Common Design Errors in Hotels
 

I am a Canadian architect based in Toronto. We are compiling a survey on the most common design errors in hotels that really turn the guests off. Give me your 10 complaints. In return I will e you the total survey results in May 2003.

http://www.wgaarchitects.com/survey/survey.html

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[This message has been edited by henryw (edited 05-18-2002).]

[This message has been edited by henryw (edited 05-19-2002).]

Most hotels have a tub. I would rather like a shower.

Luxury hotels with Luxury prices that have rooms overlooking the roof and AC units, or the parking lot and a couple dumpsters. Lux rooms that are underground.

Elevators that are more than 50 yards away from a room.

Inadequate soundproofing.

Beachfront resort hotels built in the 19th C traditional biz city manner. Great mouldings, no windows.

For excellent examples check the Ritz Maui, Naples, or Palm Beach.

Note: You may want to get this poll asked somewhere in the Miles section of FT. There is very little "traffic" on this forum. You may try it in the various hotel forums.

Since most hotels have a tub with a shower,I don't see that as a negative (although tiny tub is useless)
Some of my thoughts (not in ant particular order):
1.No electrical outlets near the desk.
2.No soap holding area for showering,e.g. you need to keep the soap and shampoo on the side of the tub.
3.Shower spray. Many are useless.
4.Acess to the pool only through the lobby.Even some of the finer ones have people in swim suits walking through a beautiful lobby area.
5.Light switches should be easy to reach as you enter a room,including the bathroom. Groping around in the dark is no fun.
6. Inadequate water pressure,especially for flushing.
7.Not enough counter space and/or cabinets in wash rooms.
8.Too few elevators for the hotel's potential capacity.
9.No house phone on every floor.Whether an emergency or room key that doesn't work,it's always nice when there is a phone (generally by the elevators)to call the front desk.
10.Door lock. Nothing frustrates me more than having a poor lock/key system. Some you have to hold the door in as you put in your card,some you have to quickly remove,etc.This happens with new as well as old hotels.

Concur w/jabez. Not being able to find lightswitches, lack of outlets near a desk and small windows are my main complaints.

jabez:

I want a shower, not a tub with a shower!

Tub showers that have plastic curtains that cling to the body.

Showers that aren't designed properly to drain in the stall.

Sinks that don't have sufficient surround to hold toiletries.

Furniture placement such that the TV can be seen from the bed but not the chair.

Curtains that have a gap when they close, allowing light into the room.

Room air conditioners that cycle on and off. I can't sleep with a room air conditioner due to the noise; I have to turn it off.

Lack of individual temperature controls in the room.

A luggage rack with a back that does not allow a suitcase to be fully opened (such as a Samsonite 26").

Failure to have a lamp by the sofa or chair, thus making it difficult to read.

Not "design" per se, but very annoying: The endlessly multiplying number of cards, placards, signs, etc., etc., covering more and more of every horizontal surface. The first thing I do is sweep all this stuff into a drawer.

Back on-topic, see also:
Hotel Pet Peeves


[This message has been edited by cblaisd (edited 05-18-2002).]

1. Too few outlets
2. No in room coffee maker
3. Too few outlets
4. Too few outlets
5. Too few outlets

Heck, a $5 power strip by the desk could solve this.

What is wrong with a tub with a shower?

It's not a properly designed shower environment. A free-standing shower cubicle can have frameless glass and marble surround, shower column with body spray, built-in shower seat, min. 3'x3' so that your elbows wouldn't have to brush against the plastic shower curtain which never get cleaned. And most of all, it's safer. A lot of older folks slip and fall while stepping out of the tub.

Right on. American Standard 1998 Bathroom Habit Survey showed 30% Americans never take baths, and 6% never take showers. Those numbers become even more extreme when we travel. Typically women may take baths in 4-5 star hotels and up, if they have the time; but won't otherwise for hygenic reasons. Men would hardly do that at all. However, we cannot delete the tubs as they are expected equipment and the guests would complain that they are getting a cheap room. That's why the new generation of hotel rooms would have 4-piece bathroom. We see that in most new hotels in Asia where new hotel construction started 10-15 years ago when we had little activity in North America.



[This message has been edited by henryw (edited 05-19-2002).]

I've seen a few good ones in my career. I just returned from an assignment in Dongguan, China. The newest 5-star hotel in the city just opened a few months ago. It was not designed by an architect, but by an interior designer who had enough connections to get the architectural contract as well. It's a joke. The kitchen is not connected to the coffee shop but located in the basement -- a very difficult logistics problem. Pipe and duct runs all over reducing the kitchen to a 6' ceiling clearance.
Water was used as interior design theme everywhere. There is a linear reflecting pond running along the window edge of the lobby bar. The polished black granite lining the bottom of the pond created a perfect optical illusion. You'd think it's flat. Quite a few guests fell into the 3' deep pond.
The circular coffee shop has a similar water feature. a child fell into the 12" wide pond and got stuck. Fortunately the father was around to pull him out.
This hotel is a classic case study.

