An official with Maryland-based hotel chain Marriott said the industry is phasing out bathtubs in favour of showers to meet the desires of business travellers. The chain said 75% of rooms in new structures will have only showers while Holiday Inn said it has gone from 95% of its new rooms having bathtubs ten years ago to only 55% of current rooms in new structures.
Bill Barrie, senior vice president of design and project management for Marriott, said the past three to five years have seen a shift in the industry from bathtubs to showers.
“Most business people are on the run and take a quick shower,” Barrie said. “There’s no time for baths. Plus the shower experience now can be pretty dramatic.”
Marriott and upscale chain Hotel Indigo have both been shifting to glass-enclosed showers. “Certainly when you do a glass-enclosed shower versus a traditional shower tub combination… you’ll feel you’re in a more spacious environment,” said Mary Dogan, Hotel Indigo’s director of brand management in the Americas. “Our customers prefer or appreciate the spa-inspired, walk-in showers.”
