How a bathroom door created a design nightmare in a new hotel and illustrates the power of design in a different way.
My friend Jarvis* came to visit choosing to stay in a hotel. He told me of his crazy design experience when he stayed in a new hotel in town. This was a well known hotel chain and brand, as well. The experience that drove him to switch to the Holiday Inn, which was brand new, was a flaw which is often overlooked and easily changed.
He had booked the room at the familiar hotel he usually stayed in when traveling; and it had seemed to be a good fit. Except when he stepped into the bathroom and the door barely made it past the toilet! And, in order to get a shower you had to close the door. This simple design flaw was enough to make him vacate the room.
This design flaw, which, unfortunately, I have also experienced in more than one hotel, made me really think about how cavalier people are about good design. "Good enough" is usually a prevailing attitude as budgets creep higher. However, as this example shows, the overall lifetime loss of revenue could be much more than previously thought.
Too many people choose to live with poor design decisions.
How many guests decide to simply checkout than deal with this major design flaw and complete lack of space in the bathroom? Many more than it seems at first look. I don't think there has been a study; and, if there were, it would have to be based on number of nights booked.
The only reason I stayed in my hotel when I had my encounter with a strangely designed bathroom: my stay was one night only. I simply lived with it one night rather than hassle with moving. In hindsight, maybe I should have.
Ultimately, these poor decisions cost money and only an intense study can tell us for sure how much it is costing a business. In the meantime, businesses can hire designers who create both functional and beautiful designs that meet the requirements of the budget rather than simply settle for cost-effective plans.
And, we can all have better stays and nicer accommodations, wherever we may find ourselves.
Comments