How do you define “suite” at a hotel?

I’d also assume a door between living and sleeping space possibly even 2 sleeping areas but I’m guessing that’s a family suite these days.

The current trend in hotels that is annoying me is the daily “resort or facilities fee”. You’re a hotel not a resort. The only facilities you have are small area of the lobby that’s pretending to be a restaurant and an empty mini fridge in the room.

Hotels refer to suites as a class of accommodations with more space than a typical hotel room, but technically speaking there should be more than one room

Always figured was 2 complete, separate rooms with an inner access door separating, so you can go to each without leaving into the hall. Bur I’m old, so that definition likely changed from the 70s.

Lots of hotels have blurred the meaning of ‘suite’. It used to mean more than one bedroom – but now some of the Marriott chain calls their rooms ‘suites’ because they have a large living room.

When I hear hotel suite just think it is extra cost. I’m interested in a place to sleep and not a place to hangout in.

I define suite as multiple rooms with doors but I know that hotels will now use the term for a large room.

A suite within a castle or mansion is definitely multiple rooms, often including a bathroom.

I guess the marketing has worked on me, because I don’t expect extra doors to other rooms. For me it’s a bedroom that also has a lounge area with a couch and tv or something similar. These can be zones in the same room or separated with a door.

I care about the door when I travel with my husband, because if I have a different sleep schedule I want to be able to quiet any sound I’m making in the next room or any light shining from that room. He’s a light sleeper. Or, even when I travel with girlfriends so nice to have a totally separate living area.

The room my husband and I stayed in this past week was configured to easily put a door, but instead it was just open. Literally, the short hall between rooms was 3.5–4 feet wide, and you could pop a door right in.

I prefer a suite if I’m going to stay more than 3 days. I hate only having the choice of an stiff upholstered chair or a bed to sit on. At least give me a recliner; I cannot sit comfortably on a bed. Because of that I’ve never had a tv in my bedroom.

I’ve accepted that a suite may be a large room with a living area – couch, chair/s, tv, table – separated by a good amount of space, but after pointing out your reasons for wanting doors, I agree with you @JLeslie.

I feel it sounds sweet.
It suits the word.
It’s soothing.

When there is actually an area for spending awake time, like a sitting area with a TV and a desk and chair or when there is more than one sleeping room.

@JLeslie, sometimes there are differences in the costs of insurance if there are more doors, in a fire a guest might be trapped if the frame swells. The costs are sometimes reflected in liability coverage. It might be worth it to ask how the “suites” are laid out. Like your husband, I am a light sleeper and I appreciate when others are considerate of that.

@canidmajor Very often I do call and ask before shelling out money for a suite. This time the photos looked like it was two separate rooms, and I was willing to risk it since it was 4 nights and wanted more space no matter what. It does reinforce that I have to ask to be sure.

Now, that I can watch TV on my phone with earphones it makes it easier when we have to be in the same room, at least I can watch TV, but I can’t work, because the tick tick tick of the laptop keyboard drives him crazy.

I don’t see how it would be an insurance problem, there is a door on the bathroom, what’s the difference?

@JLeslie, the bathroom door is required, the doors between rooms aren’t. They wouldn’t be able to rent the rooms if there were no bathroom doors.

@canidmajor It doesn’t make sense to me, but if you know that to be a fact then ok. I’m just guessing, I don’t know how the insurance industry looks at it. I could understand not allowing that door to have a lock on it.

It’s not about the lock, it’s about the fact that with heat, both the door frame and the door may swell, and inhibit the ability of some people to easily open it. Then the hotel would have to carry a larger liability policy.

I understood your point about the door swelling, I was just saying a lock would make it even more complicated. So many hotels do have the door, I just never thought it might be an insurance cost difference. Interior doors can act as a barrier to a fire or smoke getting into a room, but I guess there can also be a backdraft if someone then opens it.

Generally one or both of these things: A functional kitchen, a separate lounging space where you can watch TV that may or may not be separated by a door from the bedroom. I try to stay at a suite with a kitchen when I’m traveling for work so I can just go to the grocery store at the beginning and not eat out every night.

^^I love having a kitchen also. I hate eating all meals in restaurants.

@JLeslie We like a chain called Staybridge Inn and Suites which are large rooms that have a full size kitchen area (with full size refrigerator, small stove, dishwasher, appliances. Some we’ve stayed in have a door between the kitchen/living area and the bedroom, and some are totally open, like an “L” shape.

@jca2 Staybridge Suites is IHG, and I’m very Marriott loyal so if I want a kitchen I usually stay at Residence Inn. If I hit platinum level next year I’ll be a lifetime platinum, I’m so excited. Lol.

I actually just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last week, which is IHG. It was the only hotel in the area. I might gift my points to a friend if IHG has that option if I get to the end of the year and the points will expire.

I’m at staybridge frequently

I’ve never stayed in one.

^^Doesn’t matter, you can still answer what you would assume.

I think part of the reason I define a room without a door as a studio, is because my family is from NY and we are accustomed to using the term studio.

@JLeslie I’m with you – I want a door. Although I’ve come to expect that it’s not often the case.

Do you really like Residence Inns? I’ve only stayed in one (in Tallahassee) and it was so utterly disgusting. I have food allergies, so I love a kitchen. But I had to get a bin of food prep materials (pot, pan, dishes, utensils, etc.) from the front desk and they were covered in animal hair. I had to run it all through the dishwasher first. The place smelled like wet dog. I love the kitchen and laundry available and my room was incredibly spacious, but I just assumed they were all dirty.

My in-laws have Hilton points, so I’ve gotten accustomed to Hiltons. I usually look for a Homewood Suites.

@Cupcake I love Residence Inn, but like any hotel chain, once in a while an old one that has not been renovated can be below par. Sounds like you stayed in one that was very disappointing.

Years ago Hilton family properties kept letting me down, mostly Hampton Inn’s that were not great, so I switched loyalty back to Marriott, and I have been very happy for years. In the last five years Marriott has acquired a lot of hotels, and maybe it is getting harder to manage? I love the perks of Marriott that I get with my status, I don’t know what Hilton offers for people who stay a lot.