En Suite & B&B
 

I am a bit curious, I have been trying to find locations to stay on my trip to Ireland. I searched on Fodor's and my travel book, but I can't seem to understand what en-suite room means in a B&B. (I know I will feel stupid once someone gives me the answer.) Please let me know. I have never stayed at a B&B and I have a feeling I have a wrong impression about them and would love to try a B&B on our Ireland trip.

I apologize in advance for being naive in this subject. Thanks again.

It's one of those funny British / Irish sayings. It means the bathroom / toilet is attached to the room. You don't have to go down the hall and share with others.

Assuming you are both American - what do Americans call this arrangement, out of interest ?

It means that there is a bathroom attached to your room.

In the past, B & Bs would have shared bathrooms or possibly a private bath down the corridor.
Nowadays many owners have converted their houses to provide en suite. It's what people want and they have moved with the times.

We (Americans) say "attached bath." If it is down the hall, it's "shared bath."

(Funny that I've seen "en suite" mostly in the U.K. and yet it is of course French!)

Or the website will say in a flowery way, "All of our beautifully and tastefully decorated rooms have private bath." Americans are not allowed to use the word toilet whatsoever, except when referring to toilet water aka perfume light!

I'm British and the term "en suite" always irritates me. It always means an en-suite bathroom, generally with a shower and wc. By itself, it is meaningless: it could be an en-suite broom cupboard. Why don't they just say "bathroom", "shower and toilet" or whatever is actually en-suite?

In the States it would be called a private bath. That is where a lot of Americans get fouled up booking B&B's in Ireland/GB. Ensuite is just like a US private bath. But in the UK "private bath" means a personal/private bathroom down the hall. It is different than a shared bath and fairly common.

I tell the folks in my travel talks that if they book a "private bath" they should take something they can wear to go down the hall in the middle of the night . . . . . cuz it won't be in the room like back home.

<(Funny that I've seen "en suite" mostly in the U.K. and yet it is of course French!)>

Brits often it seems use French terms that are not even used in France:

Bureau de Change (France - simply Change)
on trains - Buffet car (France snack bar)
Etc. Weird

They may well have been used there once, crossed the Channel, stayed here but been abandoned there. Just recently I read of an Englishman's account of the Siege of Paris in 1870, which refers to the food shortages having led to the development of something known in French as "la queue" - and he was quite pleased to note that there was no such institution in England.

I want to thank everyone for answering. It definitly straightened out the en-suite confusion and I also learned a few things too. Thanks again, I appreciate it greatly.

If there is ever a time to try a B&B, the UK is definitely the place. My husband and I ALWAYS stays in B&B's wherever we travel. We would not have it any other way!

American are allowed to refer to the "toilet" - but it is a specific object - not a room.

Since the room is used for showering, bathing, washing one's face and hands, drying hair and doing make-up, etc - it is referred to as a "bathroom" not a toilet.

Americans don;t say "en suite" since in the US it is assumed that a hotel or B&B will have a private bath with each room. Very few places (usually small B&Bs or hostels) have shared baths - and those make a point of saying so.

In the US, it isn't really used that often, as almost all hotel rooms do have a bathroom in the room.

It is faux-French, something the British made up. The words are French, but the meaning isn't what those words mean in French and that term isn't used like that in France. The British like to throw around French words because they think it is chic.

The British like to throw around French words because they think it is chic.

Oh, so it is the British who call the main course an entrée?

Since the room is used for showering, bathing, washing one's face and hands, drying hair and doing make-up, etc - it is referred to as a "bathroom" not a toilet

Goodness, you do all that in public lavatories and school bogs?
Americans refer to both as bathrooms.

I had to smile at a John Cleese story.
He said that he was bemused when his former American wife told him that the cat had been to the bathroom on the kitchen floor.

"Assuming you are both American - what do Americans call this arrangement, out of interest"

I'm Canadian & we always call it an ensuite. When building a house it is always referred to as an ensuite. At least in the parts of Canada where I live, which is about as Western Canada as it gets. (very far from french Canada).

