Poetic Bathroom at Picasso Shows Value of Understatement

Picasso
Bellagio Las Vegas
3600 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV USA
www.bellagio.com/restaurants/picasso.aspx

Where is it?

This restaurant is located in the middle of the Via Bellagio shopping mall that extends from the north side of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Once you find the menu, which is posted in a small glass case in the middle of the shopping stretch, look beyond it, towards the escalators behind it. To get to the restaurant, you must take the escalators downward.

Once there, follow the signs to the entrance of the restaurant, and upon arriving, go through the wooden front doors and enter the dimly lit dining room. The far front end of the restaurant overlooks the Bellagio fountains. The bathrooms are located on the opposite end of the dining room, along the back wall, about two-thirds of the way back.

There, you'll find a small hallway leading to the restrooms.

What's it like?

The Bellagio itself comes packed with fine-dining restaurants, from Circo to Michael Mina, to name but a few. This establishment, headed by world-renown chef Julian Serrano, has been my favorite so far. (I've yet to visit the hotel's take on Le Cirque, it should be said.)

While the shopping plaza above the restaurant has an art nouveau feel to it, with its bevy of high-end stores, the restaurant itself feels miles away from that. A mix of old world and new, you step into this place via a castle-like hallway that's dimly lit and a bit cavernous, like a wine cellar. The main dining room, while also dimly lit, is open and wide, with high ceilings and wooden walls covered in decorative diamond patterns and artwork.

The artwork here, it should be said, is by Picasso himself -- a dozen or so original paintings by the master hang here, and the tables in the dining room, while all properly spaced, allow each person at the table the chance to spend some time gazing at one or more of these pieces, which in itself brings an automatic sense of contemplation to the dining experience.

That sense is further quantified by the magical food Mr. Serrano prepares here. The food here has traditional art nouveau French as its base, but its nuances and modern spirit raise it above the expected. Portions are small but rich and complex enough to satisfy the hungriest of palates -- more than worthy of its two Michelin stars.

We started with a lobster salad in apple-champagne vinaigrette -- a light, delicate starter course that was accentuated, most surprisingly, but the inclusion of two pieces of celery sitting alongside the main dish. Once blended, the celery brought new dimension to the salad.

Up next was a pan seared scallop atop the most buttery mashed potatoes I've ever had; it was topped with a rich jus de veau. It was followed by a steak of foi gras -- itself only a small piece, but it was expertly seared and melt-in-your-mouth succulent, paired with poached pairs and a creme fraiche gastriche.

For the fourth course, I had sauteed turbot matched with corona beans and Serrano ham; the fish was buttery, rich, flaky, the beans meaty and tender. My companion one-upped me by having a fillet of imported Kobe beef -- the real stuff from Japan, not the American-born imitator, wagyu. While I've been told many times by waiters that extra-high-quality steaks don't need a knife to be cut, I've never actually seen a steak before that literally melt like butter beneath a hot knife before -- that's how tender this guy was. Better still, unlike some fillet which can be tender but bland, this one was richer and meatier-tasting than any other steak I've had. It was a dish that rivaled the truffle-covered ravioli had at Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare, it was that good. Just spellbinding.

The meal closed with a selection of stately desserts, my favorite of which was a chai tea foam, which accentuated a chocolate cake. It was unbearably pricey, but the service was impeccable and the experience utterly memorable -- so good I don't mind spending the money again to experience it once more. One of the great dining experiences of my life.

Having said that, the bathrooms were fully in line with the dining experience surrounding it. Though there are no Picasso paintings in the bathroom, or even replicas (a bit disappointing), the environment alone carries the same classiness and austerity found in the dining room.

These are elegant one-baggers, but with entrance chambers. So you enter into a wash room and then proceed through another door to enter the water closet properly. (Similar to the set up at Montparnasse 1900, only on a smaller scale.)

Throughout the place, the walls are covered with the same diamond-decorated woodwork that covers the walls of the dining room. The lighting is brighter here though, allowing you the chance to admire the design better. The floor is covered in beige tile with brown accent tiles -- all patterned to mimic the patterns on the walls. The main door is heavy, wooden and covered in a similar diamond patterns; the door dividing the wash chamber with the toilet chamber is similar to the entrance door, only it has a frosted glass pane in it to differentiate one from the other (not exactly the place you want to make such a mistake, if you catch my drift).

