December 2017 Digital Issue

Atlific also equipped all its walk-in
showers with rainshower heads for
a spa-like experience. However, not
every shower user wants to feel rained
upon, so the newly opened Le Mount
Stephen Hotel in Montreal installed
a wall-mounted rainshower head in
addition to the traditional ceilingmounted
variety.
Atlific also opted to install adjustable
shower heads with slide bars at its
Hilton Garden Inn Montreal Airport
and Sheraton Montreal Airport
properties. “The shower incorporates
a sliding bar that allows the guest to
easily change the height of the shower
head by sliding it up or down the bar,”
says Garth Ruggiero, corporate director
of Procurement at Atlific Hotels.
“The shower head is also available as
a hand-held variety with an attached
hose so it can be removed from its
bracket for added ease of showering.”
Le Mount Stephen also included a
half-inch thermostatic valve with an
integrated two-way diverter. Thermostatic
valves have two handles: one
that controls the water volume and one
that controls temperature. The valve
allows the guest to change the flow
volume without affecting the temperature.
“Over 50 per cent of our customfinished
production is based on shower
components,” says Antoine Naoum,
general manager of Le Mount Stephen.
To add an extra touch of elegant
indulgence, some of Atlific’s hotels —
including the Courtyard by Marriott
Calgary South — feature stand-alone
tubs. This style of bathtub is chic and
makes a strong design statement. They
are attention-grabbing, and designed
for those who love to take baths.
FINISHES
To add to the look of the bathroom,
hotels rely not only on upscale fixtures
but also on luxury finishes. “Today, most
hotel bathrooms are designed to make
the space more airy and pleasant, with
materials that are easy to maintain,” says
Maria Antonopoulos, Marketing director
at Hotel William Gray in Montreal.
“White tile, glass, stainless steel and
quartz help create an atmosphere that
feels minimalistic yet luxurious. We
used quartz to give the bathrooms a very
clean, white appearance.”
The appeal of quartz is widespread
and, in some cases, the material
can also be used for wall panelling.
According to U.K.-based
stone-worktop supplier Touchstone
Design-forward bathrooms at Le Mount
Stephen Hotel
Workshops, quartz’s durability, visual
quality and longevity enables it to be
used in bathrooms for years on end
without having to worry about replacing
the surface. “[We use] quartz for
vanity tops, shower and tub surrounds
as these come in a variety of styles,”
says Ruggiero.
“We are also starting to see a trend
away from the all-white tile tub
surround,” adds Janine Anderson,
senior designer, Hager Design International
Inc. “Although the all-white
tub surround will remain a classic for
a few more years, we are seeing a move
towards using more neutral-toned tiles
in greys and beiges, and in patterns
like the ceramic Carrara marble-look
tiles — often implemented in a stacked
layout for a more modern look.”
Anderson also points to gold and
black metal finishes as a leading-edge
design trend for faucets and accessories,
but “these finishes often come
at a premium, [which] can challenge a
client’s budget.”
LIGHTING AND MIRRORS
Good lighting is key to maintaining
ambiance and functionality at Atlific
Hotels’ properties. Lighting is most
important in the bathroom, because
that’s where the guest is most likely to
do detailed work, such as shaving, pluck-
40 DECEMBER 2017 HOTELIER hoteliermagazine.com