I had no idea it was thought of as a "British" saying, although, I'm sure if I had given it much thought I would have figured out it was a french saying.

I'm American and am the one who said we aren't allowed to say toilet. When you are looking at a house that has a full bathroom that includes a tub, shower, sink and toilet and then there is also an additional room with just a toilet and sink it is called a house with a bath and a half. And there is no bath at all in the 2nd room.

And when Americans are in a public place and need to go to the toilet they NEVER say they are going to the toilet they always say bathroom, or ladies or mens room. But never toilet.

Many US houses even have a separate "toilet room" in their bathrooms. I've never seen that in Europe. What would you call that? En-suite in the en-suite?

Wow, who knew such a simple question could garner so many responses! ;-)

Actually I'm fairly certain that the separate toilet room originated in Europe - I see them all the time here - and it is very practical, although I can't say I've ever seen it described in a hotel or B&B listing!

beaupeep is right, it is very rare (and sounds quite European) in America to say one is "going to the toilet." And it's true, if a pet, baby, etc. has an accident, we say they "went to the bathroom on the floor," at least in polite company.

Perhaps the most popular term, aside from "bathroom," is "restroom" (which is even more vague, I admit), but never, never "toilet"!!

Well- in the boys or girls room at school one wouldn;t take a shower or bath - you would do that only in the gym.

But you would wash you hands and possibly your face, do make-up and hair - and often sit down on the sofa for a good gossip.

So why refer to the room as a toilet? It makes as much sense to refer to it as a sink.

And let's not forget about powder room!

There is a good discussion on various aspects of bathroom/toilet in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_suite, including confusion over what one can expect in a B&B.

Beaupeep is 100 percent right-an American will never use the word "toilet" to refer to a bathroom-it's considered quite gauche, improper, "too much information" one might say. I've heard Brits in this country ask someone in a bar or restaurant where the "toilet" is located-and have seen them get the startled, surprised looks.

Schuler-what on earth are you talking about? US homes don't have a separate "toilet room" -however in France and Belgium, that is absolutely the norm-you have a "wc" or water closet" a small little closet room with just the toilet in it-the "bathroom" is typically large with a couple of sinks-but no toilet-even some of the French hotel chains do that for their hotel rooms -I actually like that concept a lot, but you see it rarely if ever in US homes.

Sorry, Schuler, I amend my previous post-yes, a "bath and a half" i.e., a small room with toilet and sink-a "half bath" that is very common in the US, we have that.

I was thinking though of the French/Belgian version of that -which is quite different-they ONLY have the toilet in the small closet, usually no sink, and their "bathrooms" almost invariably do NOT have a toilet in them, whereas in US homes both the bathrooms AND the "half baths" will have toilets in them.

I've been to bigger houses in the US where you go into the bathroom and then open another door to go to the toilet. Usually this room has no sink.
In one house (a rental), this "toilet room" even had carpet. Yuck.

For visual reference, here's a floor plan of a typical large house in the US. Look at the master bedroom and you'll see the en-suite in the en-suite. :)
http://www.eplans.com/house-plans.hw...context=browse

Yes - often the bath in the master suite has the toilet in a separate room - to give the user a little more privacy when both of the couple are using the bath at once.

This is a modification of the larger houses in which the master suite had separate his and hers baths (he usually gets just a large stall shower with toilet and sink, while she usually gets a luxurious bath with both a stall shower and a tub - often jacuzzi -, toilet, bidet etc.

My favorite is the apartment of some friends in an older building with working fireplaces. The her bath has not only the jacuzzi, but also a small fireplace - and a view out over the city via French doors onto a terrace.

But now that I have lived in Europe for 9 years I don't think that having the toilet (the actual piece of equipment) and the tub/shower/sink in the same room makes any sense at all. My husband and I can get ready in the morning without one of us waiting in line for either toilet or tub. Makes a whole lot more sense to me. Along with the two flush indicators we have in Switzerland - the little button for the little toilet use and the big one for...well, you know. (Sorry I'm American, still can't say it).