"American Standard 1998 Bathroom Habit Survey showed 30% Americans never take baths, and 6% never take showers."

I think I have sat next to some of them on some of my trips.o)

[This message has been edited by jabez (edited 05-19-2002).]

NOT ENOUGH LIGHT!!!!!! It's impossible to put on makeup properly or even for my honey to shave well.

The designer always puts a framed mirror at the desk, presumably for the ladies to sit there to put on their make-up. Well, the ladies cannot do it 2' away from the mirror. They need to be 2" away. The mirror is also very distracting for those of us sitting there trying to do some serious work. Pretty soon you'll check your hair, pluck your eyebrow............

henryw:

I just lived in the supermodern Hilton Lyon.
Very stylish, well designed hotel. Had a tub and a shower. A nice working area with lots of place, plugs etc. A small balcony with two chairs and a small table facing a park. Vertical shades/shutters (electricaly) to change/regulate according to the sun etc. ... One thing was not perfect: You had to change the elevator when you go from the garage to you room, it should have been one elevator to reach all floors. One nice security feature: You had to use the room keycard in order to operate the elevator.
An example for bad planing was Westin Bellevue in Dresden. Otherwise a very nice hotel. But the garage had no connection to the hotel. You had to walk trough the rain in order to get to the hotel (or to the garage, when coming from the hotel). The hotel had only one way to enter. If you are on the other side of the street (with an island in the middle) you have to drive 1/2 mile to reach the entry of the hotel. I would have asked the City of Dresden to open the island in the middle of the road to enter the hotel from both sides of the street.
In an upscale hotel, I would like to have a locked(only I can open it!, the luggage doesn't have to be locked!) walk-in closet where I can "deposit" all the luggage, clothings, laptop, documents etc.

USAFAN
The parking elevator to lobby transfer is a necessary security measure to check the criminals at the lobby level. For elevators with direct guest floor access we recommend to our clients to switch off the upper floor acces at night.
The electronic card key alone is not going to work, as the criminals can follow you out of the elvator. No guests would demand to see the other guests' card key before they let them follow.
Your idea of a lockable walk-in closet is an excellent idea, the best I've heard in years. Thank you.

Here's another one. I've renovated a 515 room hotel a few years ago. The bathrooms had a spoon-shaped vanity, i.e., there was a narrow wall ledge above the toilet. Presumably the ledge was to serve as a shelf space for storage of nic-nacs, but of course nobody used it for fear that the things will fall into the toilet. The saddest thing was that these ledges were built too wide, which made it difficult for the the toilet seats to stand upright. So what do the guys do? Stand sideways and keep the seat up with one knee? Do it with one hand? Most men have trouble keeping it inside the bowl with two hands. We need to hire an instructor.

I agree. Hilton Lyon had it exactly like you recommend. Both elevators where side by side, the doors facing the reception.

The parking elevator and the guest floor elevators should not be side by side. This is a common design error by tradition.
They should be kept apart to make the guests/criminals walk across the lobby in full view of the concierge desk or front desk before going upstairs.

Unfortunately, I have found a couple times that there needn't be a ledge in the way for the toilet seats not to stay upright. Perhaps a word with the seat manufacturers is in order. (This is of course not a phenomenon limited to hotels.) The easiest solution to such a defective seat is not mentioned in your list, and that is to sit down on the thing. I mean you're in the room by yourself, right? In the bathroom by yourself, at least, I should think, most of the time anyway when you're working that sort of function. Nothing to prove, no testosterone battle to lose, no one will ever know except those people watching the hidden cameras. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif

Then we'll have to take our pants down to the ankle. How unmasculine! How inefficient!

[This message has been edited by henryw (edited 05-20-2002).]

Insufficient bathroom counter space, inadequate bathroom lighting, no makeup mirror, shower stall doors that don't close properly to avoid flooding the floor, no switches on BOTH sides of the bed to turn off all lights.

Lighting is of utmost concern as the baby boomers grow to their 50s. Old eyes need three times as much light as young eyes. Old bathrooms have a fluorescent light strip above the mirror. It's harsh and shows the bags under your eyes.
Some hotels in the early 90's introduced bright double wall sconces. They are flattering -- you don't see the wrinkles and turkey necks anymore. Then some designers forgot the purpose of this concept and started dimming these wall sconces. Now we see bathrooms with double wall sconces plus one or two overhead spot lights. The recommended light level should be 50 footcandles at eye level and 40 on vanity top.

