Sleeping In Europe, many budget hotels and most dorm-style accommodations don't provide soap. If a towel is provided, it's per stay, not per day. Hang to dry and re-use. In France, room prices vary tremendously within a hotel. A room with a double bed and shower is often cheaper than a room with twins and a tub.
Hotels downplay their cheap rooms.
Budget travelers choose family-run older hotels with hall showers, stairs, and local character. Pick up a business card from your hotel when you check in. Even the best pathfinders get lost in a big city. With the card, you can hop into a cab and be home in minutes. Half of all the cold showers Americans take in Europe are cold because they don't know how to turn on the heat.