hrhprincessfiona, AMEN!!

Foamsource has a solid wood plain XL platform for $575

It totally looks like you could build this platform bed yourself....

Hmm, personally, I love when my family and friends come to visit (to the tune of 6-8 times a year, like the question asker, usually for a long weekend but sometimes longer). These are people I love, want to have in my home and want to make comfortable. I'm a little sad for people who find the people in their lives "tiring."

Also, try hiring a carpenter to make the platform bed.

I would get the IKEA Brimnes or Hemnes. My husband and I are buying one of these for our guest bedroom because we also frequently have guests that stay for long periods of time. They both have storage underneath (imperative in our small space!) and open into a full sized bed. Plus, the Hemnes just came down in price! Good luck!

instead of a permanent fix, try one of the air bed options. They really are very comfortable now and when not in use fold up into a fairly small package even for a queen size.

Get one with a built in electric pump. We got a queen swize to use our existing sheets and it sets up and takes down fairly quickly.

I've had this for several years and it's lasted. http://www.westelm.com/products/window-daybed-g093/?pkey=call-bedroom

I don't mine people I love staying in my house but usually, people who do end up staying in my house are my in laws who seem to love testing my patience. My mother in law just stayed at my house for 2 nights...I get migraine just thinking about her acts.

I'm with hrhprincessfiona; I am happy to recommend hotels. The only people I'm willing to have in my house are immediate family. I used to have so many house guests for a few years it felt like I was running a B&B. I also second the air bed idea; unobtrusive and it gets the job done.

Great question. We have a twin XL that we use for guests but primarily for whenever one of us has insomnia. So it gets used pretty often. We don't have a couch big enough for an adult to sleep on, or room to set up an air mattress, but there is a tiny bedroom perfect for a twin XL bed.

We currently have it on a standard metal frame with a box spring but have been searching forever for a nicer bed to put it on. Seems like nobody makes beds in this size!

Unless you really want the seating a futon would provide in your spare room, I would definitely go with an air bed. Get the kind that's twice as tall as a normal mattress so that even if it loses a bit of air your guests won't wake up on the floor. They're really pretty comfy!

I'm in your shoes, and so far haven't found anything I'm willing to buy. My problem is that usually couples visit, so it needs to expand for 2. I really like the sofa beds from DWR but I can't justify the expense -- plus they are barely full mattress size, and my relatives are tall. West Elm just came out with a Parsons Daybed that you might like and it's XL. It's $849 not including the mattress :( It comes with a trundle bed option at additional expense. If you really want low cost XL, then you should probably just design and build your own out of plywood.

I'm going to second all of the suggestions for air beds and add my own two cents: get one of those foam egg crate things to use on it, too. I stayed a week at my parents' house on one and it was more comfortable than many beds I've slept on. The egg crate solves that too-cold-but-still-sweaty problem that I get from not having enough layers between me and the air mattress (I find a mattress pad plus sheets isn't enough) and makes it feel more like a real bed.

To those of you who suggest B&Bs, it would be unheard of to put guests visiting from overseas in a hotel. My family (from Hungary) would be insulted beyond all measure if asked them to stay at a hotel while we had *any* spare room. Europeans also don't mind staying for quite a long time given the cost of the plane tickets and infrequent visits. I hosted my in-laws for 3 weeks in a 1BR that was 600 sq. feet. A bit cramped but it worked. My husband and I slept on the living room floor on an air mattress. Thankfully, we have a guest room now.

Several years ago we bought a twin-and-pop-up-trundle set of bed frames on ebay and picked up fairly low-cost mattresses at a mattress warehouse store. We love the flexibility of being able to host two adults regardless of their relationship to one another and the beds take up only the space of a daybed when trundled - perfect for afternoon naps or the occasional sleepless spouse.

@ELANEB - I can see both sides of the argument. On one hand, I am more than willing to accommodate any family members who wanted to stay with us while they were in town. On the other hand, at what point does it become more of a burden, particularly if the family members are going in and out and need their own keys, or need help getting around, and you have to work? Surely, when family comes, you don't just stop working for several weeks. And you have to make sure they make sure to lock up, keep the dog and cat inside, etc.

If the cost of the trip means a longer stay, the best compromise to make is to split the time between a hotel and the family member's home. I think that while the hosts should be gracious because it is family, after all, there needs to be a reasonable line drawn. Family members should not be required to host overseas relatives for longer than is reasonable or is comfortable.

Get the Dikenmyarse from Ikea. It's comfy as a couch and a bed. My in-laws can't stop raving about it's multifunctional wonders!

OMG, remind me "no boyfriends from overseas"!!! I guess it must be cultural because I'd go crazy if I had less than 4 months out of the year to have privacy in my own home. If they're so wild to stay at my place for "extended periods of time" they'd better get used to a sleeping bag on the floor. Again, OMG.