Potted fake plants sit in most of the corners, and some generic, stately art hangs on the walls (panel pieces, really -- simple but nothing remarkable). It's an understated environment in every way, really. Because of the beige and browns everywhere, the lighting manages to throw a sort of golden hue over everything, further subduing in the environment.

The sink is white porcelain with gold-plated fixtures, including an automatic faucet and a dark wood-framed mirror overhead. The sink itself is unique in that it has elongated flaps on the side that work both as part of the sink and as a unified counter piece; on it sit a soap dispenser, paper towels and a box of tissues.

The toilet room itself is very roomy for a single-occupancy room. The urinal and toilet, both white porcelain, sit against the same back wall. The handicap support bars, toilet paper dispenser, and toilet seat cover dispenser box are gold plated, adding to the hue. Like the rest of the place, it's impeccably clean, odor-free and stately. Elegant without being showy -- a thinking person's bathroom, if you will.

Marks out of 10:

9.

Comments to the Management:

There's a lot going on here -- and the place does it without much flash and dash. Not the more spellbinding place upon first glace, but spend a few minutes here, contemplating if you will, and it's wonders begin to reveal themselves.

Big Surprise: Toilets at Paris Hotel and Casino Cleaner Than Most Actual Parisian Toilets

Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino
3655 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV USA
www.parislasvegas.com

Where is it?

This casino is large, though it's not nearly as large as some of the other mammoth complexes on the Strip, like the Venetian, Wynn and Caesar's Palace, to name a few. As such, getting to the bathroom from the main entrance here doesn't take nearly as long as it would at those other places.

In fact, here you just step inside, walk past the table games of the casino and head south (to the right) towards the hotel's buffet. Once past the casino, look for the "Théâtre des Arts" (or Theater of the Arts, where the Anthony Cools hypnotist show is playing). Once you find the theater, head past the ticket office to the hallway just beyond it. Go down that hallway and you'll find the restrooms.

What's it like?

As with many other Vegas bathrooms, the ones here evoke the theme of their host casino -- except whereas the Venetian and Caesar's Palace toilets stopped short of fully wowing visitors with their thematic decor, the one here goes that extra mile in bringing the thematic vision into reality.

This place has art nouveau written all over it, best seen in the elegant white tile work on the walls, which proves instantly reminiscent of the tile you'll find in the Paris Metro stations, and the intricately designed sinks, which look like they were stripped directly from the imagination of Antonio Gaudi.

Other art nouveau highlights include the dark wood stall tools at the front of the toilet stalls and the overall cavernous feel of the place, which may just be the truest mimicry of what actual mass-market Parisian toilets are like. (Notice that I say "mass market," not "all," because I've been to some wonderful toilets inside Parisian cafes.)

Except, of course, that this place is about 10 times as clean as those mass market toilets. And it has a shoe shine guy at the entrance, as a sort of impulse buy when you're leaving. (He was busy when I passed, so certainly the tactic is working.)

The setup, as stated, is cavernous. You enter and to your immediate left are the sink stations and vanities. These sinks are beautiful -- pedestal sinks that have chic blues, whites and greens worked into their porcelain design. And with automatic soap and water faucets built into them -- which sounds like it would look awkward but somehow just works fine.

Decorative tile work lines the walls behind the sink pedestals -- white tile with highlight lines of blue patterned tile separating each sink area. Gold-framed personalized mirrors hang above each sink.

Further in, you'll find a urinal chamber with about 15 units here, each white porcelain and in true European fashion they have no privacy barriers between them. Oddly enough, the baby changing station is at the very back of this area -- seems like it should go elsewhere.

The back wall is lined with toilet stalls, also about 10 to 15 in all. They have heavy wood doors with frosted glass before them, which kind of makes them feel like you're looking at individualized train compartment doors (or doors to bordello rooms?) -- something I liked. Tiled walls form the sides of the stalls, and both the walls and door go to the floor, offering maximum privacy. The toilets are white porcelain and nothing remarkable, however.

Of course, this is a busy bathroom -- especially when the nearby show lets out -- and the tile work also serves to accentuate the noise factor some, so it's not necessarily the quietest place to make a pit stop.

But the spot is clean and avoids the heavy urine stink that tends to fill most of the mass-market Parisian bathrooms I've been in (I'm looking at you, Museum l'Orangie). But if you can look past that, the wonderful decor will more than make up for those misgivings.

Marks out of 10:

9. Almost a 10, were it not for the noise factor -- the Wynn, our current Vegas leader, manages to cover up the noise in its wonderful toilet, so why not here?

