Survey: The State of Hospitality Washrooms in Morocco

Chefs and industry professionals say one way you can judge a hospitality establishment is by its bathroom and for many customers the toilet is the first and last impression of a restaurant, hotel, bar, cafe, etc. they get. Yet many businesses within the hospitality sector overlook the bathrooms and instead focus their time and money on fittings and fixtures front of house.

Be it consciously or subconsciously, every touch point of your business is registered by your visitors so it is understandable that if your washrooms are not up to scratch this can naturally lead to concerns about the condition of the kitchen. Toilets leave a lasting impression.

The term hospitality establishment has a broad definition and so for the purpose of the survey was used as an umbrella term to refer to places you can purchase food and drink from. Respondents were provided with a list of examples including restaurants, hotels, pubs, bars, nightclubs and cafés.

Public Perception of Hospitality Washrooms in Morocco

Overall, the Moroccan public's attitude to bathrooms in the hospitality sector wasn't a positive one; just 3% of toilets in the Moroccan hospitality establishments are considered "spotless".

The bathrooms people reported feeling most reluctant to use were trains (54%) followed by nightclubs (25%), motorway services (22%), stadiums (22%) and fast food outlets (21%).

To understand why the above establishments' bathrooms fared so badly in public opinion, we asked what made them so unfavourable. The biggest issue was hygiene, with over half (58%) of those surveyed saying facilities were "too dirty". Close to half (46%) thought the facilities were "too smelly" and almost as many (44%) cited poor maintenance as a reason for their reluctance to use the toilets. While unflattering lighting and the bathroom being too hot were low on the list of concerns, over one in ten (12%) complained of the toilets being too busy.

Keeping washrooms pristine - well maintained surfaces and cubicles or at least, clean and fragrant - should be a priority for any business owner in the hospitality sector. There's a clear link between the quality of public washrooms and the perceived quality of the hygiene, food and service at that establishment overall. It might be time to rethink bathrooms in the hospitality sector and put washrooms front and centre.

Would Dirty Bathrooms Deter Customers?

We asked survey respondents... "If you were to check the bathrooms before deciding to eat somewhere and saw they were in poor condition, would it put you off going there?" A resounding 73% said "Yes, it would put me off going there."

In addition to the 73% who said a bathroom in poor condition is enough for them to take their business elsewhere, it is interesting to note that over a quarter (26%) of our respondents say they do check the bathrooms before deciding to eat or drink somewhere. This accounts for one in four people and is something hospitality establishments cannot risk ignoring as it shows many venues are judged before they've had a chance to serve the visitor.

The Impact of Color and Decor

As well as cleanliness, busyness and odour, the design and aesthetic of a bathroom can have a significant impact on how pleasant an experience users will have there.

• Our survey found that the colours people associate with clean, stylish bathrooms in hospitality establishments are whites and creams (39%).
• For 14% of respondents, lighter colours also impact visitor perception on how a bathroom smells.
• A response to colour in this manner is not something that would necessarily be at the forefront of a designers mind but nonetheless goes to show the affect decor can have on our senses that goes beyond the visual.
• A little over a third of those surveyed (38%) said colour did not influence their perception of smell which means for the majority it is a factor.

Hygiene and scent aside, decor can also affect a bathroom user's perception of comfort in hospitality sector washrooms. As seen above in the experiences shared by respondents, bright, spacious bathrooms with large mirrors and sinks were almost universally considered positive features. Asked if the style/ decor of the bathroom impacted whether they felt comfortable using the facilities, 42% of respondents said it did.

More than a quarter (28%) of our survey respondents say that they'll take selfies in an establishment's bathroom if they like the decor; this can influence other potential customers' choices when choosing where to visit.

There's a clear connection between perceptions of cleanliness and the quality of the establishment as a whole in customers' minds; two thirds (65%) of our respondents either 'somewhat agree' or 'strongly agree' that the cleanliness of a bathroom in a hospitality establishment reflects the quality of the food served there. Over half (56%) go as far as to say that the state of a bathroom has lead them to never return to that establishment; the impact of washrooms on customer opinion cannot be overstated.

What Makes a Good Hospitality Washroom?

Having established exactly what the public don't like when it comes to bathrooms in hospitality establishments, it's time to explore the features that can give a washroom the wow factor.

• Touchless Flush: The most popular feature, with seven out of ten (71%) respondents preferring a 'handsfree' washroom experience.
• Improved Ventilation: Half (48%) felt this was somewhat important.
• Soundproofing: Two in five (42%) considered this to be somewhat important.
• Reduced Noise Hand Dryers: Generally considered not very important (41%).

Bathroom users don't seem to want excessive frills; Japanese style toilets with wash and dry technology weren't favoured by many respondents. There is high demand for basic privacy, hygiene and fresh air when it comes to providing a premium washroom experience and a chance for some alone time.

Final Thoughts

We've seen above how washroom design and decor can improve perceptions of cleanliness; bright colours can create the sense of a bright, airy and spacious washroom. Even the cleanest toilets can come across as gloomy and dirty with the wrong decor, so combining touchless flush, good ventilation and soundproofing features with light reflecting colours and attractive fittings is a must for quality washrooms.