I’ve experienced (1) a few times but never (2). Email the hotel to get the specifics.

It could mean both 1 and 2.

In the UK it would mean #2, if it was #1 the term "private bathroom" would be used.

1. The “shared bathrooms” I have experienced were in the hall. They have been regular bathrooms. Last time was in Vienna. I never saw anyone else. It was March which might explain it but basically had my own bathroom but down the hall.

I think I always have had a sink in the room.

Generally:
En suite: Exclusively for your use and attached to your room
Private bathroom: Exclusively for your use, but not necessarily attached to your room (e.g., may be down the hall)
Shared bathroom: For the use of more than room. Usually down the hall.

I have never had a shared bath that adjoined two rooms (what we’d call a jack and jill bath in the U.S.), but I guess that could be a possibility. Usually the room description will clarify the circumstances. If you don’t see the details in the room description, write to the hotel and ask.

My sense is that it’s a bathroom down the hall, shared by one or more other guests. You’d be able to lock the door when you’re using it, but if it’s occupied, you’d need to wait until it’s available. Kind of like the toilets on the plane over there, except with a shower or bath as well.

Sink in your room? Maybe or maybe not … I wouldn’t bet on it, though, if the bathroom is shared.

During our RS Germany, Switzerland, Austria tour in 2003, we had the bathroom you described as 2, or a jack & jill bathroom that is located between two bedrooms. We had a room in Lauterbrunnen with a balcony and gorgeous view. I think we were the only couple who had to share, and it was with our tour guide. She mentioned that she would get up early to shower and get ready first, so it wasn’t an inconvenience for the one location.

In my much younger days (1970s-1980s) I sought out room without private baths because they were substantially cheaper. I don't do that now, and things may certainly have changed. Back in the old days, there was always a wash basin in my room. That took a lot of pressure off the hall bath, because one could brush teeth and wash face right in the room. I would be surprised if those wash basins have been ripped out, but I can't say for sure.

A few years ago I accepted a room with a private bath (which included toilet/wash basin/shower) down the hall. It was a lot more irritating than I thought it would be. Anytime I wanted to use it, I had to go through these steps:

Find room key and bathroom key (might have been the same key--I don't remember).
Exit room and lock door.
Walk down hall to bathroom.
Unlock bathroom.
Enter bathroom.
Lock bathroom.
Use bathroom.
Exit bathroom.
Lock bathroom.
Walk down hall to my room.
Unlock room.
Enter room.
Lock room.

It was a real drag. The one time I didn't immediately lock the bathroom (I was quickly returning to my room to grab something I had forgotten, like soap), a teenager from one of the other rooms on the floor (which had a private bathroom) popped in there before I could return. So it was obviously important to keep the bathroom locked if I wanted to have immediate access to it.

That private bath down the hall was in some respects more annoying than a shared bath down the hall. The latter are not kept locked when empty, so there's less fumbling with keys.

I had a shared bath in Scotland. It was not what I thought I had booked. A shared bathroom is OK, OK until you need to really use it. If someone is in there with no concern for time spent in there and is taking a long long shower, not so good. Yes, there are people like that, imagine, no concern. Luckily I did have a sink in the room. Which I used, for a non sink purpose. If you get my drift.
I don’t like shared baths unless they are communal with multiple showers and especially toilets.

I think Laura‘s descriptions fit the bathroom scenarios best.

Like acraven, when I first started traveling, I stayed in many places that utilized shared bathrooms that were down the hall. Many hotels back then catered to the European crowd rather than Americans so they did not have the number of en suite bedrooms that they have today.

That is obviously changed today. However, I still find myself occasionally sharing a bathroom, both in Europe, and in Airbnbs here in the states. I actually don’t mind it unless, of course, someone is discourteous and uses it for an excess amount of time. But I have never had that happen during my stays.

But, like everyone else has said, simply contact the hotel, if you’re not sure and ask for more details. A lot of times you can figure it out by just looking at photos of the room on their website.

I didn't mind the bathroom down the hall when I was younger, but now I have to get up a couple of times at night and the idea of walking down the hallway has little appeal.

We've had shared bathrooms between rooms and a few times got locked out as our neighbors forgot to unlock the door when they were done. Once someone must have died in there because the smell was horrific. No windows.

lol acraven I had the same experience. Went to shower and forgot something, went back to my room, and then upon my return the bathroom was locked. It was not so funny at the time as whomever was in there took their sweet time. If there is a time where, um, you really had to go it could be interesting.

The sink is a good backup in an emergency.

I find myself either sharing a bathroom, or having a private bathroom, rather too often in the UK, as a solo. The number of times I find a B and B which has given the doubles/twins an en suite but not the solos, but then have the cheek to charge a solo supplement, is frustrating.
Yes I know about it, but in some places there just isn't much choice, staying within a sensible budget.
Last year I had one in Cornwall where I had to go down a half landing, then back up the other side of the half landing, then a long way down a hall. In the middle of the night that just required too much thought and being forced to wake up fully.
And it wasn't cheap- charging inflated Cornish prices.
I have a lot of sympathy for why people gravitate to PI's or Travelodge- at least you know what you are getting there.

