The sun., 1907-08-18
ABOUT EUROPEAN HOTELS
nov TO- ENGAGE ROOMS WIEN
TRAVELLING.
A Double Room Does Not Always Cost
Twice the Price Of q single Room
specimen Charges OF Good Houses
IN the Leading Continental Capitals.

ro,n hotels are deteriorating by reason
~ the great stream Of American tourists
ma. pour throlgh them. This belief Ia
not well founded. as experienced travellers
On .ho Continent will readily testify. On
t.s contrary there are more thoroughly
c,,d hotels in Europe now than there were
ben or twelve years ago. Most Of them
have been built to meet the demands Of
travellers from England and America.
AMI while they are not as luxurious as
American hotels they are quite good enough
for peupe who know how to make use
81 the features which they offer. The
nersons who are uncomfortable and who
are continually grunbling are those who
demand that the hotels Of Italy. France
and Germany shall be conducted on the
same plan as those. Of New York. Boston
snd san Francisco.
on the other hand. there are altogether
TOO many poor hotels in Europe and the
traveller VINO relies on Baedeker for his
Information has no way of finding out Just
what their character is. Baedeker, as
ta,rists well know. is altogether impartial
in this matter. and he does not accord the
honor Of a star to any house with which
he is not personally acquainted. But he
Is pretty well known parsonage and his
representatives cannot easily steal into
anv foreign hotel without detection. Hence
there are some very pretty little tricks
practised for the benefit of the guide. phil
osopher and friend OF the traveller.
In the first place the red guide books
quote you price on rooms. Hotel Santa
Maria, rooms s to 10 lire. Hotel Heilige
Maria, r. L. A., to 10 marks" That is
the sort OF thing you find in the red book.
Now the chances are ten to one that you
have read some one OF the books which
tell the innocent how to travel In Europe.
and these books all correctly inform you
that the landlord will charge you according
70 the number OF occupants OF the room.
Thus bedroom for man and wife will cost
twice the price Of a room for one alone.
This is as true as gospel. So you look
into the guide book and figure that' an you
do not wish to- take the very poorest rooms
in the house you ought to be able to
get accommodations for yourself and wife
for about II lire. This is where the little
Joker appears. All these European hotels
have single rooms at the lowest figure. but
they have no double.rooms which are Just
double that price.
Wherever an odd nook occurs that can be
made 10 hold a single bed. a washstand
and a chair it is dubbed a single room.
and it is the price Of that room that you
lind quoted as the bottom figure in
Baedeker. When you come to the matter
Of double pooms the prices are double
those of the good single rooms.
In other words, when you arrive at your
hotel expecting that because Baedeker
mentions single rooms at lire you can
get a double room for 10 you will usually
lind that the lowest price for such an apart
ment is IA OF is lire. Now is lire amounts
10 about 81 a day. In the United States
YOU expect to get something pretty good
for that There are new hotels in New
York, Baltimore, Washington and other
cities in which you can get a very good
room. tastefully and even luxuriously fur
nished, with private bath. for So day.
You will get nothing Of the sort in Italy
or that part Of France to which all good
Americans go. Paris hotels are expensive,
and il you go to a cheap one you will be
thrust into a dark and noisome cell at 10
francs a day. and will be glad to escape to
one of the big caravansaries where they
give you Just a room and no bath for a
fraction more than a franc an hour.
In all the Continental countries there are
small and delightful hotels frequented by
Europeans, but not by Americans. At
these houses rooms are cheap and nearly
as good as those in the middle class houses
most sought, while the cooking is OF the soil
and not a cheap and uncanny imitation Of
some other land. But all these houses arc
not for you unless you understand and
speak the language.
Reader, in Florence, that blessed city OF
immortal masterpieces and celestial homes,
OF polite cab drivers and enchanting public
parks, there is a certain albergo where the
rooms are spacious, fioored with ancient
tiles, festooned with Venetian curtains and
pierced 10y windows Of ancient respectable
ity The beds are of French mahogany
inaid with mother of pearl, and there are
Intrusive but welcome electric lights.
The restaurant is famous among Floren-
tines. II has a glass roof and palms and
fountain and deferential walters in long
snowy aprons. The cooking is pure Italian
and the chanti was made for the gods OF
high Olympus.
But there is--or Was last May-not q soul
In the establishment who speaks a word OF
English, and only one who knows a few
phrases Of French. There is no polyglot
porter at the gate to explain the mysteries
Of cabs and streets 70 you. There is no
head waiter to turn your orders into Italian
for his myrmidons. The burden all rests
on you. and so there you may not go unless
you can manage at least a few phrases Of
operate Italian. II you have those, you
may shout with Dumas's hero, THE riches
of Monte Cristo! The world is mine!"
Its name? Not for worlds shall this para
disc be ruined by free advertising.
When you arrive at a European hotel If
you have not engaged your rooms by letter
let YOUR luggage remain in the cab tin you
inspect the apartment offered to you. You
viii not always be able TO do this. In many
places you will find that despite your direc-
lions the luggage will follow you to the
room and the man with the registration
1!lp viii be at your elbow before you have
hai time 10 look about you.
Pay no attention TO such things. Insist
upon examining the room and if il il not to
your liking refuse to take il. Be assured
t'.t every effort will be made TO prevent
you from getting another or from leaving
The house. If the director has not shown