Roundtable: how to create the perfect bathroom

What are the latest trends you are spotting in bathroom design?

Toni El Kadi: We have recognised a need for comfort and individuality as this year’s key trends. The new bathroom series ME, Duravit and Philippe Starck have succeeded in creating a collection that fulfils the demand for pure aesthetics and a wide variety of lifestyles.

Sophay Young: Custom vanities are proving popular in designer hotel bathrooms. Their sleek, contemporary design with clever storage options gives the illusion of spaciousness. Bathroom furniture made from natural products is starting to play a bigger role. Shelves, wall mounted storage units and cabinets in wood grains, and textures in honey shades warm up cold and clinical bathroom spaces. A focal point in bathroom design, the freestanding bath is not going anywhere in 2015. Recently, this trend has seen a move towards composite stone material; the matte surface and relaxed structure make them versatile for use in both modern and contemporary bathrooms.

Ivan Zupanovic: We believe we have set the trend for slim-shaped bathroom products with our innovative SaphirKeramik material that allows for unprecedented design possibilities with ceramic.

Louise Pitt: Space, sleek lines and a spa ambience, luxury and comfort are the key trends. Also, as building quality has dramatically improved, people are now looking to use acoustic pipes and quiet fill valves in the toilet cisterns that greatly reduce acoustic levels in living spaces.

Arif Abdul Khader: In the last few years, we have seen an increase in size and function of the shower system. The trend is to choose big rain showers with cascade, and mist effect.

How often should hotel bathrooms be updated to keep up with changing trends?

Mohammed Ibrahim: This depends on the original design. If it’s a futuristic design and can be considered a sustainable approach, the bathroom will be on trend for a long time. Otherwise, it would need a renovation after three to five years.

Sophay: It depends on the occupancy rates but as a rule of thumb, we recommend between five to seven years for the hospitality industry.

Ivan: Most international hotel groups are working on bathroom refurbishments after between eight and 10 years of use.

Louise: The public washroom in a hotel is like a business card — it should reflect the style and quality the hotel wishes to portray.

Arif: If a client chooses quality products and creates a good mix of design and functionality, a bathroom can live for years. It’s the responsibility of the architects and designers to guide clients and hotels in making the right choices.

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What factors should hotels consider when designing and fitting out bathrooms?

Toni: Today, good bathroom design is not just about how something looks. It’s also about comfort, efficiency, sustainability and adaptability. They need to fill different requirements for people of different ages and also be capable of modifications.

Mohammed: Accessibility, functionality and space are some of the most important factors when designing bathrooms within hotels. Although the design might differ based on the location of the hotel or the rating, most guests are looking for an area of relaxation, a place to cleanse the body and mind. Hotels should also look at implementing the latest technology when fitting bathroom products.

Sophay: Design is a key differentiator in this market, so knowing and understanding the needs of the target market is very important. For the hotelier, there are concerns beyond bathroom aesthetics. They must balance style with ease of cleaning, performance with durability and ergonomics with water saving.

Ivan: It’s essential to adapt to the local culture while maintaining global standards for international hotels. These global standards reflect the demands of the hotel bathroom with products, which have been carefully selected for optimum aftercare, housekeeping and maintenance as well as for their aesthetic appeal and longevity of design.

Louise: Fire safety, acoustics, ease of installation of products, availability of spare parts, aesthetics and product quality should be considered when designing a bathroom. With Geberit‘s prewall technology, installation is faster and creates an appealing and aesthetic living space.

How important are aesthetics when choosing bathroom products?

Toni: Hotel bathrooms are an important source of inspiration, as they often set new trends. The need for a feel-good experience has increased, along with the need for function and design. Quality has also taken on more significance, so architects of a bathroom should be concerned with designing a good shape for the bathrooms, allowing enough space for a shower, bath and a wash basin area with mirror and cabinet. In order to ensure a modern look, the design of the products should withstand a certain level of abrasion. Ideally, all items should have a neutral, timeless look.

Mohammed: Nowadays, travellers are aware of the latest market trends and many choose their stays based on the aesthetics of the hotel. Travellers embrace the ‘less is more’ aspect of a product, while being aware of all its functions. That’s why aesthetic products are in high demand, both by the hotel operators and the guests.

Sophay: Hotel guests expect to be wowed by their bathroom. For this reason, aesthetics are very important when choosing products for the hotel bathroom.

Arif: Aesthetics is one of the most important considerations when choosing bathroom products. A nice bathroom can provide the guest with a sense of wellness and relaxation.

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How do your products help reduce water wastage?

Toni: Our development team makes use of simulation software to optimise flushing technology. The Duravit Rimless technology offers an effective flushing technology that delivers optimum flushing results with small water volumes of only 4.5 litres.

Mohammed: We offer innovative products that reduce water usage and general energy consumption. This can be achieved by reducing the warm-up time for a steam shower and ensuring that the humidifier is running on a specially programmed mode that will use water and electricity only when needed.

Sophay: The trend to move towards greener buildings has added to our strength in project supply in recent years. All our brassware can be complemented with flow reducers to meet standards set out by LEED and Estidama.

Ivan: Ceramic is an environmentally friendly material that can be mass produced economically, assuming appropriate know-how is available. It can be safely used in the bathroom, can be in contact with drinking water for many years and be completely recycled at the end of a long product life, making it completely sustainable.

Louise: In its range of wall-hung sanitary ware, Geberit’s Duofix framing system incorporates a dual flush cistern that reduces water consumption by up to 40% when compared to a nine litre single-flush cistern. The UP320 concealed cistern has a specially adapted flush valve, which can operate at an even lower flush volume of 4.5 or three litres with WC pans. That adds up to a saving of around 3000 litres of water per year with a standard UP320 cistern flush.

Arif: Aqua-Elite has always been focused on reducing water wastage. Most 360-Wellness products feature a flow rate limiter. We have also developed technical solutions to improve the performance of big rain showers with minimal water consumption.

How do you maintain the balance between price point and quality?

Toni: The DuraStyle series offers tremendous value for money and meets different budget requirements. Simple features like colour or texture in the choice of furniture, good storage and wall-mounted sanitary ware to make the room feel larger, are ideas that can make a big difference without blowing the budget.

Mohammed: Our products are custom-made in Europe with the highest quality materials. We always recommend products based on the budget of the client; hence, we provide quality alternatives, while maintaining a balance between value and functionality.

Sophay: Product value is the balance between price point and quality, and we strive to deliver it to all clients regardless of requirements.

Ivan: Laufen uses more than 125 years of experience in manufacturing ceramic by working with designers during the creative process and using modern methods of industrial production. This ensures optimum feasibility while balancing the pricing demands with the quality of the products.

Louise: Geberit has never professed to be the cheapest but when you consider the life cycle of the product, the back-up and support of the service on the ground, the training provided for installation and application, the support on site, the guarantee of spare parts and the quality we provide, architects and interior designers, hotel owners and operators really appreciate the value of securing Geberit products in their projects.

Arif: Aqua-Elite chooses to combine different materials like stainless steel, brass and plastic for different price ranges that can make high quality products affordable. A combination of a plastic component with aesthetic metal parts allows a good balance between quality and price. Aqua-Elite chooses to retain most of the production process locally without outsourcing. We have also created the 360-Wellness Aqua-elite Basic collection, which includes small and simple shower heads and rails for a high quality product at a competitive price.