We have a sofa that folds down to be a bed that's in between a twin and a double bed. We got it on sale from Room and Board, and honestly, it wasn't worth it. It's so uncomfortable to sit on as a couch that we don't even bother anymore. As a bed, we usually put a wool blanket down before the sheet to add more padding. People say it's fine, but I would invest in a day bed with a real mattress if you'll have that many guests staying with you.

I'm agree that you could probably make or semi-make that. The frame looks pretty straight forward, but if you don't have access or skills to use woodworking tools you could probably buy a similar one. Then make an upholstered headboard and attach it to the wall. There are plenty of instruction online on how to make one.

Also, the questions wasn't would you have people stay with you so suggesting a B&B isn't particularly helpful. The asker is clearly comfortable hosting guests in her home so let her.

What about the Solsta from Ikea? Only $169 http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70087108/

First, I'd only recommend buying a piece of furniture if you're going to use it more than a few times a year. That's a lot of real estate to take up with something that sits there unused. For us, it was a better solution to get a high-quality queen size raised inflatable bed (I second the egg-crate foam recommendation, or would suggest a nicely padded mattress cover).

We had a futon for many years, but found that because it was usually in the folded position, it was very lumpy in the middle to sleep on. And the part of the mattress you sit on when it's a sofa gets matted down. Plus the whole thing wasn't that sturdy. So it wasn't the greatest for either sitting or sleeping.

Matt Stirbader - I don't believe this is an actual name of a piece of Ikea furniture. Though it might as well be!
Nice joke!

I too would recommend an air bed - one of the ones that has built in feet or is double layered would help avoid the sleeping on the floor scenario. If you put a topper of some sort on them - even just a mattress pad covering - they really are comfortable. Just make sure when you furnish the room that there is an easy place to put the bed when guests arrive - ideally with the head up against a wall so that pillows don't fall off.

I made the mistake of a guest bed thinking it would get used all the time - it honestly doesn't. Futons and daybeds also don't sit like couches if you're planning to use it in a living room. Why not go with a very high quality air mattress - they make some that sit higher off the floor? You could get it for a fraction of the price of the bed in the photo.

Air mattress--one of those tall ones. They're comfortable and won't take up floor space in a room that isn't a dedicated guest room. If you furnish it with good bedding, plenty of decent pillows, and a couple of small tables for nightstands (with lamps) it works really well. You can even sleep on it a few nights yourself, just to confirm that! Can you afford a cheap, small flatscreen TV? That could also help make it more inviting. Just think about the amenities you look for in a hotel/guest room.

ElaineB: The people who said they wouldn't host visitors but would send them to a hotel are conforming to American culture, where people generally don't invite themselves to stay with you. Your relatives are conforming to Hungarian culture, where that's OK. To criticize Americans for not adhering to another country's etiquette is just...absurd.

Ditto the airbed suggestion. I have an OLD futon frame with regular couch cushions so it's comfy for seating. Then I have one of the floor level airbeds. It can go on top of the cushions perfectly and the cushions act almost like a box spring. It makes a regular height bed easily.

The seating is used more often than as a bed so it was important that the seating be the most comfy and convenient. I've slept on it as an airbed too and it's pretty darn comfy.

There is a Middle Eastern saying: If the guest stays for 3 days, that is a prize. If he stays more days, it becomes charity.
Go with the air bed. Why have a guest room set up year long? And it lets your guests know that you love them, in short term doses.

Those self-inflating Aero beds can be expensive ($100-200+). And I wonder what you do if they spring a leak?

Check out the Coleman 4-in-1 air mattress. It's less than $50 and features 2 detachable twin mattresses that can be used as 2 single-height twin beds, 1 double-height twin bed, or 1 single-height king bed. You need to purchase a separate pump ($20), but it's still cheaper than an AeroBed.

The mattresses are flocked, but I still recommend using a separate mattress pad.

They're actually quite comfortable, though you may want to give grandma and grandpa your bed and sleep on the air mattress yourself, as the lack of height and occasional "waterbed" effect can be challenging for some.

The other added benefit is that they're easily portable — they roll up neatly — so you can use them on a camping trip or when you're the guest at someone else's house.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-2000002847-4-in-1-Quickbed/dp/B00339C3JG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332368949&sr=8-1

Goodness, I missed the part where she asked what your opinion on whether she should like having guests or not. We have this one and it is extremely sturdy and not bad looking http://www.amazon.com/Full-Size-Nomad-Platform-Frame/dp/B0017RAPTQ/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1332379017&sr=8-9

I'm anti air bag unless extra unexpected company is coming. My husbands family is from Germany, and we frequently need at least two beds for visiting relatives at the same time. We have a sofa that acts like a sleeper that we keep in our spare room/office and a separate futon that we store rolled up in the closet. We also have an air mattress for emergencies.

And those of you willing to ship your family off to hotels or b&bs, I hope that I will never deprive my husband of the time spent with his family when they come visit. He doesn't get to see them nearly enough already. If they want to stay elsewhere, fine. And when we visit them I choose to stay elsewhere because their house is packed, but it would be rude and thoughtless if I didn't make them welcome in our home.

