A new trend in luxury hotels: the open-plan bathroom has become something of the norm. The concept is simple, instead of segregating certain aspects of the room off, everything appears in one place. All can be visually seen from your bed: the toilet, the shower and bath.
They are becoming something of a phenomenon. Some hotels offer a ‘modesty’ glass which is frosted, (even though the fleshy outline of one’s body can be viewed) and communal bathrooms, should this be personally unsatisfactory.
The Standard Hotel in New York sports these open-plan bathrooms; positioned adjacently to the bed, and is visual to passers-by on the street, making it instantly famous. At the Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, the lavatory is visible behind clear, glass walls. And at the Ecclestone Square Hotel in London, your privacy glass will turn opaque when pressing a button.
The question is, what are the benefits of an open-plan bathroom and hotel room? Aside from offering the user with a contemporary, nouveau way of living, it also expands the sense of the room, boosting spatial awareness. This, therefore, means that these types of wash areas are popular amongst boutique hotels, which have little space to work with.
The open-plan vibe also allows for light to escape, brightening the most dingiest of rooms. You may be showering consciously whilst your partner loiters in the room, bizarrely watching TV, but you will be brightly illuminated.
If a bachelor, or bachelorette; an open-plan bathroom may be a fair decision to make. In the comfort of your own space, you can be catching up on Daybreak and singing in the shower simultaneously at the same time, all before you leave for work.
This modern concept of washroom-meets-bedroom is very forward-thinking and boarders upon exhibitionistic, but, much as society begins to accept cultural differences, perhaps we too can learn to embrace open-plan living.
