For all the valet parking, concierge services, private suites and spa facilities, the best features of five star hotels have to be the bathrooms and hot tubs. We expect so little of a bathroom—a top rated toilet, a shower, a sink, maybe a bath—that when we lay eyes on a true luxury loo we are blown away.
But you don’t have to shell out thousands for flights, transfers and day trips to have that five star bathroom experience. Just follow these three steps to make your very own bathroom feel like the five star hotel facility of your dreams.
Make the most of your lighting
Lighting is not always a primary concern when it comes to bathroom design. As long as we can see what we are doing, we are generally accepting of all kinds of illumination. For luxury bathrooms, though, lighting is crucial.
Some luxury bathrooms have large windows to make use of natural light. The Southern Ocean Lodge on Australia’s Kangaroo Island is one example of this. Granted, a large window is not ideal if your bathroom doesn’t happen to boast a five star-worthy view, but there are ways you can play with natural light in your design, from skylights to large glazed windows.
Other five star hotels offer more subdued lighting, such as the Furka Suite in Switzerland’s Chedi Andermatt resort. You can recreate this effect in any bathroom by using carefully placed candles or replacing bulbs for subtle LED lights.
Whichever direction you take your bathroom’s lighting during its luxury makeover, it is important to remember to keep practicality in mind. Burgess Bathrooms’ take on luxury bathroom design is this: “Getting the balance between functionality and aesthetics is key to any bathroom design, whether it be your dream luxury bathroom or a functional bathroom in a rental property.” So if you want mood lighting, make sure it’s still bright enough to see!
Use luxury materials
High quality materials are the difference between genuine luxury bathroom design and a pale imitation. Take marble, a material which is at its most luxurious in the bathroom. Using marble for your bathroom’s walls and flooring will give the whole room a classy quality. Textured marbles like Kenya Black Honed will attract attention, for a more dramatic design. Simpler marbles, like Grey and Black Carrera marble, serve as the perfect backdrop to let your other features stand out.
The marble doesn’t have to stop on the surfaces. A marble bathtub, such as the one in London’s Blake’s Hotel can be equally luxurious, especially when freestanding. As for other bathroom fixtures, taps and showerheads can be sleek and shiny in stainless steel for a modern five star feel, or bronze and copper for more of a rustic look.
Update your bathroom with modern technology
Many five star hotels are at the cutting edge of technological innovation. Smart technology, for instance, can make almost anything seem luxurious.
A smart shower can be switched on to warm up before you get out of bed, while smart toilets come with various helpful features such as an automatic flush, nightlights and even heated seating for those cold and wintery nights. Ultra-modern additions like these bring the concierge experience to the bathroom in a way that no human butler could, no matter how many stars the hotel.
Less futuristic but just as luxurious is the home spa. Though unlikely to be housed inside your bathroom, a spa is always part of the five star hotel package, so there’s no reason it shouldn’t be a part of yours. Home Depot has a guide to installing a home spa, though anyone doubting their DIY abilities should always opt for professional installation. With a home spa installed and a bathroom coated in luxury, your home may well qualify for a five star rating of its own.