Comments to the Management:

Hard to make the place quieter since it's a very busy toilet, so I'm not sure what else to recommend here outside of moving that baby changing station elsewhere. Otherwise, keep up the great work -- you've got an excellent toilet here.

Homespun Elegance Highlights Toilet Experience at Pearl

Pearl
2855 Ocean Dr.
Vero Beach, FL USA
www.pearlcuisine.com

Where is it?

A little hard to find. The interior of this restaurant twists and turns a bit -- and also includes an al fresco area. Best bet to find the toilets is to do the following:

From the main entrance, face the back wall. Then head to the right, through the front part of the dining room and towards the windows along the north wall (the outdoor seating area is on the other side of them).

Once you reach the side wall, turn left, towards the back of the restaurant. You'll see a hallway open up there with a sign above it -- essentially a framed piece of embroidery -- reading, "Rest Rooms."

What's it like?

This cozy eatery, located near the coast on Vero Beach's upscale island community, is a modest establishment filled with sophisticated charms and a down-to-earth spirit. It's one of those places that looks chic on the outside and inside but soon loses that facade and opens up a very friendly, comfortable demeanor that welcomes all.

The interior is filled with wood tables, red walls, and some knickknacks on the walls -- a design concept that extends the place's sophisticated-yet-homey nature.

The menu has some serious gourmet aspirations, with prices to boot, though I must say I did not eat dinner or lunch here. Rather, I ate breakfast. It included a large selection of expected choices, from omelets to pancakes and everything in between. But it also offered some unique twists on standard favorites. The Overstuffed Breakfast Croissant, for example, piled an egg (I asked for over easy instead of an omelet, which is what the menu suggested), bacon and cheese on a huge, flaky croissant, making it an delectable mess. The House Special Omelet was equally flavorful, filling its eggs with shrimp, crab meat and artichoke.

The toilets edge more towards the place's sophisticated nature than its homey side. Not that I found anything wrong with that. The walls here are covered in beige patterned marble tile, giving the single-serve chamber an elegant feel that made me first think of the toilets I experienced at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Not quite there, but not too far off for a uni-chamber.

This is a roomy environment as well, with about 10 feet separating the door and the back wall, though its not excessively roomy, like the facilities at Golden Krust, Famous Phil's Cheesesteaks, or Nona Sushi. At this size, you can marvel at the small add-ons, like the pedestal beside the toilet that holds the air freshener (we've seen this concept pulled off at other places, like at Hale Groves in Vero Beach and Soho South Cafe in Savannah, but not as successfully) or the wicker basket set out for the thick-ply paper towels (very night, simple touch, even though I still give precedence to the J.W. Marriott Grand Lakes in Orlando's toilets on this add-on).

The fixtures themselves are nothing special: White porcelain sink, toilet and urinal, though like the toilets at the wonderful Sensi or Okada in Las Vegas the pale tile backdrop somehow manages to frame these items as decorative pieces instead of merely functional pieces. I also liked the sink, which was a bit shorter than average and had a pretty bronze faucet atop it that looked like an old-fashioned spigot.

Marks out of 10:

9. A very classy, sophisticated one-bagger. Very well put together.

Comments to the Management:

All I can think of to improve the situation would be to add some decoration to the walls. But then that might ruin the beautiful simplicity here....

Relaxing Style at Adelaide

Adelaide Airport
Sir Richard Williams Avenue
South Australia 5950
Australia

http://www.aal.com.au/default.aspx


Where is it?

Go through check in – bearing in mind the Jet air reps are really harsh and are the only airline in the world that have ever got away with giving me a weight surcharge on my luggage – and security. Make your way to gate 25. At the back in the corner you’ll find the toilets.


What’s it like?

Once inside the terminal reminds me of Aspen airport. I guess it must be the view of the mount lofty range and the brown in the décor because Adelaide is more than ten times bigger than Aspen with proper jet ways and everything. It also felt like a relaxed and friendly place to be.

Entering the toilets I was surprised by the style. Whilst in keeping with the rest of the airport it was ultra modern with regimented square sinks floating from the wall, sleek stainless steel towel dispenser, and ultra modern urinals. It was all beyond what you’d expect in what might be described as a provincial city airport.

Indeed these facilities confirmed what I already knew, that whilst Adelaide atruggles to create a great impression overall, it is capable of remarkable style in the most surprising places.


Marks out of 10:

9.


Comments to the management:

A great set of airport toilets.

