I was just about to book this attractive hotel in Basel until I noticed something weird in the room photos for the Luxe rooms, which we would have preferred.
https://www.thepassage.ch/de/foto-galerie/luxe.html
From the sleeping area, one walks through the shower to access the toilet and sink. And the only separation I can see is a curtain between bed and shower. Not enough privacy, in my view.
Very strange, and what is with the gingerbread men dancing on the wall? I would not enjoy that exposure. The deluxe room bath looks less edgy.
I just checked some other sites' photos to see if it was the angle of the photo. Other photos look like it's a glass panel, and the door into the shower is around the corner. One review said they didn't like that the curtain wasn't completely opaque. I've stayed in studio villas in Hawaii with a similar set-up where you can see across the bathtub into the bathroom. It was no big deal since it was my husband & me, but if you're traveling with friends, you might want a different choice.
One of the reviews: "Stayed 2 nights on a recent business trip. Very nice room (bit unusual to have a huge window from bed into shower and toilet - but there was a curtain). Great position 15 min walk to train station, and 5 minutes from old..."
Lola,
That was indeed a very odd arrangement for the the shower and bathroom. Another concern is that when showering, it would be hard to prevent overspray from hitting the bed. I agree with Laurel in that you might have to upgrade to the Deluxe room (or choose a different hotel).
I believe there is a glass wall between the bedroom and the shower. If you look at picture #4 you can see a vertical line on the right side that runs through the towel rack in the background. That line is likely a seam between two glass panels. And behind the nightstand is what appears to be drape like panels that you presumably can close for privacy.
I stayed in a room in Lausanne that had a similar set up. It was a little odd but worked. After the first day it didn’t feel weird.
Maybe up it to the "deluxe" room. Looks a bit more conventional with the shower on the back wall.
Click on the "Hotel Diana" website. Loved the giant plastic red high heel in the lobby of the sister hotel in Colmar, Le Colombier.
I've had several rooms with a more open "sexy" shower layout. I don't mind them, but I suppose it all depends on who you are traveling with. I'm always either alone or with just my wife, so it's never a problem.
I had a similar arrangement at a hotel in Vietnam (http://www.royallotushotelhalong.com/gallery/accommodation) except there were louvered blinds inside the shower. I noticed an even more transparent set up in the Citizen M hotel in Amsterdam - just a transparent cylinder in the middle of the room! (see pics here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g188590-d1372848-Reviews-CitizenM_Amsterdam-Amsterdam_North_Holland_Province.html). It would be ok for solo folks, but I agree not much privacy for even the closest of travel companions.
And if one person has to use the toilet in the middle of the night and needs to turn on the light? Is the sleeping area bathed in light? Deal breaker for me.
Indeed, Bets. I'm obviously not the market sector that they're targeting with these types of set-ups!
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I do not want the first thing I see when I open my eyes is my husband bending over to pick up the soap in the shower.
I believe you are correct about the glass wall there—
Too trendy for me!
All part of the broadening travel provides for us. Who knew the best way to and from the toilet was through the shower? ;-)
Laughing and agreeing with Bets, Kim and Karen (altho I travel solo!)!
I had a spate of rooms this last trip where there were big windows in the bathrooms that had essentially no window coverings...or very transparent ones. Good grief.
Unusual, but not unique.
It also looks a bit unusual from the outside. It is on a main road, so it might be noisy. I can't recall it, I don't go along that road often.
There are plenty of other hotels to choose from. They are all listed in the city website: https://www.basel.com/en
For edgy bathrooms, try Citizen M at Schipol.
Citizen M, both Schipol and Amsterdam Zuid, have curtains to separate the bathroom (with "transporter tube" shower) from the sleeping area.
Our house, or Bauhaus.
Less is More.
Koolhaas makes a cool house.
While it has a double bed, it looks more suitable for a single occupancy.
I agree, too much 'view', too little privacy, (and its not about the shower curtain)
😁😁 I'll leave these rooms for the young, sexy couples getting to know each other.
wow that looks silly.. and not because its "sexy" but because I think having a wet floor between me and the toilet ( it looks like you have to step through the shower to the glass walled in toilet ) would be awful. Also while having an open bath or shower may be titillating for some. .. I don't find much sexy about watching my husband sitting on a toilet.. perhaps I am odd that way... lol
I once booked a hotel in Amsterdam that had an open concept bathroom.. when I realized it I did upgrade the room to one with a closed bathroom. Think it was the Park Hotel.
And besides the lack of privacy there is the noise and smell issue.. I dont know how people consider that sexy..lol
Nope. I can handle a tub in the room, its not that unusual to see a hotel with a jacuzzi tub in a romance suite.. but no thanks to toilets.
This has become somehow trendy in certain types of hotels catering mostly for couples. I've seen it (traveling solo, so no worries there) even more "open" arrangements, such as a shower that is a plastic-and-glass cylinder in the middle of the room - look at the Fletcher Hotel Amsterdam - https://www.fletcherhotelamsterdam.nl/en/photos-videos
What is odd is to also have the toilet in the open-plan. Usually, such trendy hotels slip the toilet from the shower and keep just the shower in place.
The trend of using a not-fully-opaque glass door that doesn't lock between bathroom and the rest of the room is more widespread these days. But usually doors are opaque enough to give privacy for the one using the bathroom, provided the other person doesn't open the door.
Although TripAdvisor has been going down for several reasons, something they are still very good at is to have pictures taken by guests. Booking also has more and more of such pics. If a hotel has an unusual bathroom layout, there will be pics there.
Besides architectural trends, there is another reason for that: using plenty of glass, but not exaclty mirrors, greatly improves the perception of space in otherwise small rooms.
We do prefer cool, modern style but I do not like a lot of glass around in the bathroom. I am blind as a bat without my glasses ( as when undressed for the shower) and have been known to walk smack into glass partitions in unfamiliar surroundings.
I ended up booking Hotel Gaia, which is more convenient anyway. We will arriving in Basel by train one day and departing by train the next, so close to the train station seems best. We will have one afternoon and one morning to look around, so will focus mainly on architecture and maybe one museum. Then we are heading to the Alps for 2.5 weeks of hiking..
Hotel Gaia, used to be called Hotel St Gotthard, so you might find more reviews under that name.
Website: http://gaia-hotel.basel-hotels.net/en/
Across the road from the railway station. If you come out the fornt exit from the station, turn right and it is a short distance on your left. If you arrive by bus, keep on walking with the station on your right.
One side has trams going past, so may be noisy if you like to have windows open.
In Hong Kong I've seen it where the shower IS the toilet, the central drain is a squatter. Sure saves on TP.
In Hong Kong I've seen it where the shower IS the toilet, the central drain is a squatter. Sure saves on TP.
Efficient but sometimes we can overdo the efficiency. For some reason the idea of taking a shower after someone has --oh never mind, you get the Picture. Tim, you’ve got to be pulling our legs!
No, not kidding. Look at this picture and you’ll see how easy it would be to double as a shower. Watch your step.
Just this last week I had to run a wire down the shower drain to pull out a hair clog.
Lola...you win the prize for best thread! Informative yet entertaining with a bit of abject horror thrown in.
Thanks, Pam. Some of this may be TMI but not my doing!
What part of "trendy" or "edgy" includes having to be disturbed overnight by the light pouring into the bedroom when someone has to use the bathroom? What a truly idiotic and inconsiderate design.
Looking at Tom's posted picture , I think my principal concern would be taking a misstep and breaking my ankle ( and/or ) leg
