# American hotels have bibles. What quirks do other nations' hotels have? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852 "2011-04-18T16:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/121 "2011-04-21T17:54:32Z")
> [@Corner\_Case](#): > > Hangars in the closets Man, I knew everything was larger in America, but this is a bit much ! ---
**Author:** ![Corner\_Case](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/corner_case/32/234_2.png) [@Corner\_Case](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corner_Case)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/122 "2011-04-21T17:56:36Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Man, I knew everything was larger in America, but this is a bit much ! Yes, but I’m referring to closets in Texas, so it’s to be expected. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/123 "2011-04-21T18:18:30Z")
[quote=“Corner\_Case, post:115, topic:578852”] [ul][li]A/C/Heater units have a cold-to-hot dial or Low/Medium/High temperature and Low/Medium/High buttons for fan speed. No matter what, it’s too cold or too hot and the noise is annoying. Especially when it kicks on and off and you hear the water condensation.[/ul][/li][/QUOTE] While that’s my experience in American **m** otels, that’s certainly not my experience in **h** otels, where I’ve never seen anything aside from a thermostat that controls a proper HVAC system. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_of_Lucan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/124 "2011-04-21T19:30:51Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > But it didn’t clarify the issue, because your use of the phrase “built in wardrobe/closet” didn’t imply to me that you were using two terms for the same thing but were referring to two different things as a group – either a closet, or a free-standing wardrobe that had been fixed or attached to the walls (in other words, not something that was integral to the construction of the building but rather something that had been built and attached to the walls later). So it still sounded to me like you were talking about two different things. If it didn’t help that’s a pity. It confirms that we are peoples divided by the same language. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/125 "2011-04-21T19:31:21Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > My room in Dubai had a green arrow on a corner of the ceiling. Well, my room in Kuala Lumpur had a Wonder Woman on the ceiling. Just kidding. In KL I had the qiblah pointer too, but also noticed something distinctly weird. In the Gideon Bible, you know the part at the beginning with John 3:16 translated into dozens of languages? The Arabic translation had been blacked out with a rubber stamp that placed a long black bar over each line of text. Nothing else in the book had been altered, though. This is just bizarre, since there are millions of Arabic-speaking Christians and Arabic Bible translations. No Muslim in the Middle East has ever had a problem with this. After all, the Christians were there first. But Malaysia is not the Middle East by a long shot, and such a departure from simple logic does not seem to trouble them any. I could only guess it was done to placate wealthy, haughty Saudis, as Saudi Arabia is the one Arab country where Arab Christianity officially doesn’t exist, and Saudis are rich and pampered enough to make such irrational demands and expect them to be catered to. The sheer bootlickingness of this selective censorship astonished me. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/126 "2011-04-21T19:51:17Z")
In the US mid-Atlantic Duvet = thick blanket (often baffled goose-down) which is then buttoned into a large protective case, like a huge pillow-case. The duvet cover may be decorative, and the whole thing used over a regular top sheet, or it may be of sheeting material and used and washed regularly, like a top sheet. The inner bit is usually professionally dry-cleaned once per year or as needed. Wardrobes (free-standing aka armoires) are actually very common in the US. Many homes and most hotel rooms have one - but it has been converted to hide the Television set and other electronics and to provide media storage. Duvet covers: [Bed Bath & Beyond | The Best Deals Online: Furniture, Bedding, Rugs, Kitchen Essentials & Moree](http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/stylePage.asp?RN=27&) TV Wardrobe/Armoire: [http://www.armoireshowroom.com/tv-armoires.htm](http://www.armoireshowroom.com/tv-armoires.htm) ---
**Author:** ![A.Gwilliam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@A.Gwilliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.Gwilliam)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/127 "2011-04-21T20:52:22Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > In an apartment with no closets, I’d imagine one would need at least one wardrobe for every room and two for each bedroom. Only bedrooms (and maybe spare rooms) have wardrobes. Other rooms have cupboards or sideboards! 🙂 > [@lukeinva](#): > > The reason German homes don’t have closets is because of taxes. The more rooms the more tax. I don’t think it necessarily has much to do with taxation, but rather population density (and thus also land values). European homes are significantly smaller than American homes. Homes in some European countries (especially the UK) are in turn significantly smaller than in other European countries. According to [one set of figures](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8201900.stm) I found online, the average floor area of a newly built home in the UK is 76 square metres, compared to 113 for France, and 214 for the US. > [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](#): > > It confirms that we are peoples divided by the same language. “They say that Britain and America are two countries separated by the Atlantic Ocean. And it’s true!” Eddie Izzard > [@Johanna about Malaysian hotel rooms](#): > > In KL I had the qiblah pointer too, but also noticed something