Irishtmac

Don't know if anyone experienced this before, but I just got back from a nightmarish stay at the Sunrise Suites in Tinton Falls, NJ. It touts itself as an "all-suite hotel." I was expecting a bedroom separate from the sitting area. What I got was a standard hotel room (to be exact it was more like sub-standard but that's for another posting) just one room. The website shows a floorplan of the rooms which reflects what I was expecting--two rooms....However, when I inquired about my "suite" I was told that because there of the amenities in the room it still qualifies as a suite. I said what amenities!!!??? To which they curtly replied, "a fridge and a microwave."

Anyone experience anything like this before?

Jed

Indeed, the floorplan shows a separate BR and LR. Also, the description says, 'a separate bedroom'. If you didn't get that, it looks to me that you got cheated.

BTW, Sunrise gets a mixed review on Tripadvisor.

kamahinaohoku

I too always assumed that a suite was 2 rooms, til I stayed at the Rio Suites in Las Vegas. Their concept of a suite is a really big room (and it was nice). But I agree with Jed, I think you got taken.

No_name

It sounds like you got what is called a "lock out" which means you got the 2nd bedroom of the suite next to you. Was there a door between your room and one of the rooms next to you?

jlm_mi

Some suites are studio suites, meaning having the amenities of a suite (bed, sitting area, maybe kitchen area), but all in one room with no walls dividing (except for the bathroom, of course).

This kind of pushes the definition of suite in my book, since I've always taken "suite" to be short for "suite of rooms", which would mean at least two. But some hotels do still consider the studio setup a suite.

If they claim that all of their suites are more than once room then you didn't get what they promised. But if they just show an example floor plan without stating that it fits all of their rooms, it might be underhanded, but it's not a lie.

lisettemac

Good question! I call a suite a bedroom that is separate from a sitting room. Many hotels seem to call a suite a large, one-room bedroom with a sitting area. That's why I always check the description of the room carefully before I book. It matters to us because we have young children. Without the separate 2nd room, we have to go to bed at 8pm like they do!!

carrolldf

Unfortunately, many hotels do not think a suite implies more than one room. In some of them there is a short wall to separate the areas and in others, nothing. I have experienced it other places.

In your case, I'm not sure how you could have avoided it since you checked the floorplans on the web, etc. I think I would file a complaint of false advertising with the corporate office (if this is a chain) or the management. Probably won't do much good but you should let them know how you feel.

nytraveler

A suite can mean anything the hotel wants it to mean. There is no standard.

If you go to one of the "name" suite hotels that are built in a cookie-cutter style (like Embassy Suites) you can be sure of what you're getting. But for a non-branded hotel (even deluxe ones) "suite" can have many meanings - and there many even be many differnet types of "suite" in the hotel.

I used to stay at the Netherland in Cinc all the time, so unless they were full they always gave me a "suite". This ranged from one very large room with floor to ceiling drapes dividing a full-size bedroom from a largish living room (sofa, 2 large chairs, coffee table, desk etc) - to a 4 room duplex (downstairs was a living room and separate dining room with kitchenette plus a full bath and upstairs with 2 large bedrooms each with a very large luxurious bath - jacuzzi type tub, stall shower, 2 sinks, etc).

Jed

If you would check the floor plan at http://tinyurl.com/lkezm, you will see that irishmac didn't get what he rightly expected.

Siouxzee

It seems like the influx of mid range Inns & Suites has really pushed the envelope on the “suites” description. Lots of time they describe a unit as a 2 room suite and really they have 2 rooms worth of furniture and maybe an architectural feature, like and arch, to delineate the 2 rooms but lots of times it does not mean that you get a bedroom with a door. If there is no photo on the site that shows you an actual door, I would contact the Suite Hotel directly.

A_Traveller

I've never stayed at that hotel but as Jed pointed out the floor plan on the hotel's website clearly shows 2 seperate rooms plus a kitcheneete and a seperate bath (and that's the one-bedroom suite - the two bedroom suite is even larger). However, a check of room rates indicates they have both a Studio Suite and a 1 Bedroom Suite although the floor plans page does not offer a view of the Studio Suite but only the 1 BR Suite, the 2 BR Suite and the 3 person suite which is identical in size to the 2 BR Suite. It appears the lowest priced "Suite" is actually the "Studio Suite" and you can only get a complete description if you click the "details" link on that page. Obviously there is a blantent attempt by the hotel to mis-represent the type of accomodations available.

