What Makes a Nice En-suite?

In 30-years of business and holiday travel to all corners of the Globe, I can't count the number of times that accommodation where I've stayed has been let down by a sub-standard en-suite bathroom.

Bathrooms Should be Clean, Light, and Spacious.

Bathrooms have the power to make or break a stay; so here's a list of everything I've learned about the traits which make a truly great en-suite in a self-catering holiday cottage, a B+B, or a luxury hotel.

These are good questions you can ask when you're next booking a vacation!

Sense of Light and Space

Bathrooms should be - well - roomy!

There's nothing worse that a poky en-suite - the type where you have to just about stand in the bath to be able to close the door.

You should be able to enjoy more than adequate space around the basin, toilet, and shower.

On the lighting front, the lighting needs of guests vary throughout the day.

In the mornings, a bright light suitable for shaving is always appreciated.

I'm not a fan of "internal" wet rooms without access to natural light.

A window is a must - and a bathroom with a view is a bonus in my book.

And while motion-activated lights in the bathroom might sound like a good idea in theory, sudden darkness requiring you to get up and wave your arms around makes one feel a little stupid.

They Should also be Warm enough, Well-lit, and Private.

The Shower

I hate over-bath showers which are hard to get into.

I especially hate the "all in one" tap designs which control water flow to either the bath or showerhead.

In my book, a shower and a bath should always be physically seperated; and with their own unique tapwear.

And shower taps should be simple to use in order to control both water flow and water temperature.

There's not much worse than standing in a shower with freezing cold water running while you try to adjust the temperature control!

And a "must have" for me is high shower water pressure with a deluging flow.

I want a monsoon of water not a miserly "eco-friendly" trickle.

But this is becoming increasingly hard to find in these days of low-flow shower heads.

And while I'm on this topic, I also look for a shower head that's actually above my own head!

I've lost count of the number of accommodations where the shower is fitted to the wall below shoulder height - and which can't be adjusted upwards? What's with that?

Lastly, I love large "walk-in" showers that provide a screen all the way round to keep out drafts, prevent a wet floor, and still offer easy access at the same time.

And room for two might be an added bonus!

En-suite Amenities

In this area, you get what you pay for.

If a B+B or holiday cottage provides amenities, these should include a quality shampoo, conditioner, shower gel and soap.

Anything extra is a nice bonus - razers, tooth brush, shower cap, emery boards, etc.

Towels should be hygenically clean, plentiful, of different sizes to suite varying needs, good quality, and replaced at a suitable frequency.

And there should be space in the bathroom to store towels and amenities appropriately.

Good Quality Amenities are a Nice Touch.

Heating

It goes without saying really; all bathrooms should be adequately heated - especially in cooler climates like those found in North Yorkshire in winter.

Privacy

Another minimum standard in my book - privacy in a bathroom is a standard requirement.

If glass panes or windows for the bathroom are a core element of the room’s design, electric ‘smart glass’ where the panes change from transparent to opaque shoud be a requirement.

There's no sense to be woken up by lights on in a bathroom at night shining through a transparent frosted glass window!

Other little things

Electric power for hair dryer and shaver.

Hooks or clothes line for hanging clothes.

Adequate ventilation.

Waste bin.

Nice decor!

Clean Lines and High-quality Tiling is a Must for any Nice Bathroom.

Rosella Cottage's En-suite

During the refurbishment of Rosella Cottage in 2013, our interior designer and builder incorporated many of the ideas I've highlighted above into the en-suite bathroom design of our holiday cottage.  We've tried to create a roomy en-suite with a large walk-in shower with a high-pressure deluge shower head.

And our guests tell us they love it!