Private vs Shared vs En Suite- Semantics

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Madeleine

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 29, 2011
Messages
7,990
Reaction score
1
After 8 years this one request finally made me understand. A guest booked my last room for a holiday weekend. The room has a detached bath, which is not shared. The guest wants me to move them to a room with a private bath should one open up.

[tr]
[td] Bathroom Type[/td]
[td] Guest Thinks[/td]
[td] Innkeeper Thinks[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td] En Suite[/td]
[td]
In the room
(Or guest has no idea what it means)
[/td]
[td] In the room[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td] Private[/td]
[td] In the room[/td]
[td] Not shared, outside room[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td] Shared[/td]
[td] Ewww.[/td]
[td] Shared, hopefully graciously[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td] Detached[/td]
[td] Shared. Ewww.[/td]
[td] Private, not shared, outside room[/td]
[/tr]

[/table]
 
When we bought the b&b 11 years ago, we realized quickly that we needed to change all the promotional material which described the bathrooms as 'ensuite', to 'private bath'. No one seemed to know what 'en suite' was!
Of course, 'private' means different things to different people. I can't imagine the frustration you have with the issue of 'private but not attached to your room'. People just don't get it, and probably never will.
 
I saw one B&B that had marked it's bathrooms as being "semi-private" which I realized instantly was shared, two to a bathroom, but I wondered how deceptive it was to potential guests.
 
Here's one for you, I was surfing looking at various web site evaluating what I liked and what I didn't as I am making notes and prepping for mine.
Please explain what the innkeeper was thinking with this one
"Bath: En Suite, Detached"
After some double and triple looking at the photos I figured out the sink was in the room and the shower and toilet were stuffed in a closet across the hall. Nowhere did they explain this. You had to be Sherlock Fricking Holmes to figure it out.
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
 
I refer to one bathroom as private ensuite. I have it everywhere with the two that share that it is shared bath. I have the photo of that bathroom labeled as Shares with ____. However, I also state that if they want the queen (of the shared) as a Private bath, if they pay the private rate we will not rent the other room. It does get me guests I would have lost otherwise and it gives me an extra $15 for the room.
 
Its not just the USA have had to fight all over to get Private External Bathroom ie not in room for the 2 single rooms we have that are not ensuite. In the UK the term ensuite is generally understood so thats not a problem.
What is more of a problem is a lot of accommodation booking sites use the terms hotel and accommodation interchangably ie boo kin.com which you can see clearly from the picture its not a hotel and from the information you can clearly see its not a hotel but they use the phrase "would you like to book this hotel?" and so on.
 
Here's one for you, I was surfing looking at various web site evaluating what I liked and what I didn't as I am making notes and prepping for mine.
Please explain what the innkeeper was thinking with this one
"Bath: En Suite, Detached"
After some double and triple looking at the photos I figured out the sink was in the room and the shower and toilet were stuffed in a closet across the hall. Nowhere did they explain this. You had to be Sherlock Fricking Holmes to figure it out..
Weaver said:
Here's one for you, I was surfing looking at various web site evaluating what I liked and what I didn't as I am making notes and prepping for mine.
Please explain what the innkeeper was thinking with this one
"Bath: En Suite, Detached"
After some double and triple looking at the photos I figured out the sink was in the room and the shower and toilet were stuffed in a closet across the hall. Nowhere did they explain this. You had to be Sherlock Fricking Holmes to figure it out.
There is no accounting for idiots. En Suite is french for "in the room". And sorry, but a sink in the room does not make the bathroom en suite. That is pure deception and the end result will show up in the reviews.
 
If it says detached also add "across the hall" or something.
As I have always said ensuite is not a term that most in the USA know, why make things difficult!
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Don't forget I think you yourself have experienced it, a private bath ON ANOTHER FLOOR! I have seen that numerous times at inns.
whattha.gif

 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Don't forget I think you yourself have experienced it, a private bath ON ANOTHER FLOOR! I have seen that numerous times at inns.
whattha.gif

.
I read it as the lounge (sitting room) would be on the ground floor and the room & bathroom would be on the second floor. What used to be the detached bath would then become the bathroom early check-ins are always looking for.
 
We have a situation that fits somewhere in between ensuite and detached. The entire suite is comprised of a bathroom, dressing room, private hall, bedroom and walk-in-closet. No one else goes in the area, which is on the second floor, or through the area, although the private hall between the bedroom and bathroom has an open staircase with banister that the guest must walk through to get from the bedroom to the bathroom. We clearly state this in all of our promotional material and I describe the set up whenever I take a booking for that suite. 99% of our guests do not have a problem with the set up because there is only one other suite in the house and they rarely even see the other couple until breakfast. Still, a few do not like the set up, or perhaps have misunderstood that the bathroom is part of the suite but detached from the bedroom and private.
I am not about to say that the bathroom is down the hall (even though the hall is part of the suite) and stress the fact that the entire suite is a private area with no one else going through the area.
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Don't forget I think you yourself have experienced it, a private bath ON ANOTHER FLOOR! I have seen that numerous times at inns.
whattha.gif

.
No, I would NEVER do that! The room would be on the third floor and would have the private bath newly added right along with it! So, room and bath on same floor, attached! The 'old' bedroom would now be a sitting area for that room. And the old bathroom would now be the 'extra' bath. Stairs would go up to the third floor thru the old bedroom, so the sitting room would also have the stairs in it, like a lot of living rooms do.
Just a matter of running electricity, water, sprinkler system. Easy peasy. Not. But I can dream.
 