distinctly weird. In the Gideon Bible, you know the part at the beginning with John 3:16 translated into dozens of languages? The Arabic translation had been blacked out with a rubber stamp that placed a long black bar over each line of text. Nothing else in the book had been altered, though. This is just bizarre, since there are millions of Arabic-speaking Christians and Arabic Bible translations. No Muslim in the Middle East has ever had a problem with this. After all, the Christians were there first. But Malaysia is not the Middle East by a long shot, and such a departure from simple logic does not seem to trouble them any. > > I could only guess it was done to placate wealthy, haughty Saudis My impression is that conversion between religious groups is a big no-no in Malaysia. Religious tolerance there is predicated on a firm partition between each group: we leave your group alone, as long as you leave our group alone. Arabic will be familiar to many Muslims in Malaysia, and my WAG is that they don’t want local Muslims to be “confused” or “misled” by Christian texts using the language of the Quran. Malaysia is a country in which use of the term “Allah” by Christians to refer to “their” God is a highly controversial point, after all. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/128 "2011-04-21T21:24:30Z")
> [@A.Gwilliam](#): > > . . . > > According to [one set of figures](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8201900.stm) I found online, the average floor area of a newly built home in the UK is 76 square metres, compared to 113 for France, and 214 for the US. > > . . . Sq meter/foot conversions to save duplication of effort: UK is 76 square metres = 818 sq feet 113 for France = 1216 sq. feet 214 for the US. = 2303 sq feet A 2303 Sq foot house would be on the large side to me. It may describe the average new house being built, but not the average home. We’re just not building many condos (flats that you own) or apartments (flats that you rent) these days. Celtling and I live in a mid-middle class neighborhood and have a good-sized home at 1850 Sq feet. I honestly can’t think how we’d fill another 500. ---
**Author:** ![Found\_In\_Translation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ebca7d/32.png) [@Found\_In\_Translation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Found_In_Translation)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/129 "2011-04-21T23:35:39Z")
> [@lukeinva](#): > > The reason German homes don’t have closets is because of taxes. The more rooms the more tax. Sorry for the detour of the thread but this is simply not true. Property taxes in Germany are not based on the number of rooms but on the value of the property. In addition, property taxes are very low compared to the US (I pay € 170 _per year_ for a 95 m² appartment in an expensive part of the country) so basing your architectural deecisions on such a small amount of money would be silly. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/130 "2011-04-21T23:57:37Z")
> [@A.Gwilliam](#): > > Malaysia is a country in which use of the term “Allah” by Christians to refer to “their” God is a highly controversial point, after all. Yeah, there’s that too. It’s incredibly stupid. Malaysians don’t even speak Arabic or anything, acting like they own the flippin language. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/131 "2011-04-22T00:12:48Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Actually, I think that is very common. In most countries I’ve been in, a free “continental” breakfast (and sometimes a full breakfast) is included in the price of the room in mid-to-upper range hotels, and often in cheaper ones. On my way back from my honeymoon, my wife and I stayed at a Holiday Inn in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I picked it because the hotel guide said they had a complimentary breakfast. After we checked in, the complimentary breakfast was confirmed in the room service guide. The next morning, I went down early to see if the breakfast had things my wife would like (she doesn’t like eggs). Posted in front of the dining room was a sign that read “Breakfast Buffet $8.99”. I thought that was strange: did people not staying at the HI come for breakfast. I asked the hostess how hotel guests took advantage of the complimentary breakfast. She said you just paid as you entered. I tried to explain to her that “complimentary” meant “free”, but she thought it meant “buffet”. About a year later, I had a similar head-slap moment with a Dunkin’ Donuts clerk that thought a baker’s dozen was 12, not 13. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/132 "2011-04-22T00:22:48Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > On my way back from my honeymoon, my wife and I stayed at a Holiday Inn in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I picked it because the hotel guide said they had a complimentary breakfast. After we checked in, the complimentary breakfast was confirmed in the room service guide. > > The next morning, I went down early to see if the breakfast had things my wife would like (she doesn’t like eggs). Posted in front of the dining room was a sign that read “Breakfast Buffet $8.99”. I thought that was strange: did people not staying at the HI come for breakfast. I asked the hostess how hotel guests took advantage of the complimentary breakfast. She said you just paid as you entered. I tried to explain to her that “complimentary” meant “free”, but she thought it meant “buffet”. If your complimentary breakfast in the US was an $8.99 buffet you should complain. Complimentary means included with the price of the hotel stay. I have never seen it otherwise in the US. > [@](#): > > About a year later, I had a similar head-slap moment with a Dunkin’ Donuts clerk that thought a baker’s dozen was 12, not 13. Bakers dozen is 13 in the US as well. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/133 "2011-04-22T00:29:27Z")
