If staying in your hotel, they might visit the lobby a few times, and perhaps a bar or in-house eatery. If dining in your restaurant, they'll largely be confined to their little table-and-chairs microcosm as you attend to them from there. They may visit your kitchen, though most won't. Most will, however, visit your bathrooms.
Skimp on bathroom fittings at your peril
They say first impressions count. Well, dire bathroom impressions count too, usually in lost customers. Whether it's in a hotel bedroom, bar or restaurant, the brief visits your customers make to your smallest rooms can make a big difference. So make sure they're a classy, clean and functional experience. Much of that experience will come down to your choice of basins and vanities.
Basins
Basins are what really decide if your bathrooms sink or swim. They set the tone and are a design statement unto themselves. For small bathrooms, pedestal basins are a sneakily elegant way to create the illusion of space - feet go under them rather than kick into them. Wall-mounted basins are another good option if space is an issue or you want to create a modern feel without extra vanity costs. On the other hand, countertop and under-counter basins give you immense design flexibility with distinctive protruding basin styles or flush, clean lines. And remember, if you have high traffic bathrooms requiring constant maintenance, the less difficult nooks and crannies you create the better – fast cleaning is cost-efficient cleaning in the long run.
Vanities
For bar and restaurant bathrooms, vanities are more for aesthetics than practicality – you don't need space for shave creams and perfumes. So choose vanities to enhance space, not provide it and if you need to store cleaning products in public bathrooms, go for one with lockable doors. Not big on pedestal basins? A suspended vanity can create the same illusion of space in a small bathroom. For larger floor vanities, make sure you consider foot traffic and access areas to ensure your furniture is a statement, not an obstacle. Most of all, consider your vanity options in the context of your whole bathroom theme – basins, taps, toilet cubicles, urinals, showers and baths – and make sure it fits.
