From colorful wallpaper to locally-sourced art, today’s hotel bathrooms are a far departure from those of the past. Boutique lodging is especially well known for having spa-like bathrooms that are equal parts relaxing and luxurious. Today’s hotel bathrooms have carved out such a name for themselves, in fact, that modern guests have high expectations for bathroom style.
To help the owners of these hotels stay up-to-date, here’s a list of design trends that’ll keep guests coming back for life.
Minimalism
As the mid-century modern design aesthetic crept back into our living rooms and bedrooms, it also found a new home in the bathroom. The minimalist decor of this era is accompanied by smaller, cozier bathrooms that maximize space. Lodging Magazine writes that wood is making a comeback in today’s hotels too. Minimalist accents and wood in small spaces make a room feel more inviting and elegant, which is exactly the ambience a boutique hotel owner is trying to achieve.
Natural Materials
As wood makes its way back into the bathroom, it’s accompanied by natural material combinations. Combining natural materials like wood, stone and marble creates an elegant effect. It also makes a room feel calm and bright, which is especially beneficial in a boutique hotel that’s opting for a more modern theme.
InteriorZine explains that natural materials are also becoming more popular in the form of varying shapes, such as marble tile in a hexagon or honeycomb pattern. Playing with scale, size and shape keeps a room interesting when working with muted tones and natural colors. When finding fixtures to pair with natural materials, think about how to contrast for elegance. It’s important that fixtures don’t blend in or match too much, or the bathroom risks looking drab. When decorating with marble, Soak.com says that rose gold, black and brass are popular schemes in contemporary bathrooms, while chrome remains the single most popular.
Go Green!
To compliment the natural and organic theme in today’s hotel bathrooms, greenery is all the rage.
Hotel Designs says that green, living plants add a fashionable touch to the bathroom along with a pop of color. Having living plants also balances the room and helps it feel homey — edging away from the sterile white hotel bathroom stereotypes of the past.
And while it’s easy to opt for faux greenery, having the real thing evokes a much more pleasant experience for guests. Plus, having live plants doesn’t have to be hard. To find the best plant for a bathroom, think of tropical species that thrive in humid environments. Natural Living Ideas writes that bamboo, aloe vera, orchids and ivy all fare well in bathrooms.
Glass and Sliding Shower Doors
Goodbye shower curtain.
Today’s hotels are embracing walk-in showers that feature glass doors and sliding walls. In addition to maximizing space, these compact showers allow room for luxurious tubs and other bathroom amenities.
The architecture and interior design firm of Montgomery Roth adds that lavish stand up showers are also popular. These luxurious showers are often accompanied by rainfall shower heads, handheld shower heads, steamers and other spa-like add-ons that further enhance the hotel guest’s experience.
It’s also becoming more popular to add digital aspects to hotel bathrooms. In fact, many boutique brands are digitizing entire bathrooms for an ultra-modern experience. ONE17 Design says that digitally-controlled showerheads offer indulgence and can be used to control multiple jets of water at once to create a sauna-like experience in a bathroom.
Trough Sinks
For those that want to switch up a bathroom’s sink style without going overboard on the trendy scale, trough sinks are the perfect balance. Spacious yet traditional, Building Design + Construction trough sinks go well with a variety of bathroom styles. For contemporary bathrooms, trough sinks in black and dark stone colors add mystery and intrigue. For transitional bathrooms that aim to achieve both a traditional and modern style, a simpler trough sink in white can make all the difference.
Texture
Another popular trend in luxurious, high-end bathrooms is texture. Online luxury homeware retailer Amara Living says that textured materials are overtaking color in boutique bathrooms. Rather than bright splashes of wall color, powerful patterns in muted tones are taking center stage.
It’s also becoming popular to add feature walls behind a tub or sink, where a strong pattern gets highlighted in a single area. This helps introduce texture to a space in a more subtle way, which keeps things balanced and makes it easier to test a trend before diving in fully.
UK interior design studio Scarlet Opus adds that nature-inspired textures are in full swing, especially those which evoke calmness and serenity. Desert textures such as sand, stone, gold leaf and blushed hues add a romantic feel to bathrooms. These textures pair well with silvered metallic fixtures and are perfect for ensuite bathrooms in boutique hotels.
Wall texture can be added through mosaic glass tiles too. In her Style At Home article, Natalia DiScala, editor of Oh! Travelissima, quotes several designers pointing to mosaic tiles as gaining traction. It’s because the tiny squares of a glass mosaic tile look somewhat digital, they fit into contemporary spaces. These designs are popping up in all kinds of designs, including flowers and colorful confetti bursts. This design element adds whimsy and flair to any bathroom.
Freestanding Tubs
In a basic hotel, built-in shower and tub combinations are the best way to save space and money. But for boutique hotels, where style is of utmost importance, freestanding tubs are the way to go. In fact, designer Anna Kovalchenko says that today’s tourists have high expectations for hotel bathrooms. They’re expected to be fully immersed in a spa-like experience that’s indulging and rejuvenating. Freestanding tubs, when paired with spacious rooms and beautiful amenities, evoke the deluxe feel guests crave.
Jerry Jacobs Design writes that a modern freestanding tub provides a wow factor. If a boutique bathroom also has a large window space, placing the tub in front of it can add an extra luxurious boost that boutique visitors are looking for. To see how freestanding tubs can be awe-inspiring , take a look at this roundup the World’s Coolest Hotel Bathrooms from Adam Sachs at Travel+Leisure. In a hotel bathroom in Shanghai, for instance, a bold, marble-encased tub overlooks the city skyline for a feel that’s extra cosmopolitan.
Dark, Vivid Colors
Neutral colors will always be popular in bathrooms because they make the space feel clean and fresh. However, dark colors can also make a room feel clean and homey without seeming sterile. Jena Tesse Fox, associate editor at Hotel Management, explains that powerful colors are taking over all rooms in a hotel, including the bathroom. Fox adds that dark, vivid colors also photograph well. Since millennials are so passionate about crafting a digital presence, creating a photographable room can attract and impress customers of this demographic.
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