Hotel bathtubs may soon be a thing of the past - The Points Guy

LTC Eugene Chu
..."Will hotel bathtubs disappear?
More than half of TPG readers in the TPG Facebook group prefer showers to tubs. (Photo by Oleg-Breslavtsev/Getty Images)
More than half of TPG readers in the TPG Facebook group prefer showers to tubs. (Photo by Oleg-Breslavtsev/Getty Images)
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What bathroom amenities are available in a hotel still depends largely on its target market.

“If city hotels have the space, offering a bathtub is an opportunity to tap into your local apartment-dwelling market who may not have bathtubs of their own,” Sirna said. “Romance travelers are a mixed bag — while a sexy, unexpected shower experience has its own merits, the traditional, visual aesthetic of a beautiful bathtub still holds strong appeal. Business travelers are more impressed with a high-design shower experience that fits seamlessly into their daily routine.”

Paige Harris, the director of design and development at Valor Hospitality Partners, agrees, adding that she thinks hotel bathtubs are “practically obsolete,” except in very specific cases.

“Some luxury, resort properties are keeping tubs, but only in suites, not in typical guest rooms,” Harris said.

So, despite the ongoing and expanding trend toward showers, bathtubs are unlikely to disappear entirely. As long as there are hardcore bathtub lovers like me and Carolyn Spencer Brown of Maryland around who are willing to splurge a bit to have access to one, bathtubs will stick around.

“Team Bath all the way,” Brown said in the TPG Lounge. “I will choose one hotel over another over that.”