We have a situation that fits somewhere in between ensuite and detached. The entire suite is comprised of a bathroom, dressing room, private hall, bedroom and walk-in-closet. No one else goes in the area, which is on the second floor, or through the area, although the private hall between the bedroom and bathroom has an open staircase with banister that the guest must walk through to get from the bedroom to the bathroom. We clearly state this in all of our promotional material and I describe the set up whenever I take a booking for that suite. 99% of our guests do not have a problem with the set up because there is only one other suite in the house and they rarely even see the other couple until breakfast. Still, a few do not like the set up, or perhaps have misunderstood that the bathroom is part of the suite but detached from the bedroom and private.
I am not about to say that the bathroom is down the hall (even though the hall is part of the suite) and stress the fact that the entire suite is a private area with no one else going through the area..
We just stayed at a place with a layout like that. The owners finally got so tired of the grousing that they built a wall so the suite is now fully enclosed behind it's own locked door. Bedroom, living room and bathroom all debouch from the now enclosed hallway.
I wouldn't have a problem with a detached bath in it's own private hallway.
Just had a call for that room and I showed the guest the floor plan online and walked her thru it. She had to ask her DH but called back and said it was fine. I think the picture helped them see it clearly.
 
If it says detached also add "across the hall" or something.
As I have always said ensuite is not a term that most in the USA know, why make things difficult!.
This whole thing got the brain cells functioning. I just added in bold re the shared bath this bathroom has a deadbolt lock for when in use - and only the innkeeper has the key. Perhaps this will quell some misgivings.
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Madeleine said:
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Madeleine said:
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
.
Weaver said:
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
I should just borrow the money from my first born...
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Madeleine said:
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
.
Weaver said:
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
I should just borrow the money from my first born...
.
Madeleine said:
Weaver said:
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
I should just borrow the money from my first born...
You raised him right if he has that kind of money hanging around.....when you are done with his check book, send him my way I have a few hundred renovation projects I am about to take on.
 
I think en suite is becoming more understood by Americans, but many don't know what it means, and won't know within our lifetime. Don't use the term in America without further explanation.
They certainly know what shared means. Ewww.
The terms to avoid most (without full explanation) are private and detached, as they will almost always lead to misunderstanding.
Apparently, a lot of guests know to ask questions about the bathroom situation at a B&B.
I guess the thing to do is, don't go for brevity here. Include a full and clear explanation of each room's bathroom setup in all descriptions of the room:
  • private bathroom in the bedroom
  • bathroom located across the hall, for use by this room only
  • bathroom across the hall, shared with occupants X other room(s)
.
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
.
Madeleine said:
I get pretty wordy with the detached bath: private bath, not shared. Across the hall from the room. You get the key to lock the door. We provide bathrobes.
Absolutely no one thinks I'm telling the truth about the bathroom not being shared. What I'm looking at? Using the bedroom as a new entryway into the attic to put a room up there with an en suite bathroom AND it's own lounge where the staircase goes up, so a 2-floor room.
The bathroom would then be that spare bathroom everyone always thinks we have when they show up at 11 AM and want to check in. We would turn off the water to the shower and just leave the sink & toilet operational.
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
.
Weaver said:
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
I should just borrow the money from my first born...
.
Madeleine said:
Weaver said:
You could sell it as the "penthouse suite". And you get bonus guest lounge and bonus early check in! Whoo hoo win win. Run to the bank and offer your first born!
I should just borrow the money from my first born...
You raised him right if he has that kind of money hanging around.....when you are done with his check book, send him my way I have a few hundred renovation projects I am about to take on.
.
My first born has purchased 3 houses in the past 3 years and renovated all of them into apt units. He is renting out 8 units at the moment. To get to that point he has lived very small. Saved almost every dime. He works at a place with a restaurant (actually a LOT of restaurants that are VERY high end) so he gets his lunch & dinner for free. Breakfast is fresh fruit. Health care is covered. He has an allowance to take classes at the local (well-known) uni. He doesn't own a car. His hobbies are hiking and bar-hopping (where he knows everyone and only pays tips, he is VERY good tipper). He is a kind, generous person and I have no idea who raised him! ;-)
 
Back
Top