Talk about a nation divided — and no, I'm not talking about the U.S. election this week.
No, I decided to lighten the mood a little and talk about the fierce debate over hotel bathroom form versus function that's taking place over at the Washington Post.
By now I'm sure you've read "No doors, frosted glass: Why hotel bathrooms feel like peep shows" by Andrea Sachs, published on Oct. 27. Sachs dips a toe into the raging waters of that classic debate — is the hotel bathroom best as a serviceable space with a locking entry and full shower door? Or is it a space where designers can indulge those insane whims of theirs, and by that I mean half shower doors that lead to floods, and barn doors that threaten to take off a finger or two each time I heave it open?
Listen, the hotel bathroom design debates have raged on for decades. I remember early in my career writing a design story about a Las Vegas hotel where the bathroom was in the center of the room in a glass cube.
Bathrooms had their day as objets d'art, like that glass case of emotion in Las Vegas. Then the barn door trend got popular. But I think the most polarizing of modern hotel bathroom design trends has got to be the half shower door.
Let me say this right now: Half shower doors are an insane way to save money. I have to believe that the cost savings of the half door don't outweigh the long-term water damage, extra-towel-use and extra floor sealant!
Come on, designers and engineers — I know somebody out there has run the numbers on this. I need you to agree with me.
But if you don't trust my opinion, head on over to the comments section of this Post article. People sure do have capital-T Thoughts on this topic. And as with most of these types of general-interest hotel trends articles in consumer media, hoteliers really can get some useful feedback in the comments section about how typical guests really feel.
A few highlights:
- More guests than you might expect actually do scroll your website and photo gallery to check out these very bathroom privacy components, especially when they're traveling with families or friends. And they don't like if they can't find the information.
- Nobody likes when the bathtub is in the bedroom.
- Everyone hates when the bathroom lights wake up everyone else sleeping in the room.
- Whatever you do, do not place the mirror within view of the toilet.
- People hate the half shower door. Sorry not sorry.
- For goodness sake, would it kill you to spring for some hooks?
So for a fun and also useful read, take yourself away from TV politics and check out this very real debate about hotel bathroom design.
Where do you stand on this debate? Email me, or find me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or CoStar Group and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to contact an editor with any questions or concern.