In terms of resort rooms, the labels used to explain rooms can typically be imprecise and downright mysterious. Phrases like “superior” and “deluxe” are thrown round on a regular basis however they don’t really share a constant definition and typically include no significant distinctions.
You will have additionally come throughout the choice to e book what’s known as a “junior suite” which could be simply as mysterious as these different rooms.
On this article, I’ll clarify what you possibly can count on whenever you e book a junior suite and offer you some examples of some junior suites that I’ve stayed in up to now at completely different inns.
What’s a junior suite?
There isn’t a single, common definition of a junior suite, however usually, it refers to a resort room that includes a extra spacious sitting space that isn’t totally separated from the bed room. Moreover, junior suites might include additional facilities, resembling a further TV, a bigger toilet, or distinctive options like a balcony, that are usually not present in commonplace rooms.
Nevertheless, inns use this time period fairly loosely and inconsistently and as you’ll see beneath, a junior suite can take various completely different kinds.
Additionally, some inns merely give the label of junior suite to a resort room that’s beneath the extent of a normal suite however simply larger than a normal or deluxe room as I’ll illustrate beneath. Which means that the value level can typically be a lot nearer to a normal room than it will be to a real suite (however not all the time).
Based mostly on my expertise, a junior suite is a resort room with the next:
- A sitting space that’s extra spacious than a normal room
- A bed room that’s partitioned off from the sitting space (although not absolutely separated)
- Optionally available options: some junior suites might have further TVs, bogs, or different options not present in commonplace rooms.
Junior suites that we have now stayed in
An ideal instance of a junior suite was after we stayed on the Hilton Cabana in Miami. This was an honest resort situated proper on the seaside and our junior suite was precisely what I anticipated a junior suite to be.
Right here’s what the bed room regarded like. As you possibly can see, it seems like a normal resort bed room.
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However now check out the wall beneath. Discover that it acts like a partition that separates the bed room from the bigger sitting space. So in contrast to an actual suite the place the bed room and the sitting space could be in separate rooms, for this junior suite they’re merely partitioned from one another.
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Right here is the sitting space (sorry for the baggage ruining the picture).

One thing else to level out is that there was a further TV on the opposite facet of the partition, so the room had two TVs which put it above a normal room. That slight improve in utility and luxury is commonly a trademark of junior suites — they often offer you a premium really feel with out the premium price.

The room additionally had a further half bathtub. So typically the junior suites have greater than only a partition dividing the bed room from the sitting space. They might include issues like a further TV or a further half-bath. These further options actually give the room that hybrid really feel between a normal room and a set.
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However I’ve additionally seen junior suites are available in very completely different varieties.
Our room on the JW Marriott Houston Galleria was known as a “junior suite” by the entrance desk though it was listed on the web site as a “Bigger Visitor Room.” The mattress was set in an alcove within the room and there was A LOT of room within the sitting space, so whereas this had the area of a junior suite it was simply lacking the partition.
I discovered it uncommon that the check-in agent labeled this room as a junior suite, although it was not listed as such on-line. This inconsistency in terminology is one thing you would possibly encounter, so be ready for variations in how these sort of rooms are categorized.
I personally wouldn’t take into account the room simply talked about a real junior suite as a result of lack of partition however this nonetheless had a really feel of a junior suite as a result of the bed room space was situated away from the sitting space which was fairly spacious in comparison with a normal room.
The additional area afforded to you in a junior suite format means you would possibly be capable of pull out a further mattress from the sofa if that resort room has it. Some inns may be even ready to usher in a further rollaway mattress that might match right into a junior suite, so for those who plan on going that route a junior suite is usually a good possibility since you will not be as cramped.
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Subsequent, we stayed in a junior suite on the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris On line casino in Aruba. In contrast to the earlier examples, this room didn’t function a design that bodily separated the bed room from the sitting space. As a substitute, it was a generously spacious single room.

Regardless of the absence of a bodily divider, this room remained distinctive as a consequence of its spectacular wraparound balcony. This distinctive function expanded the room’s general area, making it really feel extra like a junior suite. Furthermore, the room boasted luxurious floor-to-ceiling home windows that adorned the partitions. So as soon as once more, junior suites typically provide that upgraded luxurious really feel.

Now to make issues somewhat bit extra complicated take into account that some inns outline some rooms as “resort suites” each time they’re constructed like junior suites.
An illustration of this idea could be present in a current keep on the Hilton Auckland in New Zealand. The Hilton Auckland is a pleasant Hilton property located in shut proximity to town middle, providing a particular expertise. This nautically themed resort embraces a extremely imaginative strategy to suite design as a consequence of its distinctive theme.
On this case we had been staying within the Bow Suite. This was a phenomenal suite with an unique design meant to resemble the bow of a ship.
You possibly can study this suite within the picture supplied beneath, and also you’ll observe that there aren’t any bodily partitions distinguishing the bed room from the sitting space, aside from a single column. Moreover, this room featured a wraparound balcony, enhancing the spaciousness and resembling the junior suite talked about earlier.
But, this room was thought of to be one of many high suites on the resort and was not described as a “junior suite.” So don’t be stunned for those who e book a premium suite at a resort and it finally ends up being basically a junior suite. Generally the images of the room will give this away however different occasions it’s not possible to inform.
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Lastly, there was one other keep we had on the W Las Vegas. It’s price noting that this resort is now not beneath the W Resort model, however on the time of our go to, it was nonetheless a part of the model. We had been lucky to be upgraded to a Marvelous Studio Suite. Very similar to the earlier examples, this suite lacked any bodily partition, divider, or separate room, making it basically a generously spacious single resort room aka a “junior suite.”

To supply one other instance, we had the chance to remain on the Doubletree in Hilo.
Our selection was the DoubleTree Hilo oceanfront junior suite, which turned out to be a outstanding room, particularly for a DoubleTree property.
This suite was impressively spacious, that includes two massive balconies and a nook view. What made it stand out much more was the inclusion of a kitchen, making it one of the vital distinctive junior suites I’ve skilled.
Apparently, the value for this suite was extra according to what one would possibly count on from a normal suite, and it basically represented the top-tier suite on the resort. This goes to indicate that in some cases, a junior suite could be extra alongside the traces of a premium suite with its pricing and “standing” inside that resort.

Cruise ships and junior suites
If you happen to had been questioning about junior suites on cruise ships, such a Royal Caribbean or Carnival then you definitely wish to look particularly into the layouts of these suites which ought to be out there on-line.
If I needed to guess, the requirements for these junior suites are in all probability extra constant throughout cruise ship manufacturers than resort manufacturers however the advantage of cruise ship rooms is that yow will discover an in depth format of the room that isn’t all the time out there for resort rooms.
Last phrase
As you possibly can see, junior suites are available in varied configurations.
I personally adhere to the definition of a junior suite as having a definite sitting space separated from the bed room by some type of partition. Nonetheless, it’s evident that inns interpret and apply the time period “junior suite” in another way, making it difficult to foretell what to anticipate.
In any case, you possibly can usually count on a junior suite to supply extra spacious lodging with further options resembling an additional TV, a bigger toilet, or distinctive facilities like a balcony.

Daniel Gillaspia is the Founding father of UponArriving.com and creator of the bank card app, WalletFlo. He’s a former lawyer turned full-time journey knowledgeable masking locations together with TSA, airline, and resort insurance policies. Since 2014, his content material has been featured in main publications resembling Nationwide Geographic, Smithsonian Journal, Forbes, CNBC, US Information, and Enterprise Insider. Discover his full bio right here.