My husband and I have been staying in rooms with shared bathrooms for several years. It has not been a problem. e are ages 76 and 67 years old. I nearly always have one trip "down the hall" each night. In a couple instances I consider my fault, I waited too long to go down the hall and had to wait for someone. But that was my laziness. We have never had a what we would consider a bad experience. Well, except one time we were traveling with my parents. It was my parent's first trip to Europe. My husband had to wait a long time for my Dad to come out of the bathroom. And when he came out he had a book in his hands. Once in a while my husband still talks about that!

We have a trip planned to Switzerland later this month. Have booked two out of three rooms with shared bath down the hall. Would have booked all three with a shared bath but due to a film festival rooms with shared baths were sold out at our first hotel.

Happy travels and if you book rooms with a shared bath, may they be available to you whenever you have a need for one!

Traveler Girl

The good thing is that places where the WC located "down the hall" (am Gang) in Germany can still be found.

In Berlin and Munich my Pensionen are like that. You have in your room a sink, no shower or toilet. Those are "down the hall" or maybe just next door, depending on the location of your room. In Germany I have no problems staying in small hotels or Pensionen without en-suite facilities. Both my Pensionen in Munich and Berlin have the shower and toilet together in the same room, or you could find the toilet along with its sink in a separate room.

In London in a B&B without en suite facilities the shower and toilets were in separate rooms, if you chose that option, which is always cheaper.

Shared bathroom means warm toilet seat

I think they are a dying breed as most Europeans these days would probably prefer an ensuite. Especially people under 50.

1 is the kind I have used at various times. The basis for the ‘Europe on $5 a Day’ books was always rooms with the bathroom down the hall

Mister E, it is nice to have a well-used, warm toilet seat on cold winter morning.

Absolutely. The last time I had the pleasure of such accommodations was near Valbona, Albania. The hotel was remote enough where the staff stayed in the hotel. It made for an interesting dynamic with the staff. Truly a wonderful few days in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable.

I would caution older folks, especially, to carefully scope out the walking route from bed to bathroom (even when latter is en suite). I have had odd steps up and down to negotiate in European hotels, inside and outside my room. I have never fallen, but I've had the occasional room door positioned close to an open stairwell, and I wouldn't have wanted to deal with a down-the-hall bathroom in that situation. It's clear that the European countries are not as litigious as the US.

A huge THANK YOU to all who responded.

With all the detail you folks have provided, I see now that I would not be happy with either (1) or (2) - at least (1) as it's been described by most people: a one-person room down the hall that may or may not be available when I need it.

But what about a shared option that I, in fact, would be fine with: (3) multiperson restrooms, one Men, one Women, with multiple toilets and showers? Do properties - typically hostels - that have such facilities make them available to those staying in private rooms, or only to those staying in the dorms?

Thanks to anyone who can shed light on this particular query.

Well, for hostels in both the USA and Europe where my husband and I have stayed, we’ve always gotten a private room, not a shared dorm-style room. That means we also had our own bathroom space, not shared by others. The group sleeping rooms had shared lavatories, at least where we’ve stayed.

Your places might not have a similar arrangement, but I’ve had my share of shared sleeping rooms, and from this point forward, it’s private bedrooms. We had one room in Greece 4 years ago that had a “shared bathroom” with one other room, except that no one stayed in that other room (shoulder season) so we lucked out, and I was relieved to have our own bathroom, 2 steps outside our room. You’d need to ascertain exactly what the arrangements are for a particular place - they could vary, and be priced accordingly.

Marty I recall a couple of multi-person restrooms as you described, one for men and one for women. You are right in that you don't have to worry about being locked out!

I'm curious as to the shared sleeping rooms. Where do you find, um, a place to "fool around" with your wife?

The places with shared bathrooms that wet ave stayed at were all down the hall. A few had several toilets/showers/sinks all per gender, but most of the time it is a bathroom for one person at a time. If the door it locked, you wait or go to another one. Thankfully we have never had to wait more than about 2-3 minutes. Sometimes there is a small sink/mirror in the actual room, which is really nice since you can finish getting ready in your own room vs taking up more time in the shared bathroom. I have no qualms with sharing a bathroom while traveling, but I know some people are not keen on that.

I'm curious as to the shared sleeping rooms. Where do you find, um, a place to "fool around" with your wife?

BigMike, that’s one of the drawbacks of shared lodging! Other guests may expect that you’d be sharing your wife, too ;-))

A little off subject or maybe not. But 20 years ago in Eastern Europe we discovered it was common to have unisex multi stall restrooms. The lavs were coed, the toilet stalls had good locks LOL. Was a bit strange at first, but now I see them in my home town too. I guess the hotel bathrooms could be the same.