doc

When you reserve a “suite” at a hotel, do you expect two separate rooms — or at least a real physical separation between two parts of a large room? I believe most of you would say “yes.” Unfortunately, at a few hotels, you’d be in for a nasty surprise. Instead of two separate areas, you’d find one room — probably bigger than the average hotel room — with separate sleeping and sitting areas but no barrier between. Hotels shouldn’t mislabel rooms that way. But since some of them do, your only defense is to ask, when you book, if that “suite” really does have two separated areas.
http://www.smarterliving.com/columns/ed/20000817.html

mauld

I know I'm going to get some flack on this because I know lots of you love this property--but that is one (of many reasons) why I dislike the Rio in Las Vegas. They do advertise as "all suites", yet basically it is one large room, with a bed at one end and a seating area at the other. Now maybe there are real 'suites' to be had, but whenever I've stayed there it is one room.

MisterNice

No flack from me on this, and I really like the Rio, but for other sound reasons. My simplified definition (no dictionary handy) is a "suite" should have a (1) a sitting area AND (2) a closable door for the bedroom(s) area (or is the &^%$*^% PC word, venue). This way you are not only granted privacy, but a quieter place to sleep or whatever. I value quiet etc quite highly.

I just came back from 18 straight days in hotels. All but one stay was in a suite by the above definition and all were nicely quiet AND sleepable. In the non-suite hotel only, I could occasionally hear talking in the hallway, ice machines, elevators etc. Ugh!

The Rio provides quiet by an excellent room design since any sound entering from the hallway must make its way 60-120 deg around a solid physical barrier, and thus is greatly and nicely attenuated.

From now on I will call it Rio Semi-Suites on your advice, but I will probably still stay there do to its location, pricing, room design and quiet.

tfjim

It's not only larger hotels where this can get you.

I travel a fair bit to different places all around the country. I was recently in Pendleton, Oregon (no, not for the Roundup, which is next month.) I was booked into the Oxford Suites. Even upon check-in, my room description was something like; "deluxe business suite". I assumed I would be getting some pretty nice digs.

What a hoot! As I walked into my room of at the motel I was interested to find a large queen bed on the left, a large whirlpool tub in the right corner of the room basically across from the bed, a half-high wall partition, on the other side of which was a sofa and tv. Talk about some serious digs

MRLIMO

I've stayed in suites that were a single, large non-partitioned room. Luxurious, spacious, professionally decorated and very well appointed. And if they weren't suites, I don't know what is! I considered them suites in every sense. On the other hand, I've also stayed in "suites" that were nothing more than two adjoining hotel rooms with the furniture from one complete room distributed between the two rooms. A couch, table, desk and chair in one room and the bed in the other. A suite? I don't think so!!!

I feel that a suite can be a single spacious room, one divided by a partition, separate bedrooms or any combination. It's all in the amenities, decorating, and presentation. If I have any special needs, preferences, requirements or concerns, I always ask prior to making reservations.

[This message has been edited by MRLIMO (edited 08-18-2000).]

BeantownFlyer

I think this is another case of knowing the semi-secret lingo (like on airline flights where "direct" means a few stops, and only "non-stop" mean no stops). If they don't call it a "one-bedroom suite" I don't expect a seperate bedroom. Terms like "jr. suite", "executive suite" and "business suite" all usually mean you get one room with a seperate sitting area - and frequently a murphy bed (pull down out of the wall) instead of a regular bed. doc - the article you linked to complains of just this sort of lingo problem - a "jr suite" that was one room. I don't know of any hotel where the "jr. suite" is comprised of two rooms - nor of any "direct" flight that doesn't make any stops for that matter!

belle3388

the venetian (vegas) is also an ALL SUITES hotel, but it is a big room with separate bed and sofa/tv in each corner.... no partition....