So What’s An “Ensuite”?

“Ensuite” is a term that is becoming increasingly popular in American real estate vernacular.  The word is used to describe a home that has a floor plan where the bathroom is attached to a bedroom.  This type of floor plan is a convenient arrangement for families who invite parents to come live with them, or for those who want to accommodate long-term guests.

Originally, in French, a set of two or more rooms forming a single accommodation was viewed as “rooms en suite “(forming a suite).  The word “en suite” evolved during the mid 20th century when English landlords and hoteliers began to anglicize the phrase. Traditional “rooms en suite” became “en suite rooms.”  The phrase “en suite” came to connote a bathroom attached to a bedroom, with the two words eventually combined into one word, “ensuite.”

It is incorrect to use “ensuite” as if it were a noun synonymous with “bathroom.”  Instead, proper usage would find British hoteliers saying “all rooms ensuite” while we Americans would say “all rooms with baths.”