I had something of a revelation earlier this week during a trip to Phoenix.
While staying at the Best Western Plus Sundial, I was quickly struck by how simple and seemingly perfect the room’s design was, particularly when it came to the bathroom. After spending a couple of minutes thinking about exactly why I had this kneejerk reaction, I came to realize that it had the two things I enjoy most in a hotel: soap and shampoo dispensers in the shower and a detachable showerhead.
While these might seem like small touches, they make a huge difference for me, and are honestly the design detail that resonates the most with me in the wave of millennial-focused brands that are cropping up.
Back at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in January, Hilton Worldwide Holdings went all out in making their launch and pitch to developers for their new Tru by Hilton brand. There was a re-creation of the public spaces at the hotel, and ambassadors for the brand pointed out all the unique design touches meant to draw guests into those spaces.
That was all well and good, but I wasn’t won over until I saw a slideshow of what the brand’s bathrooms looked like and saw soap dispensers in the shower. These dispensers are also why I particularly enjoy Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Aloft brand .
Sure, all the tech-first touches and focus on in-room streaming are great, but knowing I’ll have quick and easy access to body wash and shampoo once I check in is a relief. That means I won’t have to pack it myself and deal with the hassle that comes with moving liquids through airport security, ration it out from tiny bottles provided by the hotel that may or may not be replenished the next day, or deal with the guilt of all that needless plastic waste. The convenience makes a huge difference in my mind.
On a larger level, I think the joy I get from soap dispensers is something the hotel industry can learn from. Worrying about traveling with cleaning and grooming products is entirely an issue created by the experience of air travel. So while it might be something outside of hotels, dealing with it in creative and helpful ways can actually inspire a deeper connection between a hotel and its guests.
The shower head issue, on the other hand, is one created entirely by the hotel industry itself. I’m a reasonably tall guy (about 6’3”). I realize there are both people who are significantly taller than me and shorter than me who stay in hotels.
So then, why is it that showers, whether they’re standalone or part of a shower/tub combo, are all seemingly created for people of a certain height (that I am not). Putting in a shower head that I can move around and adjust to my height and also detach actually makes my hotel stay seem significantly more homelike than throwing in some extra couch or extraneous furniture. It’s also significantly cheaper.
Like I said at the start, I’m not exaggerating when I say these two things are right at the top of my list of things that drive my satisfaction at a hotel. I think I’d rather stay at a motel on the side of the highway with soap dispensers and useful shower heads than some luxury resort with skimpy bottles and some terrible rain-like shower that I have to contort my body in unnatural ways to actually use.
Am I crazy for putting so much importance on a couple, seemingly small, things in a guestroom? Let me know via email or on Twitter.
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