I have to agree that lighting is a big problem in hotel rooms. Usually, it's too dim and/or not in enough places.

Also, what do hotels have against OVERHEAD lighting? Very few of them have it; I love it. It can be IN ADDITION TO the individual lamps.


Kathy

1. No free local phone calls. OK, I know this isn't a design error but it's my biggest gripe.
2. No spare electical outlets. I need two each near the bed and at the desk.
3. No high speed Internet access (to my laptop).
4. Water not hot enough or takes too long to heat up.
5. Shower water volume too low.
6. Shower temperature control too hard to get to desired warmth.
7. Noise, either from hallway or outside.
8. No separate shower stall (prefer to shower/bath combo).
9. No soap/shampoo holder in shower.
10. Cannot completely block out exterior light.

Excellent, QuietLion. For years I tried to convince my clients the virtue of 2 electrical outlets by the bed. One for the laptop, and one for to charge the cell phone. I presume you need them for the same purpose. There is very little differnce in cost for single outlet versus duplex.

I for one don't want the good lights only in the bathroom. I don't want to try and put on makeup and blowing my hair in a humidity-filled room. I am greedy. I want good light in the bathroom for my honey to shave AND a vanity in the bedroom with good light, a magnifying mirror AND an outlet for my hairblower. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by Marysunshine (edited 05-21-2002).]

Kathy, I'll have to say that overhead light may not be the right solution, especially when you lie in bed. Most chains require 4 lamps in the room. If that's not bright enough, I usually specify a halogen torchiere (floor lamp directed at the ceiling). The reflected indirect light is more pleasant.

Marysunshine:
That's a simple idea but I haven't seen it done in any hotels. What we need is a flip-up mirror hidden in the drawer of the work desk by the window. If the desk is on castors that's even better. The desk lamp must have a high stem or adjustable head, with minimum 40 footcandle on desk top.
Some hotels provide a small make-up table outside the bathroom. The lighting is not particularly good. And it's a toe-killer for your midnight bathroom trips.

--henryw-- As you are a toronto-based architect--strongly suggest you visit all of the four seasons in Canada and elsewhere(the Prague property is very impressive). . The Four Seasons has defintitely figured out what the consumer wants. For another opinion as to the perfect hotel room, please chec k out the Connaught in London. The newly-renovated rooms, are, in a word, perfect. The best use of space I have ever seen and the essence of comfort.

You guys have been great! I'll e you my suuvey results version 2000 tonight for your leisure reading. Version 2003 will be better and cover more material. Keep your comments coming.

More than anything:

Magnetic key cards that fail after one or two uses. This happens repeatedly at one Sheraton that I frequent.

Also:

Fluorescent bulbs. Please, please use incandescent. Much healthier for everyone's eyes, and the light is better too.

One or two hangers in a room. There should be a dozen hangers. And standard hangers, too, please.

Staff that "hang out" in the exercise rooms the VIP lounges, or other guest areas. Chatting, watching TV, etc. The exercise room situation seems to be a problem at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.

The many cards and informational "tents" that are all over a room. I move everything that is potentially annoying, including alarm clock, bedspread, and all hotel ads and booklets onto the closet floor immediately upon arrival.

Sounds big an expesnisve. I suppose if you stay at very high end hotels all the time, you have a point. But don't lots of these types of hotels have both a tub and a seperate shower?

If you only have room for one, tub with shower is the way to go. Just make the tub area a little wider.

jsm, most new hotels have 4 piece bathrooms now, 3 stars and up. It's more common in Asia where they had most new hotel construction activity since the 90's while we were pretty slow here in North America.

Our old breed of hotels, high end included, have 6x8 or 7x8 bathrooms and are difficult to expand. Yes, we are stuck. The tub/shower combination will stay. Starwood introduced the Heavenly Shower concept -- double heads, curved-out shower curtain rod to give you more elbow room.
I would relly like to pull the tub another 8" away from the wall to create a sitting ledge(8"+ the 4" lip of the tub will give you a 12" ledge) where I can have a sit-down shower.



[This message has been edited by henryw (edited 05-22-2002).]

Well, I don't ever stay in high end hotels, so I wouldn't know. But I *do* like a good shower. The Heavenly Shower sounds cool. Too bad I don't get a chance to stay in Starwood properties. (somewhat odd, since I think it is the preferred chain of my employer)

But I got your survey. I can provide moe details on *my* specifics if it will help you out. I'm not really up on hotels much, since I stay at the exact same place all of the time. Don't know what is "high end" 3 star, 4 star, etc. Those ratings don't meant much to me.

