Twin beds in the hotel room are one of the more common surprises for travellers in Amsterdam. A room booked through a travel agent, a company account or a group rate often comes with two single beds rather than a double, and many guests only discover it at check-in. If a massage is part of the evening's plan, the question follows quickly: does it still work?
In most cases, yes. It depends on the form, on the space and on whether the beds can be moved.
Why so many rooms have twin beds
Hotels that host conferences, school groups, sports teams and tour groups keep a high share of twin rooms, because colleagues and team-mates travelling together prefer separate beds. Chain hotels near the RAI and the Arena, and budget hotels near Centraal Station, are the most likely to allocate one. Canal-house hotels and boutique properties more often have doubles, although their rooms are smaller.
Many hotels in the Netherlands also use a double bed made of two single mattresses on a shared frame, sometimes with a single long duvet or two separate ones. That arrangement is technically a double and works well for almost every booking.
Twin beds in the hotel room: what to check first
Look at how the beds are placed. If they stand side by side with a small table between them, ask reception whether the room can be changed to a double, or whether the beds can be pushed together. Many hotels will do either without comment, particularly early in the evening. The request is ordinary; travellers ask for it every day, and there is no need to give a reason.
If the beds are fixed to the wall or the floor, which happens in some modern hotels, they cannot be moved. In that case, the room can still hold a booking, but the choice of form narrows.
Which forms suit two single beds
A sensual or tantra hour with one therapist works on a single bed, although a double is more comfortable. Nuru needs a larger surface and is usually better in a room with a double bed or with two beds pushed together, since a sheet is laid out across the bed. Couples bookings and four-hand sessions need access from both sides and are difficult with two separated single beds.
When you book, tell the desk about the beds. The reply will say plainly whether the form you have in mind fits, and suggest an alternative if it does not. Our guide to hotel room types sets out the space each form needs in more detail.
Sharing a twin room with a colleague
Some guests are in a twin room because they are sharing it with a colleague or a friend. A booking in a shared room is not possible unless the other person is out for the whole booked time and has agreed to it. Privacy for the therapist matters as much as for the guest. If you are sharing, the simpler choice is to book on an evening when you have the room to yourself, or to book a separate room for the night.
Couples in a twin room
A couple allocated a twin room on a city break has an easy fix. Ask the hotel to change the room, or push the beds together themselves. A couples booking with two therapists in a room with two fixed single beds is rarely comfortable. Couples bookings are priced on the couple rows of the rates table, which each therapist profile shows in full: one therapist is €360 an hour for a couple.
A few practical steps
Ask for a double at check-in if the booking matters to your evening. If the hotel cannot change the room, move the bedside table and push the beds together yourself, then put them back in the morning. Lay a large towel across the gap if the mattresses do not meet. Turn up the heating, dim the lights and close the curtains, as for any booking.
Every guest must be twenty-one or older, and a first booking with the house is confirmed with half the fee in advance. The booking guide for hotel stays covers the rest of the process.