Over the past decade, the bathroom has gained significant importance. It's the first thing a guest checks when they get to their hotel room and must therefore make a good first impression. Grubby plugholes, a plastic shower curtain and a strong smell of chemical cleaning products will not inspire guests to stay and relax, whereas cool marble floors, soft, luxuriant towelling robes and designer-brand products will immediately impress.
As Four Seasons Damascus general manager Markus Iseli explains, the bathroom gives the measure of the hotel.
"We offer stylish ensuite marble bathrooms that are accented with Syrian touches and include Four Seasons signature features - a deep soaking tub and separate glass walled shower, thick terry robes, hair dryer, fine toiletries, and so on," Iseli says.
But when designing a bathroom it isn't only the guests who must be considered: the fittings must be both attractive and durable enough to outlast any fads, and it is vital that they are easy to clean.
Bathroom fittings and accessories manufacturer G-Style managing director Andreas Giannaros explains that high-standard materials are essential.
"This is the reason why we decided to use stainless steel as our raw material. Besides being of an extremely high quality, it ensures a very low maintenance cost for the end user,' he says.
Giannaros adds it is crucial for hotels not to underestimate the importance of bathrooms fittings.
"Some items get overlooked in the design and construction stages, maybe because their necessity is not as obvious as that of a tap or WC. But it is actually these bathroom accessories that make all the difference," continues Giannaros.
"This decade's major trend in bathrooms is the ‘minimal design', with simple and straight lines and big clear surfaces. The general idea is a good one and certainly synchronous to our modern way of life, but some designers tend to over do it and forget basic functions of the area they are designing just to keep it minimal. This is why sometimes you see great-looking bathrooms where there is no place to hang your towel or put your toothbrush.
The Four Seasons' Iseli believes that the best plan, regardless of trends, is to opt for high-quality basics and to take different countries' requirements into account.
"We have always maintained that functionality and comfort is the most successful approach to bathrooms,so this is very much reflected at the Four Seasons Damascus. The bathrooms are designed to meet local traditions and culture, thus the bathroom decor in Syria looks different to a bathroom's decor in Turkey or Bali," he explains.
"Our bathrooms are specifically designed with longevity in mind, so any refurbishments would be relatively minor: lighting, polishing and so on.
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