The weird and the wonderful

See-through cubicles, holograms and urinal waterfalls are among the wacky enhancements that can be found in some of today's international washrooms.

Charlotte Branwhite of SCA Tissue Europe looks at the strangest public washrooms around and weighs up the pros and cons of 'wacky'versus 'clean and hygienic'

The washrooms of a hotel, pub or restaurant act as a mirror to the rest of the premises.The dining area may be immaculate but if the washroom is not, guests will often leave with a bad impression of the establishment.

This emerged in a recent survey carried out on behalf of SCA Tissue Europe by United Minds.More than 90 per cent of people questioned said the washroom played an important part in their overall impression of a hotel or restaurant. And 67 per cent felt that an attractively designed washroom made the restaurant experience more pleasant.

Some premises managers have taken this on board and ensured that their washrooms provide an unforgettable experience.Take for example the toilets at New York's SoHo venue Bar 89.These are unisex, in full view of the public - and have seethrough walls. But as soon as the cubicle door is locked, the walls fog up and the facilities become reassuringly private.

Tourist attraction Similarly memorable are the washrooms at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California.The Gents urinal here consists of a backdrop of real rock and a waterfall that is activated when a beam of light is broken.This novelty loo has become a landmark over the years and several tour buses arrive every day crammed with passengers - both male and female - keen to take a peek inside the Gents. Famous visitors to the loos include George Burns, John Wayne and Monica Lewinsky.

Strictly for the ladies, on the other hand, are the female washrooms at the Pasha Restaurant and Club in Chicago.These are pink, candlelit and decorated in velvet and mahogany with a tiny bar in one corner - complete with singing bartender - to provide a refuge from the crowded club outside.

Other restaurant managers like to shock their washroom visitors to ensure their visit is unforgettable. Ladies paying a visit to the loo at trendy California sushi restaurant Katsuya, for example, have reported seeing an eerie hologram face that appears fleetingly on the back of the cubicle door at odd intervals.

Still in America, the washrooms of the Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix offer a virtual laser light show.The cubicles contain fibre optic bundles illuminated by a light-transmitting colour wheel that project coloured lights onto the washroom walls to relax and soothe the washroom visitor.

This trend for quirky washrooms has been predominant in the US, but is not unknown on this side of the Atlantic.The Netherlands has a few unusual washrooms of its own, notably a "talking toilet" in Amsterdam's De Balie cultural centre where visitors are randomly reminded to wash their hands or avoid smoking in the loo.

Another unusual Dutch toilet can be found at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport where a seaside-themed loo comes complete with beach scene murals, mock lighthouse and picket fence.Visitors are soothed by the sounds of seagulls calling and waves breaking on an imaginary shore.

No doubt all these washrooms make for an interesting visit.

However, could the managers of such premises be missing the point?

Wacky versus clean Few washroom visitors in a hotel, restaurant, bar or airport expect the facilities to be jaw-droppingly original - but most do expect them to be clean.

Our United Minds study showed that it was important to more than 95 per cent of hotel guests and restaurant diners that the washrooms be fresh and sanitary. And 87 per cent of hotel guests - and 79 per cent of restaurant diners - said they would not return to an establishment where the washrooms were not clean.

At SCA Tissue Europe we provide aesthetically-pleasing Tork Elevation and Tork Aluminium dispensers that are easy to clean while providing the washroom with a hygienic, fresh appearance. Our dispensers are designed to limit consumption so that refills last longer and a constant supply of paper products and soaps is maintained, which helps to maximise hygiene.

Of course,we are not saying that wacky washrooms are necessarily unhygienic - we are merely suggesting that cleanliness should be a higher priority than wackiness when equipping a washroom.While many customers will appreciate the quirky,most will demand the high level of hygiene that only a well-thought-out and well-equipped washroom can provide.