Many hoteliers are seeking to spruce up their guest rooms and bathrooms in an effort to increase market share and attract new guests. Creating a home-away-from-home feel with new fixtures and furniture is a good way to give rooms a fresh look. Chris Dolne of Hotel Vanities International shares some of trends…

At Hotel Vanities International we believe that going back to the basics is always a wise choice when deciding where to spend your remodeling dollars. It has been proven time after time that the bathroom has the greatest impact on a guest’s overall impression of their accommodations. Cleanliness and safety are very important but aesthetics deliver the first impression. Today’s travelers are looking for that home-away-from-home feel and the use of wood cabinetry, granite vanity tops and cultured marble tub walls are just the ticket.

Most travelers are used to seeing wood cabinetry in their homes. Wood is very versatile in its use and can be made in any size or shape with an unlimited number of colors. Standard cabinets are available but most are choosing the more contemporary look of a wood furniture piece. There are unlimited options combining, drawers, towel cubbies, raised or flat panel fronts, tilt-out doors, straight legs, serpentine legs and towel shelves all in straight front, curved, angled or bow front designs.

At Hotel Vanities International we see that the most popular material for vanity tops and kitchenettes right now is natural granite. It is hard to beat the beauty of nature’s own stone and it is hard to find another product that has a better cost-to-life-span ratio. Engineered quartz products are starting to gain some ground on granite largely in part to their dense, very low maintenance surfaces. Quartz doesn’t require sealing like natural stone and the look of the product has improved over the last few years. The main problem with the quartz product is the significantly higher initial cost.

Above-the-counter Vessel bowls with tall pump-style faucets are becoming more and more popular. We are seeing them used mostly in the new higher end Lifestyle properties; however, this may trickle down into the more traditional properties. The jury is still out on this one.

We are seeing a major trend at Hotel Vanities International of more properties using shower stalls over bath tubs, particularly in king rooms and suites. America has become a predominately shower society and more and more hotels are recognizing this trend. When asked, most business travelers prefer showers over tubs, but family vacationers still prefer a bath tub, especially if they have small children.

Although tile is still the most widely used product for tub and shower walls, there is a strong trend toward using cultured marble because of its durability, reasonable cost and ease of care.