The Worst Hotel Design Feature Is Everywhere

Modern hotel design, especially in refurbished business hotels, have a common problem – a sliding barn door in the worst possible place. 

Obvious Design Flaw

Most hotel design features are intentional, use space and resources efficiently and make the overall guest experience better.

This one makes it worse, far worse.

At a recent stay at a Hyatt Regency the closet and bathroom share a hanging-slide barn door. When the door is slid in front of the bathroom, the wardrobe and safe are exposed. And when it’s in front of the closet, the bathroom door is open. The problems it creates are many.

For homes, this design feature has come (and appears to be fading) but it’s usually to close off a child’s playroom, or a study. No one, in their right mind, would put this design feature in front of a guest bathroom off the living room. Hotel rooms are similar to a bedroom in many ways, and while this style of door might occupy a private bedroom as well, a hotel room also acts as the equivalent to the entire house for a family.

Bathroom Door Is Never Really Closed

There’s a gap that this sliding door leaves between the hallway and the bathroom. Still worse, the toilet doesn’t have its own door so anyone entering the room can get a view (or anything else) of a guest doing their business. There’s no lock either. It might look closed but it really isn’t.

That “fully closed” sliding door doesn’t appear to have a huge gap, but consider the above photo is taken from the entry door to the room. Here’s another angle close up to the gap.

There’s insufficient buffering between those not doing their business and those who are. The view from the toilet itself doesn’t inspire confidence either.

And it’s not just the sliding barn door that seems to fall prey to creative closures at hotels. At a Hilton property in Fort Lauderdale, this gem below are French doors that don’t fully close and have gaps to the sides. It’s essentially the same problem in a different form.

Closet Door Is Never Really Closed

While the wardrobe probably doesn’t hold anything that hotel guests might want hidden from guests to their room, it leaves your clothes and safe on full display. And if one happens to be getting something out of the closet, while another person is exiting the bathroom, the door will slide across and hit anyone accessing the closet.

Qui Bono?

Who benefits from this design? Maybe the hotel decorators feel it gives a modern update to the room. Maybe guests do too, at first.

Does the hotel save money by not having two separate doors on hinges? Maybe. But what kind of savings does that generate? And how many guests that stayed at the hotel simply won’t book it again? If it was marketed as a hotel room with a bathroom door that never closes – is that a selling point? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it is.

I’m looking forward to the end of this design trend, and I doubt I am alone.

What do you think? Have you encountered this? Do you find it to be a nuisance, uncomfortable, or welcome?

Get Daily Updates

Join our mailing list for a daily summary of posts! We never sell your info.

SUBSCRIBE!

You have Successfully Subscribed!