> [@Found\_In\_Translation](#): > > Sorry for the detour of the thread but this is simply not true. Property taxes in Germany are not based on the number of rooms but on the value of the property. In addition, property taxes are very low compared to the US (I pay € 170 _per year_ for a 95 m² appartment in an expensive part of the country) so basing your architectural deecisions on such a small amount of money would be silly. When I lived there in the 70’s (father was in the service) that is what we were told. I just googled “why don’t german houses have closets” and found several hits citing the same reason - taxes. Perhaps your 85sm flat would have a higher tax rate if it had 4 bedrooms (3 closets?) I don’t know. Times change and so do tax laws. Back then, however, taxes is the reason given for why there are no closets. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/134 "2011-04-22T04:34:20Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > My room in Dubai had a green arrow on a corner of the ceiling. I’ve seen this in Malaysia and Indonesia, too. Even some hotels in Thailand. > [@Colibri](#): > > Reminds me of the time I stayed at a fairly nice hotel in Doula, Cameroon, which had among the amenities a variety of rather nicely dressed young ladies lounging about the lobby. > > There were four of us in our group. Three of us had rooms on the second floor, while G, a rather proper senior scientist, was on an upper floor. > > One night as we were coming back from dinner, one of the young ladies got into the elevator with us and sidled up to G. > > She said, very courteously, “Excuse me sir, are you sleeping alone tonight?” > > G turned bright red and stammered out, “But, but, I’m married!” > > She got a quizzical look on her face, and said very matter-of-factly, “Your wife, she is here with you?” > > Just then we arrived at the second floor and the rest of us stepped out. As the door closed on G and the young lady we were amused at the glazed look on his face.😃 Do tell us more, heh. Was it morning before she came back down? 😃 > [@Corner\_Case](#): > > Hangars in the closets that end in a ball instead of a ‘J’ hook. > [@Kobal2](#): > > Man, I knew everything was larger in America, but this is a bit much ! > [@Corner\_Case](#): > > Yes, but I’m referring to closets in Texas, so it’s to be expected. As opposed to David Carradine, who was a hanger in a closet. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/135 "2011-04-22T04:45:55Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Do tell us more, heh. Was it morning before she came back down? 😃 Knowing my friend, I doubt it very much. But we kidded him about it. Actually we were there as part of a project to discover possible pharmaceuticals in rainforest plants. One of the vines collected on the project had been found to have anti-HIV properties, and some of the samples were in G.'s room. We told him if he was worried he should have just munched on some of the leaves.😃 ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/136 "2011-04-22T13:53:50Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > If your complimentary breakfast in the US was an $8.99 buffet you should complain. Complimentary means included with the price of the hotel stay. I have never seen it otherwise in the US. I did complain. Trouble was, the hostess _was_ the highest authority on duty at the time (early Sunday morning). We instead found a little diner just down the road that was excellent. > [@](#): > > Bakers dozen is 13 in the US as well. “As well”? I know I live in Texas, but that is part of the US. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/137 "2011-04-23T11:01:49Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Stayed in a hotel in Yongsan a few months back (the New Seoul Hotel, IIRC) that featured a big screen HDTV on the wall, a desktop computer (running Windows XP. I could not figure out if it was connected to the internet or not), a deep kitchen style sink, and a window AC unit, all in a fairly small room. There was also a bathroom with some kind of crazy bathtub with weird angles and water jets everywhere, and a showerhead that didn’t get much pressure. > > I don’t know how much of that was it being a Korean hotel, and how much of it was it being a Korean hotel that likely mostly did business with American military personnel traveling through the area (more to do near Osan AB than near some of the smaller bases in the country). I stayed in the Asia Tourist Hotel a few times when I visited. It had the same amentities. The desktop computer had free internet and the shower had plenty of power. This hotel had the most comprehensive complimentary breakfast I’d ever seen, with cereals and juices and sandwiches and they’d cook you whatever you wanted on top of that. You could leave your clothes out in the morning and they’d clean and return them to you in the evening for no extra charge. When I checked out, they gave me a box of red tea. When I commented on how much I got for the price, the locals said there is big competition amongst hotels in such a small area. They have to make a good impression to get repeat visits and word of mouth to get Americans to stay off base. It must have worked; we both mentioned the hotels by name in this thread. Back to the OP. No Koran, Buddha, or Testaments in the drawer. Only some porn. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/138 "2011-04-23T12:53:19Z")
Now that’s service! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/139 "2011-04-25T00:55:59Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Stayed in a hotel in Yongsan a few months back (the New Seoul Hotel, IIRC) Ack, bad American tourist! I got my Korean geography mixed up. Stayed at a hotel in Songtan, not Yongsan. Got to see President Obama give a speech at Yongsan, but didn’t stay in any hotels when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852/140 "2011-04-25T16:51:16Z")
We’ll forgive you this time. I was in Pyeongtaek if I were to be totally honest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-hotels-have-bibles-what-quirks-do-other-nations-hotels-have/578852.md?page=8)