Singapore’s Changi Airport has Spotless Shine

Area D
Changi Airport
Singapore
918141

http://www.changiairport.com/


Where is it?

Changi Singapore is a maze of a place. No, that’s not strictly accurate. It’s actually easy to find everything once you realise its scale because the signage is fantastic. However, it is huge and has lots of gadget shops that are really very interesting and, quite frankly, distracted me from the task of finding the next plane.

Add to this that I came to this particular toilet twice (on my first and third pass through this airport on this particular trip) and you’ll get the picture as to why I really don’t have a clue how to direct you there.

However you can use this map (the best map I’ve ever seen of anywhere let alone an airport) http://202.56.134.170/entertainment/interactivemap/main_.htm to find it. It’s in terminal 1 towards gate D40.


What’s it like?

I was looking forward to Singapore. My boss had told me “you could eat your breakfast off the pavement” and that’s the sort of place I like. Clean, tidy and neat. Changi didn’t disappoint and is a fabulous airport. My first stop was after a flight from London on a transfer to Kuala Lumpur. With no desire to eat I used the facilities and wrote the first draft of this blog.

The sinks had great marble surrounds. The toilet cubical was clean and had handy metal shelves to put things on that you don’t find in the UK. But it was the attention to details that went beyond what you normally find in the average airport toilet (which are pretty good these days) that made this place stand out.

I particularly liked the tall urinal. Am I over egging the pudding when I say it’s a piece of sculpture? It’s just fantastic and stately. An old English gentleman of a urinal!

Add to that that there was a working clock that gave accurate time and flowers that at least looked real from a distance and you have a comfortable place to pee.

So why did I have to re write the blog? Reviewing the pictures later in the trip showed that the toilet was just too bright for my camera. Eyal may well be worried about being caught taking photo’s in airports and as he rushes gets blur on his pictures, but I wasn’t rushing. Second time around I just had to try again and put some special effort in to the process. Let the camera settle… and snap.

Well, you’ll see the results weren’t too great. The conclusion had to be that these toilets are the shiniest I have come across. WOW.

Marks out of 10:

9. Just blinding.


Comments to the management:

Super, Super, SUPER.

Toilets of the Great British Empire Live On at Raffles Singapore

Raffles Hotel,

1 Beach Road

Singapore
189673

http://www.raffles.com/en_ra/property/rhs


Where is it?

From the side entrance on Beach Road enter the courtyard and head immediately left. The Gentlemen’s toilets are on the left.

OR

You can get your man to drive you around the corner to the front entrance where you will be escorted from you car by the rather elegant young chap with a turban.


What’s it like?

Raffles Hotel is a bit of the Great British Empire that has managed to survive a couple of world wars, with a brief ownership swap with the Japanese, and the more rapid modernisation of Singapore that’s gone on since. It’s one of those places in the world that will be forever England. It’s a haven where an Englishman can take tea and have a pee.

Raffles has also had a host of legendary visitors. Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling were amongst the earlier visitors, Noel Coward and the likes of Elizabeth Taylor coming more recently. And with a room costing from SG$1000 a night you can bet this is where the wealthy are staying.

You’ll gather that my boss will not stretch to that sort of price, so I just popped in to provide a surprise inspection and check if everything was up to scratch. So, what about the toilets?

In keeping with the style of the history of the hotel they were very Victorian. The solid wooden doors made you feel secure in the stool. No one was going to break through there. A comfy seat gave you time to reflect on the fact that your favourite author could well have sat in the same spot before moving on with the next voyage, a wonder who it was who shot the last tiger killed in Singapore in 1902 in the grounds of the hotel.

The fixtures were also solid with granite tops and tiles and gold fitting in abundance. The toilets were also clean, which given the traffic they got was surprising. In all a jolly good show!


Marks out of 10:

9. Good show old boy. Pip pip.


Comments to the management:

Keep up the good work. No slacking now – I could be back soon.

Islands of Adventure: Lost Continent Toilets Are the Park's Hidden Gems

Islands of Adventure Theme Park
Lost Continent Toilet
Universal Orlando Resort
1000 Universal Studios Plaza
Orlando, FL USA
www.universalorlando.com

Where is it?

Head through the Lost Continent area, which contains the thrilling Dueling Dragons coaster, and look for The Pearl Factory, a moderately sized kiosk, set in a faux Middle East bazaar area of the park, where you can buy an oyster that contains a pearl in it (something theme parks tend to offer, for some reason).

