pinniped

That's probably because most parts of the U.S. don't have many unique hotel properties where that really matters much. I imagine if you were staying in a small boutique or a B&B it would still be considered a normal request. (Or more normal anyway...)

The other thing is that even my domestic B&B stays (places like Northern California) tend to be pre-reserved with a specific room already selected. It's different than some of my European trips where we just knocked on the door and said "What rooms do you have? Can we look at a couple of options?"