How to Ensure Comfort in Guestroom Washrooms

So much talk nowadays surrounds the concept of improving the guest experience. While this umbrella term applies to everything from the moment a customer discovers a property online to post-departure marketing efforts, one area that doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves is how guests move about in each room’s washroom.

As a highly personal space — and one where people are quite vulnerable — any faults or perceived flaws here will be greatly exacerbated in a guest’s mind. Hence, before you consider hiring a premier interior designer to transform your lobby into a contemporary third place (a social environment outside of home and the workplace) or renovating your fine-dining outlet, think about addressing any inherent flaws in your bathrooms, lest they count against you.

While every property is different insofar as budget, the space and what the brand SOPs will allow, here is a top-10 list of some potentially deal-breaking room features to assess:

1. WEIRD SHOWERHEADS: Guests dislike confusing faucets, lack of water pressure, the inability to adjust for different guest heights and over-sensitivity with water that’s either too hot or too cold
2. LACK OF TOWELS: As a simple test, ensure you have enough for a couple to both shower and use additional hand towels twice per day
3. LACK OF AMENITIES: Similar to the towel situation, a couple shouldn’t have to call down to request extras when showering bi-daily
4. LACK OF BATHMATS: Tile floors get slippery and we’d all prefer to avoid injury
5. CRAMPED COUNTERTOPS: Guests want to spread their belongings out and they especially do not like when items, such as toothbrushes, fall into the less-than-hygienic sink
6. PRIVACY: Don’t fall for the design trap of partially frosted glass doors and be sure doors are able to fully close
7. POOR LIGHTING: People who can’t see what they’re doing will become irritated when grooming themselves, therefore increasing the risk of someone potentially falling. People who have to bend and twist while grooming will likewise become irritated, not to mention putting strain on their lower backs
8. SMALL MIRRORS OR LACK OF VANITY MIRRIORS: People who have to bend and twist while grooming will likewise become irritated, not to mention putting strain on their lower backs
9. AMPLE TOILET PAPER: It’s always better to err on the side of too much for this one and be sure to keep your reserves stored out of splashing distance from the toilet or shower
10. NO TABLE SURFACE NEAR TOILET: This is a wholly modern one whereby many travellers read off of their phones while doing their business, but then need a flat, hygienic surface to temporarily store their mobiles while finishing up

Undoubtedly there are numerous bathroom considerations, many of which may involve actual new features that can act as value-adds to the guest experience. But fix the basics and make sure you’re flawless before trying anything new.