China, the revolving restaurant capital of the world. It's everywhere. It was hip. It never works. They're still building it.
The bamboo gate opened to the world in the early 80's. The first batch of international hotels - Garden, White Swan and China Hotel - were completed in Guangzhou (Canton) in 1982-4. These mega hotels attracted thousands of upcoming hotel investors and architects from all over China to come to learn. The Garden Hotel, managed by Peninsula Hotels, had the first revolving restaurant in China. It was a marvel of modern technology at the time and quickly became a tourist attaraction. The restaurant did not have a kitchen. With the small warm-up kitchen it could only serve buffet. Henceforth many new hotels all over China end up having a revolving restaurant with no kitchen on top. After a while the attraction bacame stale, businees was down, and many were converted to discos. The music and noise vibrate through the whole hotel. Non-guests venture into guest floors.
But they are still building it. In Chongqing one recently completed hotel had a revolving restaurant added on top afterwards.
Have you folks seen any similar fiascos in developing countries?

I answered the survey and reading this list has reminded me of two more items:

Inadequate lighting in the tub/shower so that when the curtain is drawn I can't see what I'm doing or if I do take a bath, there isn't enough light to read in the tub.

The noise of ice machines, which I can sometimes hear in my room, the noise of busses idling in front of the hotel and delivery trucks idling in the back which I can always hear in my room if overlooking where they are idling, the noise of exterior fans/pumps which I can always hear in my room if overlooking them.

Sylvia

Very interesting discussion. What a novel concept: hotel architect taps knowledge base of savvy frequent travelers for design input!

Favorite hotel room features:

1) Separate vanity with sink outside the closed-in bathroom. I guess architects don't consider how important it is that both people in a traveling duo be able to "get ready" at the same time. All rooms with two beds should have an extra vanity with sink.

2) Storage niche at shoulder height in the shower, for shampoo, bath gel, razor, etc. I hate having to balance these items on the edge of the tub and bend over constantly to access them.

3) Wall-mounted and lighted mirror for makeup application. Would be nice to have light on magnifier side (makeup) and no light on plain side (hair styling, using main mirror to view side and back of head).

4) Separate light and fan switches in bathroom. I detest same-switch operation, fan noise is so obnoxious. Sometimes you want the bathroom to get steamy, like when you are trying to de-wrinkle just unpacked clothing.

5) Multi-bar drying/towel rack above the tub or shower. This is where you hang hand-washed laundry items, so it must be mounted fairly high to allow for a full length nightgown or dress on a clothing hanger. It's nice to have a second one of these in the main part of the bathroom to actually keep the towels on, and hang items to "steam." (see above about steaming out clothes) Be sure rack bars will accommodate the hangers from the room closet!

6) Hand-held shower head on a vertical rod, adjustable for both tall and short users.

7) Niche on wall at vanity, like a home medicine cabinet, for cosmetics and so forth.

Pet peeves:

1) Tub/shower faucets which don't allow user to control volume of water delivery. I hate the ones that throw water full-blast with no other setting.

2) The "unfathomable faucet," when the guest can't figure out how it operates.

3) Poor lighting, mentioned by many people.

4) Those heating and a/c controls that don't have a thermostat, just the low-medium-high switch.

Wish List:

1) Built-in steamer in the bathroom, next to the towel rack to hang the clothing being steamed. I have one of these freestanding steamers at home and LOVE it, hardly ever use my iron anymore. Have never seen this in any hotel, revenue generation loss I guess.

2) Built-in nightlight in bathroom, with a switch. This should be a no-brainer. I hate having to carry my nightlight everywhere I go.

3) Big sign on back of entry door with fire safety and security tips.

Henryw, thanks for this interesting thread and your commentary. I'm headed out tonight for my favorite hotel in all the world, the little Alam Jiwa just outside Ubud, Bali. At this hotel you have a friendly tokay lizard in the rafters for bug patrol, mosquito netting over the bed, marble floors, fabulous carved wood doorways, vanity and mirrors, the shower comes out of an urn perched on a lady's shoulder (statue of course...), and the staff places floral offerings in palm-leaf trays outside your room entrance to appease both good and bad spirits---ensuring a happy stay. Same-day laundry service is about 50¢ per item, the huge breakfast is included in the room rate and served at the time you designate on your verandah, and you awaken in the morning to a majestic view of the mighty holy mountain, Gunung Agung, rising in the mists across the brilliant green ricefields. I definitely recommend a research visit to Bali for any hotel architect!