We are *always* very clear of the number of members in our family(ies), and if a hotel raised it as an issue, we would pass on that property. This is precisely why I am going to such efforts a full year out.

This trip is now ended before it begins, sadly enough, because of this 3person rule. So much for those 24-30 room nights for a given European property. Seems European hotels have a standard that is much more restrictive than in the US; even if you could argue the majority of US hotels don't allow five people, I have to say I have never come across any that disallowed four (well, maybe the occasional NYC hotel), which surely is about the *average* US family (one exception) - The Westin Stonebriar resort in north Dallas had a limit of four on their web site when I was about to book it two summers ago, so I passed on that property.

Between the poor dollar exchange ratio, and a 3-person cap per room, I will venture a guess European hotels are in for some rocky waters in 2005, if they depend at all on US tourism. Maybe the business traveler will offset the hit to these European hotels, but 3persons max in a room is useless to my family, and, in fact, all four families that I travel with. Three of these four families have four members, and I have five in my family. So all four of our families would have to split our respective families. How can that be a family vacation unless these were older teens ? In two of these four cases, the youngest is 6 or younger.