For 67 per cent price is a deciding factor on whether to re-book a hotel.
easyHotel’s spokesperson noted: “When it comes to booking a hotel, people’s priorities are shifting. It’s less about how many square metres the room offers and more about convenience, comfort, and location.”
“That’s why we focus on what matters most: great sleep in smartly designed compact rooms that enable us to offer great value prices and central locations,” they added.
“Whether it’s a boutique stay or a compact city-centre pad, travellers increasingly see hotels as a springboard to the real adventure – the city itself.”
TOP 20 HOTEL PET PEEVES:
- Poor cleanliness
- Uncomfortable bed
- Noisy rooms
- Slow or unreliable Wi-Fi
- Poor air con or heating
- Early check-out time
- Limited or no parking
- Hidden fees or unexpected charges
- Unhelpful staff
- No tea or coffee in the room
- Late check-in time
- Poor water pressure
- Inconvenient location
- Lack of space
- Slow service at breakfast/lunch/dinner
- Expensive room when you’re hardly there
- Lack of storage
- Certain food/drink options not available
- No iron available
- Inadequate or no desk space