A ROYAL FLUSH
I recently had the opportunity to stay, for the first time, at a “green” hotel. My maiden voyage took me to the Orchard Garden in San Francisco, a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified property in a great location - just a 1/2 block from chinatown and close to good shopping. Yes, the room was small but hey, as a 17 year veteran of New York studio apartments, I feel comfortable in less square footage than a gigantic suite. Especially when that square footage is stylishly decorated and comes with an iPod speaker/dock (seen in the photo above) and good bathroom amenities - which this particular room (number 1004 if you must know) did.
There was just one little thing that bothered me: the toilet did not have a lid. Now, I am not a germophobe by any means. I am completely lacking in household cleaning skills and there are times when my shower might look like it belongs in a frat house, not a design writer’s apartment. But the one thing I am adamant about is that the toilet lid must be down before flushing, thereby securing that the contents of my bathroom (hello toothbrush!) are protected from whatever might be swirling around in there. The lack of lid freaked me out enough to make it an albeit odd topic of discussion at some meetings with colleagues. Most of them were grossed out. The most common comment was that a toilet without a lid is something you’d expect to find in an airport, not a hotel room.
What about you?
Where do you stand on the “toilet lid up or down” discussion?
Let us know.
And the next time you’re in San Francisco and want a reasonably priced room, try theorchardgardenhotel.com.
Just know….no lids!
September 7th, 2007 at 2:03 am
Toilets without lids are like chests without drawers–uncomplete and seemingly not hygenic either.
Besides, as New Yorkers with petit baths, a toilet is a great functional chair of sorts too. Perfect for touching up the toes or applying self tanner. Also, in my apartment, it’s the only room with an actual door, so it’s the only place to literally shut oneself off from the world.
In any case–toilets should have lids, which should be shut when not in use. Any questions? Or is there possibly another way?
September 11th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
Toilets without lids harken back to grade school days….I think we know that it is customary to put the lid down by now. We’re not in kindergarten anymore! Do we now need to remind ourselves to wash our hands?