When a guest checks into a hotel, there are a number of things that they expect from the experience. A comfortable bed to sleep in, somewhere to make tea and coffee, and a wardrobe to hang their clothes are all expectations which span the main bedroom – but what about the bathroom?
When it comes to designing a hotel, it can be difficult to judge what guests expect, and what you can do to elevate their experience. For example, having the usual facilities available is important, but do guests want a shower and a bath or just one or the other? Should you add bathroom mini’s in the form of shampoo and conditioner, and is having a hairdryer available a bathroom must-have?
In this blog post, we’re focussing on the subsection of any hotel room which, while often overlooked, tends to matter the most when it comes to delivering a good experience: the bathroom.
What does each hotel bathroom need to have?
Before we even start to consider the different features and functional accessories that each hotel bathroom needs, it’s important to recognise the safety regulations at play within the hotel industry.
As a legal standard, all electrical and plumbing installations in hotel bathrooms must meet certain safety standards – citing specific distances between electric outlets and water sources in particular. Conversing with your local authority will help to ensure that you meet these regulations in the design of each bathroom – but being mindful from the off is a good way to balance the desire for style with functional needs and practicalities.
In addition to the safety regulations, being mindful of accessibility needs is an important part of ensuring that your hotel is an accessible business for all types of guests.
So, what exactly does your bathroom need to have to make it practical and useful for hotel guests?
- A sink
- A toilet
- A shower cubicle / shower in a bath
- An accessible towel rail
- A mirror
- Good lighting
Visit any hotel and you will find a mix of these things (and more) at play in virtually every hotel bathroom on offer. How you put them together is what matters when considering the style as well as the functional benefits of your hotel bathrooms…
Tips to make your hotel bathroom stylish as well as functional
How exactly can you make the list of hotel bathroom amenities above look and feel stylish and luxurious?
In our experience, it’s all about how you use the space available to you, how you use colour and texture, and the impact that your light fittings have on the overall aesthetic. Typically, larger bathrooms are seen as more luxurious, meaning that anything you can do to maximise the use of space will serve you well from an experience point of view. One way to do this is to remove standalone storage units and instead opt for under-sink shelving units to optimise your space.
Moving on to materials, and this is where you really need to bridge style with function. Bathrooms are often subject to high humidity and damp, with fluctuating temperatures and a high consistency of use. The materials that you choose need to be durable and easy to clean, while also maximising the comfort of your bathroom.
Lighting is something which, in a hotel bathroom, can vastly benefit from a little injection of innovation and technology. Sensors are a great way to ensure that the light switches on automatically when guests enter the bathroom, while light placement is something which can instantly elevate the presentation of the bathroom if integrated cleverly. Some great examples include installing lights behind mirrors and inside cabinets and running LED lights between the join of the ceiling and the walls.
Finally, if you’re looking to create hotel bathrooms which are both functional and stylish, it’s crucial to remember that the bathroom isn’t just a practical room for cleaning – it is also a room which lends itself to luxury, to pampering, and to relaxation. Consider this as you design and bring the room to life, and you will find it much easier to bridge the function of the space with its look and feel.
Don’t forget about the communal bathrooms!
It’s also important not to overlook communal bathrooms, including those which are available to guests in the foyer of the hotel and your bar/restaurant. As these bathrooms are not typically used for showering, they do not suffer the same fluctuating humidity or environment, and so can use more luxurious textures and finishes.
Find ways of bringing your branding into these communal bathrooms, underpinning the luxury that you want guests to enjoy before they even check into their hotel room.
For more advice on bringing your hotel design to life, connecting functional use with intrinsic style, get in touch with the Carroll Design team.