Bath trends: The luxury hotel bathroom: great expectations
April 1, 2008
By: Peter Schor
Hotel Design
Peter Schor
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Having traveled close to 175,000 miles a year for the last 20 years, and being well versed in all segments of the bath industry, I am often asked what type of expectations I have for the bathroom of a luxury property.
SHOW BATH The soaking tub in this luxurious bathroom at Le Touessrok Hotel, Mauritius, is the showpiece of the bath experience.
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Although my design tastes vary, I maintain there is no excuse for poor design or bad taste, even in a two-star hotel. That said, here's a list of what I and many of today's travelers expect in a luxury hotel bathroom: (See sources).
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AIR MASSAGE BATHTUB: 20 inches deep with three speed settings; chromatherapy (light/color); and a selection of bathing aromatherapy packets (fragrance/oils) to enhance the air massage tub experience.
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SEPARATE SHOWER: Give me shower power. To me that means a thermostatic press balancing valve (dial your own temperature) with a shower panel with multiple shower device functions such as a great conventional head, hand shower and a selection of body spray heads.
- Steam shower with wrinkle-free clothing option: A steam bath cleanses, invigorates, refreshes and is simply extraordinary. Make sure to include essential oils that I can add to the steam head orifice for the aromatherapy experience. Hit the wrinkle-free cycle button and it spruces up my clothing before an outing. I highly recommend providing a marketing piece in the guestroom describing how to use the tub/steam and the therapy oils. Many of the oils, robes and other goods can be sold in the gift shop or on the hotel Web site.
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COMMODE: In a separate room or compartmentalized by a wall partition. The toilet model I prefer is 16 inches off the floor and is quiet and easy to flush.
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FAUCETRY is the jewelry of the bath. I prefer widespread faucets with "C" spouts that reach high into the lavatory. The faucets should be a quarter-turn on/off ceramic disc valve and should match other finishes throughout the bath.
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LCD MIRRORED TV: Just gotta have it while multi-tasking for news, weather and traffic reports.
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ELECTRIC FLOOR WARMING: With the use of tile or other hard surface floor. It takes the chill off the air in the morning and reduces humidity in warmer climates.
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MAGNIFICATION MIRRORS WITH BUILT-IN LED LIGHT: Excellent quality, distortion-free and the right height and model selection for different applications.
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EXCEPTIONAL LIGHTING: Back-lit lighted mirrors for grooming tasks.
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NIGHT LIGHT: The best application I've experienced is in Wynn Las Vegas. A wall switch labeled "night light" turns on under the bathroom vanity.
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TOILETRIES: Go with upscale brands or create a private label which can be sold in your gift shop or your hotel Web site at retail prices.
Peter Schor is a writer, lecturer, trainer and consultant.
About the Author: Peter Schor
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