Siouxzee

I think A Traveler has made the discovery that the hotel is trying to conceal. Irishtmac should check the bill and compare what she/he was actually charged for the suite against the posted price of a studio suite. If the charge was for the higher priced suite I would say you were cheated. If the OP was charged for the studio suite I’d say they were purposely misled.

concernedposter

Anyone experience anything like this before?

Do you mean, have any of us experienced being deliberately mislead? Yes, of course we have.

Unless they show a floorplan of what you had and that is what they charged you for, then you have been cheated.

jlm_mi

As A Traveler said, this hotel offers studio suites, which are just as I described earlier. Yes, it's a bit underhanded, but it's not false advertising. If you book a studio suite and assume you'll get the one-bedroom suite floorplan, it's your mistake. If you booked and paid for a one-bedroom suite based on the floorplan and were given a studio suite, you may have a case for getting some of the room price back, but probably not. At least, for the one date I checked prices, both the studio and one-bedroom suites were the same price.

This is a case of you not having all the information because perhaps you didn't read all the details, but it doesn't at this point seem like a case of the hotel actually providing misinformation or telling lies.

joan

But nytraveler, this is a "name brand" hotel - a Hyatt in fact.

Not only do the three available floorplans show separate rooms, here's the description of the studio suite:

DELUXE STUDIO STE 1 KING BED WITH SOFABD COFFEEMAKER MICROWV/TV/MINIREFRIGERATOR

Now for the description of the 1 br suite:

DELUXE ONE BEDRM SUITE 1 KING BED/SOFABD COFFEEMAKER MICROWAVE/TV MINI REFRIG

They are exactly the same, with only the word "studio" changed. That's misleading on purpose in my book.

The moral of the story I guess - if it says suite, it may or may not be a suite. If it says studio, you can bet it WILL be a studio. You must call and ask the question: "is there a door between the bedroom and the living area?"

Iristmac, did your bill show "studio" or "1 bedroom"?

I would like to hear from OO about this, she has inside info re Hyatt.

CaliNurse

Recently checked out a local Amerisuites prior to reserving for family. The bedroom "wall" was just half a wall, about 4 feet hi!! THAT is what they called the "bedroom".

Instead, hose a nearby Marriott Residence Inn for them --a true "suite" in the sense most of us consider it--a large lving area with kitchenette in the rom, but two separate rooms, incluing bathrooms, for bedrooms.
Even their studio suite--which they clearly sate is one room--was L-shaped with a living room/kithcen type area, and the bed off to the side for a sense of privacy in an L-shaped large room.
This weekend I checked into a hotel (Marriott San Mateo) via Priceline booking. They said, "We're upgrading you to a suite." Sure enough, you entered into a large living area with sofabed, chair, TV, etc, then opened French doors to get into the large bedrrom area.
Irish, I agree, the description was misleading It happens in independent as well as chains, that you expect one thing and get another.
Other places I've been, for what it's worth that were NOT deceptive, and were excellent value, includeSummerfield Suties, Homewood Suites, and Hampton Suites(not Inn).

tlf18

oh, i always defined it as any nice, large room that's nice and large enough that when you open the door and walk in, you say "SWEET!!"

Siouxzee

cute! Love when that happens!

mikesmom

I was recently upgraded at the Bellagio in Las Vegas to a 1,525 square foot "Cypress Suite". It was one huge room with a king sized bed, dining table and four chairs, sofa and side chairs. The room had huge his and her bathrooms. One with a steam shower and one with a jacuzzi tub. This suite really was sweet, but it was only one room, if you don't count the bathrooms. I would take that suite any day of the week. It was unbelievable.

placeu2

hmmmmm and here I thought it was a fast disappearing form of mens apparel. Back in the day there was a choice of 2, 3 or 4 piece models. Usually worn with a ty. ;-)