Shower or bath - which one do you offer?

[Jenny]

Hello everyone!

There is nothing more refreshing than a shower after a long journey, or more relaxing than a hot bath and a glass of wine after a busy day.

Everyone has their own preference over whether they are a bath person, a shower person, or maybe both!  It’s definitely something that guests will look for in a listing.

I’d love to know whether you have a bath, a shower, or both in your listing!  Do you have a preference?  What made you decide to go for one over the other?

Please let us know about what you offer in your listing, and even how it measures up against your personal preferences!  Perhaps you’ve got something a little different, like an outdoor shower?

I’m looking forward to reading your comments about what bathing amenities you offer for your guests.

Thanks!

Jenny

[Laurelle3]

@Jenny our cottage only has a walk in shower because of the size of the bathroom. It has no hob for easy access but not promoted for accessability purpose because of no hand rails. 

I personally look for a bath when booking it is luxury to lie and soak, time out, full to the top with hot water. But one has to think of water restrictions that we have most summers. I also think how clean is the bath and give it a wipe out before use with cleaner if left or covid hand cleaner or dishwashing detergent. This could be an issue with cleaners, a shower is easy to clean than a bath.

Also, some baths can be difficult to get into when they have a fixed shower screen on the side, no security to climb in a safety issue.

I do have a pushout collapsible washing tub which I recommend to parents to wash or use for little ones.

[Jenny]

Hi @Laurelle3!

Absolutely agree with you on choosing a listing with a bath that's luxurious!

Jenny

[Pat271]

Speaking of safety, when we remodeled the shower, we found this cool double-duty safety rail. It is a rail that can hold shampoo, soap, razor etc. It is bolted to 2 studs so it is very strong. What I like about it is that it’s multifunctional and doesn’t look like an “old people” rail.

 

[Laurelle3]

@Pat271 I like it. What brand of make is it?

[Pat271]

@Laurelle3  It’s Moen. Here it is on Amazon in the US.

https://www.amazon.com/Moen-Bathroom-Safety-16-Inch-Screw/dp/B09NPVKT7Q

[Lorna170]

@Jenny   Many times the property will dictate the installation of a shower or bath.  As multi-property owners for 20+ years, we have installed showers in most of our properties but have added a tub when the property is larger and will be suitable for families.  One bathroom will have a shower and another will have a tub shower combo.  Our cleaners prefer showers as they are easier to spray and wipe down.  We had one property with a jetted spa bath and our cleaner had to climb into it to scrub it down.  

As an aside, we have had people use our hot tubs to bathe their children in when they have rented a cabin without a bath.  As a result, shower only properties are no longer "child friendly".

[Jenny]

Oh wow, @Lorna170 - a jetted spa bath sounds incredible!  Though it sounds like it's a longer job for the cleaners.

Was there any damage to the hot tubs when used as a bath?  

[Lorna170]

@Jenny  Hot tubs when used as a bath for children or dogs require 2 empties.  One to get rid of the dirt and another to ensure that all products (soap, shampoo and oils) are cleared from the system. Yes, we have had damage — a washcloth in the pipes clogging the impeller and jets.  Dog hair that keeps returning after a second empty.  Foam and bubbles due to bubble bath product use.  Love products that get sucked in.  

We empty, scrub, refill and chemically treat our hot tubs after every guest.  We change the filter out after every guest and use a filter cleaner to prepare for the next changeover.  We are charged by our maintenance person for this labor and it adds 2 hours to our turnover time.

We did away with the jetted bathtub(replaced it)  when we discovered how much gunk was in the pipes and behind the jets, even though it was thoroughly cleaned after guests.  

[Gordon0]

A host I stay with in NYC had a horrific review from a guest who spoke of their "traumatic" experience of turning the jets on while in the bath only to be covered in gunk. The host took it on the chin, but the review is a pungent reminder of what can go (disastrously) wrong. I think I'll stick to the shower 🙂 

[Helen427]

Personally @Jenny 
I'm partial to preferring to having a bath as it's so therapeutic and relaxing, however have had to compromise with having only a shower in the last couple of homes I've lived in.

I think part of places not having a bath built into them or having them removed these days is because of the ongoing impact of 'water shortages' we have told to us year after year and which dates back to the same script that was in place 100 years ago.

At the moment I'm living in a place with a slide up and down shower with variable water pressure which is appreciated.

With summer looming it's back to the Big Baths of the swimming and spa pools and ocean.

[Shana166]

Im all for the shower. In fact.. I have removed the bath to have a walk in shower in my home as it wasnt getting used anyway and was taking some precious space. Now the room looks much bigger and stylish

[Ashif19]

I have both in one.

[Huma0]

@Jenny 

I am really not a fan of shower bath combos, although I know that a lot of people go with that due to space. I had one in the apartment I owned before I moved to this house. That was okay because there were tiled walls on three sides of the bath, but sometimes they are just so awkward.

In the last listing I stayed in, there was a standard type rectangular bath, but the host had chosen a smaller, round curtain rail (the type designed for roll top baths) and it just didn't work well at all. That was one of the quickest showers I've had. I just wanted to get out of it. I have no idea why her bathroom was set up the way it was. It was large enough to accommodate a bath and a separate shower, plus newly renovated. 

In the previous listing, the bathroom was small, and there was a mini roll top with a deck mounted shower and no shower curtain. It looked very cute but was totally impractical if you wanted to shower. It was not easy to climb in and out of and difficult not to get water all over the floor. I was worried for my elderly mother. Skipping the tub and installing a shower instead would have been a much better option in my opinion, unless you are targeting families, which this host was not.

I guess some people just love baths, but if you can only have one, I think a shower is a much better option and, if you go for a shower/tub combo, think about the practical and safety issues.

[Huma0]

I am lucky in that my house is large enough to have both. I have two smaller bathrooms that both have showers, one with a cubicle and one that is a wet room, so there's no screen or curtain. It's designed so that water doesn't get all over the floor outside of the shower area, but the occasional guest still manages to do this, I don't know how.

In the large bathroom, there is a walk in shower and a roll top bath. All showers have an overhead and handheld attachment, but in hindsight, it might have been good to have a handheld shower with the bath as well, for quicker cleaning. However, unlike some of the other posters here, I find it really quick and easy to clean the bath - much quicker than the showers with all that glass.

Guests very rarely use the bath (which is lucky as it is deep and that's a lot of water) and those that do are almost always from the USA. I feel that these days (especially outside of the UK) Europeans are just used to showers. As I don't host families, the bath is a nice to have rather than a must have. However, I'm glad I have one. Whether they use it or not, guests often comment on it and it does have a bit of wow factor. Some have told me they booked the listing because of the pictures of the bath and still never use it!

[Gordon0]

One of the first things we did when we moved to our current house was to get rid of both baths. We're blessed with very good water pressure, so are often complimented on that. When we come to sell (18 months from now) it may be a different story as statistics suggest a female buyer won't overlook the no-bath situation. Hopefully we'll get sufficient interest from blokes.

My absolute pet hate is those nylon shower curtains (that often stick to you). Horrid things!