BETHESDA, Md., May 20 (UPI) -- An official with Maryland-based hotel chain Marriott said the industry is phasing out bathtubs in favor of showers to meet the desires of business travelers.
The chain said 75 percent of rooms in new structures will have only showers while Holiday Inn said it has gone from 95 percent of its new rooms having bathtubs 10 years ago to only 55 percent of current rooms in new structures, USA Today reported Friday.
Bill Barrie, senior vice president of design and project management for Marriott, said the past three to five years have seen a shift in the industry from bathtubs to showers.
"Most business people are on the run and take a quick shower," Barrie said. "There's no time for baths."
"Plus," Barrie said, "the shower experience now can be pretty dramatic."
Marriott and upscale chain Hotel Indigo have both been shifting to glass-enclosed showers.
"Certainly when you do a glass-enclosed shower versus a traditional shower tub combination … you'll feel you're in a more spacious environment," said Mary Dogan, Hotel Indigo's director of brand management in the Americas. "Our customers prefer or appreciate the spa-inspired, walk-in showers."
