For years if you spent much budget on the restrooms you received client ”what for” questioning.   Currently however if you don’t spend a higher per sq ft in the restrooms you receive guest disappointment or worse you’ve just missed an opportunity for a guest rave.   A restroom visit guarantees serious guest focus on your concept, it may be because of whatever the level of your disrobement it automatically heightens your senses to the surroundings. To put it another way, with your paints down you are noticing, smelling and hearing everything!  You will see graffiti, funk in the cracks, scratchy music, mop-scum, dirty fixtures, poor lighting, and smelling everything not nice.

The first requirement of restrooms is to meet code in fixture count and ADA accommodation.  If there is floor plan space to accommodate a separate ADA restroom it can give the non ADA restrooms greater design creativity in layout, materials, and dimensions.   The second requirement should be that all the needs and functions of a restroom are met without compromise: water, soap, drying, mirror, etc.   For example:  Specify mixers (faucets) that are understandable and give you water when you want it, the TP is accessible, there is soap and towels and it smells good.  Cleanliness should go without saying, even if restrooms are of age show you care for them.  At our Uturn BBQ we use Ecolab’s Cleaning Caddy, a state of art wheeled unit that’s used to cleans walls, fixtures, floors,  simple and fast.

And finally, design should follow function in the restroom as the typical use of a restroom is to use it and leave it. Too often some ‘trick’ design fixture can frustrate a guest for design’s sake.  If, however, you can “go over the top” with functionality, and memorable design, especially in the ladies restroom, that can be a positive contribution to your brand.