To the person who suggested a pull out chair, I second that idea. There are some pretty nice options like that around, some even fold into a double. If you only need a twin sized bed, that might be a nice way to make sure everything fits.

This one from Overstock has built in storage, which could house extra blankets and pillows, and if you like the look of the headboard on the wall, it wouldn't be difficult to find an inexpensive upholstered headboard (or make one yourselves - check out www.ikeahackers.net) from Overstock, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Everett-Espresso-Twin-XL-Platform-Storage-Bed/3072580/product.html

@ONENEWMEXICAN - I think you're reading too much into it. People aren't throwing out their relatives; they're just saying it's not always practical to host relatives for weeks at a time. When your husband's family visits, does he take time off work to see them the entire time they are here? If they stay nearby, do you think he is being deprived if they are not at your home waiting when he returns from work?

You guys don't need to bicker--these are just cultural differences. If your family wouldn't feel offended by you suggesting they stay in a hotel, then do that. In my culture, we would never do that because it's offensive no matter how cramped we may feel. No one needs to be talked out of doing something just because someone' else's culture doesn't see it as practical or nice.

I'm looking for a futon/daybed for the exact same reason! My husband is from Eastern Europe and we have visitors frequently. Also, my American family visits often enough--and I wouldn't dream of sending them to non-existent-local hotels/B&Bs (I live in rural Montana).

Also a few visits from family staying in a hotel will cost more than even the $900 CB2 bed.

@p1 Yes, my husband often takes time off when family visits. They only get to come 1-2 times per year for a week or two. I suppose if they came more often he wouldn't be able to take time off, but since his mom doesn't drive at all, and his brother avoids driving as much as possible, the logistics of getting people to and fro would be annoying anyway I LIKE being able to host the family. If you have family that comes from afar, and you have a separate space to put them, why would you waste the time, cost, and closeness in having someone stay elsewhere? And to your question about being deprived, yes I really do think a visit is different when you stay with family versus when you rent a place.

Perhaps people who don't have international families can't understand, but it really would be unthinkable to ask someone flying in from another country to pay for their own lodgings. If they choose to do so for their own comfort (as I do when I travel there) that's their choice. Am I depriving my husband of time with his family in Germany? Yes (and he doesn't like it) but 5 people in a 650 sf Eastern block apartment drives me (not my MIL) crazy.

I suppose if they truly drove me crazy here I could pay for a place for them, but not everyone can foot that bill. If my in laws pay $2000 for a trip, I'm going to be grateful they visited at all.

Also, this sofa is very similar to what we have in our guest/office. http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=futon+couch&hl=en&client=safari&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=768&bih=928&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5707002269783119819&sa=X&ei=f_NrT_SrL5Kz0QH0tcziBg&ved=0CG0Q8gIwDw

We entertain guests frequently, for long stretches of time. If you know that you will have regular visitors, I would highly recommend investing in a sofa bed with a good quality mechanism and mattress. In my experience, air beds are only suitable for young children who don't weigh more than 25kg. @Bkhomebody - our guests come from many different cultures, and the only one who ever invited herself (plus a stream of friends with whom we were unacquainted) was American!

Pearmelon: Who is she?? I must report her to our culture overlords immediately!

Seriously, though, I was a bit defensive because it sounded like some people were saying it was cruel and insensitive and awful not to invite relatives to stay for weeks or months. In their world it is--in my world it's not! I'll take my shoes off in your house if that's your custom, but don't tell me that I'm a terrible person if I don't do that in mine. Gossip about what a savage I am behind my back, like a normal person!

@Bkhomebody: Ha ha ha. I really thought this was an American thing, turning up, staying indefinitely, and inviting your own friends over too. I'm talking about house guests, not people just popping in unannounced, which is not uncommon amongst our friends.

Hi there,

I'm moving into a two-bedroom and had exactly the same problem, till we decided that daybeds were unnecessarily expensive (and potentially uncomfortable, especially for two older guests, i.e., parents) and why not just buy a second bed instead?

This bed frame from West Elm is super cheap (and currently on sale): http://www.westelm.com/products/simple-bed-frame-g421/?pkey=cheadboards-bed-frames

I'm planning on doing something creative to make a faux headboard, like maybe finding a long, horizontal mirror from Craigslist to hang up above it, or something similar--thanks AT for your great post on creative headboards, FYI. You can get it in different sizes, depending on your needs, and our second bedroom layout still allows for plenty of space for a desk and a bookshelf.

Best of luck, whatever you decide!

I don't have any comments on overseas boyfriends or visiting relatives, but if you want a suggestion "on where to find a low-cost platform bed for an XL twin, or other, nice looking alternatives for a guest room" Carolina Bunk Beds offers American made, solid wood daybeds at reasonable prices, and they will do a custom upgrade to a twin extra long.

http://www.ncbunkbeds.com/Daybeds.html

Ms. Vickie--this is the response I was hoping to find. I have a winter residence where the second bedroom is futon furnished as a sitting room. I have the air bed in queen size. I can't wait to give this a try so that the room looks like a bedroom when necessary.