America's Best Bathrooms 2008
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Rubin Communications
Top Places to Tinkle
The buzz for trendy bathrooms continues to grow, but one company, Cintas, seller of bathroom goods, takes this trend seriously with its annual Best Restroom Awards.
See what it takes to make the list and compare these unique lavatories to other outrageous restrooms we've found, including the most expensive restroom in the world.
First Up: The 1st Place Winner Is ... -
Rubin Communications
The Hermitage Hotel
2008 Rank: 1st Place
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Named after Andrew Jackson's Hermitage estate this nearly 100-year old luxury hotel includes public art deco-themed restrooms with authentic terrazzo floors, leaded-glass tiles and a shoeshine station.
Next: 2nd Place Winner -
Rubin Communications
21c Museum Hotel
2008 Rank: 2nd Place
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
The men's restroom at this 91-room hotel features a urinal that has a one-way mirror and above the basins, eyes stare back at you. The bathroom also has LCD screens with traveling images of eyes built into mirror above sink.
Next: 3rd Place Winner -
Rubin Communications
Brio Restaurant
2008 Rank: 3rd Place
Location: Rockford, Illinois
Located in Rockford's River District, Brio has become known as downtown's premiere restaurant and nightspot. Its themed restrooms stand out because its women's bathroom has a Heaven theme while its men's bathroom has a Hell theme. Both restrooms have custom mirrors, sinks, doors and floor, using a wide variety of materials.
Next: 4th Place Winner -
Rubin Communications
Signature Room at the 95th
2008 Rank: 4th Place
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Located atop the John Hancock Center the restroom in this contemporary American restaurant offers amazing views of the windy city. You will also find custom woodwork, silver accent pieces and black & white photos from the 1930’s.
Next: 5th Place Winner -
Rubin Communications
Smith College Museum of Art
2008 Rank: 5th Place
Location: Northampton, Massachusetts
Inspired by the artist-designed restrooms at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the museum invited Ellen Driscoll and Sandy Skoglund to design the women’s and men’s rooms, respectively, on the lower level. The water-themed restrooms feature hand-painted tiles and etched glass panels depicting sea creatures and plant life.
Next: Finalist -
Rubin Communications
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa
2008 Rank: Finalist
Location: Taos, New Mexico
The restrooms of this tranquil spa have an "Earth in Harmony" theme. The walls are covered in real cork from Portugal. The fossilized rock for the hand basins are incredible, with water flowing out the flush spigot when activated by sensors. The floors are made of slate and the wood used on the stalls is African mahogany, known as Sapelli.
Next: Finalist -
Rubin Communications
Grand Central Station
2008 Rank: Finalist
Location: New York, New York
The recent renovation in Grand Central Terminal in New York reflects the architect’s philosophy of designing restrooms that not only befit the grandeur of one our most prized national landmarks, but also a belief in an exceptional design aesthetic with the use of high quality materials: Bottocino marble walls, terrazzo seamless flooring, stainless steel doors, Stony Creek granite partitions and high quality sustainable light fixtures.
Next: Finalist -
Rubin Communications
Iowa 80 Truck Stop
2008 Rank: Finalist
Location: Walcott, Iowa
The restroom of 'The World’s Largest Truck Stop' is themed to reflect service stations from year’s past. It includes nostalgic signs and custom tile. The women's restroom is adorned in pink with signs offering trivia and gender-specific advice.
Next: Finalist -
Rubin Communications
Jerome Bettis' Grille 36
2008 Rank: Finalist
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Located on Pittsburgh’s Riverfront one side of Grille 36 offers an amazing view of Heinz Field while the opposite side looks out to a panoramic view of the Pittsburgh skyline. The sports-themed restroom features quality materials and a one-way mirror, so customers don’t miss any of the action while they "take care of business."
Next: Finalist -
Rubin Communications
The Montville Inn
2008 Rank: Finalist
Location: Montville, New Jersey
The restrooms of this historic 1770 inn were remodeled in 2007 and feature custom glass fiber reinforced concrete sinks, stone in-laid walls and a mirror with a waterfall and television built into it.
Next: Last Year's Winners -
celluon.com
Jungle Jim's International Market
Location: Fairfield, Ohio
Winner of the 2007 America's Best Restroom Award, Jungle Jim's famous restrooms stop shoppers dead in their tacks. Talk about bathroom humor -- the entrance doors are actual Port-o-Lets. Unsuspecting shoppers patiently wait their turn until they see three or four people exiting. Upon opening the door they discover a gigantic, modern restroom within. Truly a luxurious Porta-Potty.
Next: Catch 31 -
31ocean.com
Catch 31
Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
Boasting spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, this restaurant and its restrooms have cool blue walls, soaring ceilings and an airy ambiance. Visitors and locals alike are put at ease in the restaurant's tranquil, nautical-themed washrooms. Catch 31's bathroom ranked second in the 2007 America's Best Restroom Award Hall of Fame.
Next: Vermont Marble Museum -
Robert Pye, Vermont Marble Museum
Vermont Marble Museum
Location: Proctor, Vt.
The truly unique thing about this restroom, ranking fourth in the 2007 America's Best Restrooms Hall of Fame, is that it's made entirely from marble. The two types of marble that used are White Vermont Marble, think Jefferson Memorial, and Vermont Verde Antique Marble, a rare, unique and highly prized material.