When facing The Pearl Factory, you'll see a small passageway to its left. Go down that passageway and you'll come to the bathrooms, which look like they're set into a stone building.

What's it like?

The best toilets in the park and the ones you'll want to go to if you want to experience a spotless, peaceful bathroom experience.

How these are the best is a mystery, however. Yes, they are tucked away and a bit harder to find than some of the other ones. Yes, they are in an area that really doesn't attract lots of kids. Yes, they are one of the furthest facilities from the entrance to the park. But then they are also somewhat close to Seuss Landing (review coming soon), which is one of the park's two big kiddie areas (the other being Toon Lagoon and its horrid toilets). So I' m not sure what to tell you.

Still, these are wonderful facilities. The walls here are covered with a mix of sandstone tiles and elegant mosaic tiles (very reminiscent of the Luxor bathrooms, only more sophisticated and intricate in its tile work).

The floors have that same sandstone tile on them, only with thicker grout lines. Lighting is soft but bright enough so that you don't feel like the shadows are looming.

This isn't the biggest bathroom experienced in the park -- that honor probably goes to the Hulk Coaster toilets -- but they aren't much smaller, maybe a few units shy and that's all. Also, the design here is different than the other IOA toilets, in that the location is shaped more circularly. You enter, and to your left are a set of urinals. Behind them, on the back wall, is a stretch of toilet stalls. On the right wall are the sink stations -- and like the Jurassic Park bathrooms, the walls jet out around the sinks to create little cubbies for them. Very nice.

A large central pillar (probably housing the supply closet) sits in middle of the bathroom, and because of that the walking areas somehow feel roomier than at the other places -- perhaps because the areas around the urinals and toilets and sinks aren't multi-use. Either you're going to go to the urinals and then across to the sinks or you're not -- there's no room for sharing, essentially.

The sinks, urinals and toilets are all white porcelain but are heightened to near-artistic quality thanks to the intricate tile work and mosaic work behind them. Everything I saw was immaculately cleaned and the air was fresh-smelling and not at all dank or tinged with urine, which is sometimes the case with such bathrooms. A wonderful bathroom experience.

Marks out of 10:

9. Easily the best in the park and definitely worth visiting if you're in need. And certainly the park's hidden gem.

Comments to the Management:

Near-perfection. In fact, pipe in a little soft music and you may have yourself something approaching Vegas standards.

Bicester Village Toilets Offer Up New England Modernity and Style in Old England

Bicester Outlet Shopping Village
50 Pingle Dr
Bicester
United Kingdom
www.bicestervillage.com

Where is it?

After parking, head for the shopping area's central boulevard, which cuts between the two lengthy rows of buildings and shops. Once there, look for the Pret a Manger cafe. The bathrooms can be found down the corridor to the right of that business front.

What's it like?

This tourist-filled shopping outlet, located about 10 minutes away from Oxford, features plenty of high-end retailers, selling everything from designer fashions to bedding to perfume to cookware, among other things. While set in the picturesque English countryside, the look of the place is more like upper-class New England, especially Gloucester or Martha's Vineyard, with the buildings carrying a strong nautical theme and painted in muted pastels, than England.

The bathrooms extend the New World upper-crust feel of the place, thanks to their classy and decidedly modern design. Glossy wooden panels cover the walls. Elegant black tile covers the floor in a way that reminds me of the wonderful toilets experienced at Sensi in the Bellagio. Clearly, the designers wanted to impress people here and I thank them for that.

A row of urinals with black dividers sits against one wall -- very chic in appearance, though the barriers were set a little low for my tastes. In the back is a set of three toilet stalls, each with the same elegant wood paneling comprising its walls and door. Very comfortable and quite possibly the most stylish and private-feeling stall (set in a mass-service bathroom) I've been in since my visit to the Wynn Las Vegas.

Opposite the urinals, the vanity features a black marble (to match the floor) and four in-set sinks, as well as a stretch mirror hanging over it. Though the faucets aren't automatic (which reminded me some of of the Delta Crown Room Toilets at JFK) they are not the old-school variety of push-button faucets (like in the aforementioned Crown Room).

Even better: The hand soap used here is Gilchrist and Soames -- and you feel the luxury in the choice the instant it makes contact with your hands. So silky......

Marks out of 10:

9. Easily the best public toilets visited while in England, and some of the best mass-service facilities experienced outside of Las Vegas and Orlando, to be honest.

Comments to the Management:

Nearly perfect. The only change I would make would be to life the urinal barriers some, which would enhance the privacy factor some.