Next: Fandangles' -
Fandangles
Fandangles Restaurant
Location: Flushing, Mich.
The bathroom walls become a mini art gallery, decorated with local and regional art.
Beautiful flowers flank the sink and counter space, and curtains billow over the top of each stall, making Fandangles' fifth in the 2007 Best Restrooms Hall of Fame.
Next: Wendell's Restaurant -
Daks Hall
Wendell's Restaurant
Location: Westerville, Ohio
Wendell's bathroom, winner of the 2006 America's Best Restroom Award, features a classic sports theme and is praised for being neat, clean and having lots of towels and even mouthwash!
Next: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa -
Borgata Hotel
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Location: Atlantic City, N.J.
In the Borgata's bathrooms, marble floors complement warm wood tones and clean, contemporary stainless steel sinks. Restroom users have their choice of hand towels or using one of the dryers. The Borgata held the fourth spot in the 2006 Best Restrooms Hall of Fame.
Next: Columbia Tower Club -
ClubCorp Online
Columbia Tower Club
Location: Seattle, WA
Each bathroom stall at the Columbia Tower Club has its own, individual view of the Seattle skyline, enough to award these restrooms second place in the 2005 America's Best Restrooms Hall of Fame.
Every one of the stalls is luxuriously appointed with its own sink, marble counters and floors, and solid brass fixtures.
Next: 3D-GOLD jewelry store -
Vincent Yu, AP
3D-GOLD Jewelry Store
Location: Hong Kong
In 2001, the 3D-GOLD earned two places in the Guinness World Records by constructing the world's "most expensive bathroom," and "most expensive toilet," made almost exclusively out of gold.
The shop owner says he was inspired by the writings of the Russian communist Vladimir I. Lenin, who wanted to build public toilets of gold after the triumph of socialism.
Next: Cafe do Gol -
Antonio Scorza, Getty Images
Cafe do Gol
Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Cafe do Gol is a soccer-themed restaurant-bar-discotheque complex currently under construction and owned by Brazilian soccer star Romario in Rio de Janeiro. Painted on the doors are caricatures of former Brazilian soccer national selection coach Mario Zagallo and his assistant Zico.
Next: CBGB -
REUTERS
CBGB
Location: New York City (now closed)
This notoriously dirty, grafitti-style bathroom is seen inside the legendary music venue CBGB in New York City, Oct. 14, 2006. CBGB closed on Oct. 15 after 33 years of allowing customers to write on its bathroom walls.
Next: Cherry Nightclub -
Ethan Miller, Getty Images
Cherry Nightclub
Location: Las Vegas
The men's bathrooms at Rande Gerber's Cherry Nightclub inside the Red Rock Casino are graced with custom cherry-red lip-shaped urinals from designer Meile van Schijndel of Bathroom Mania in the Netherlands. There are also two-way mirrors over the sinks in the adjoining men's and women's restrooms.
Next: Louis Armstrong's House -
Stan Honda, Getty Images
Louis Armstrong's House
Location: Queens, N.Y.
The Louis Armstrong House, at 34-56 107th St. in the Corona, Queens section of New York is completely covered in mirrors and with gold-plated fixtures. The house, the long-time home of acclaimed jazz musician Armstrong and his wife and a National Historic Landmark, has undergone extensive renovations and is now open to the public for tours.
Next: Charmin Temporary Toilets -
Spencer Platt, Getty Images
Charmin Temporary Toilets
Location: Times Sqaure, N.Y.
The doors to the new temporary public restrooms sponsored by Charmin were opened to view in Times Square Nov. 20, 2006 in New York City. The installation includes 20 deluxe restrooms staffed by full time attendants. At the restroom site baby changing stations, stroller parking, tourist information and sitting areas are also available.
Also on AOL: America's Best Colleges 2009 -
Best Colleges 2009
U.S News annual list of America's top colleges showcases the best in higher education. From east coast Ivy League schools to west coast Pac-10 schools we countdown the 25 very best colleges.
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Recent Comments
Commjet 05:40:06 PM Aug 28 2008
The toilets that are the most fun are the "famous public toilets" of Kawakawa just south of Paihia on the north island of New Zealand. There are trees and grass growing out of the roofs and daylight enters through the walls filled with empty wine bottles of different colors. The men's and ladies rooms are covered in colorful tiles. The public toilets are the pride of this little town.
GymnasticGurl874 04:32:42 PM Aug 28 2008
th roomsomg that was so cool lol even though it was bas
Willbuddy1997 04:22:51 PM Aug 28 2008
i think its funny how owners of shops spend so much money on places for poeple to empty lol
Mrgreg321 04:16:30 PM Aug 28 2008
What about the steak house at the Madonna Inn where you pee right into a waterfall? Fun, fun fun!
Baffling2us 03:53:38 PM Aug 28 2008
Hope Sen. Larry Craig doesn't find out about these places!!
TRAVLADICT 03:06:10 PM Aug 28 2008
I'm glad there are nice places to use the bathroom! I travel with my work, and have to use public restrooms when I'm out mapping. There are some horrendous bathrooms out there! Not as far as decorating goes, but horrendous meaning disgusting!!!!
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