A good hotel shower

I suspect the taps close to the shower head as ‘default design’ is just the simplest run of the water pipes.
Yes, cheapest; it’s like cars where they’ll implement a change which saves 10c per unit ‘cos it all adds-up in the end. A hotel’s worth of piping saved is … probably an entire couple of dollars!

But also, from when we were building, it does make a difference to how long it takes for the water coming out of the head to get to temp. You do use more water per shower, if the tap/mixer is further away from the head. I can’t recall the metrics, but it wasn’t totally insignificant.
 
IMG_0785.jpeg
This isn't a great photo because it was taken for a general room review not specifically for the shower.
However the shower is very similar to the one @RooFlyer posted.
This was in the junior suite at the Adelaide Sofitel - so I am pleasantly surprised that he got a similar facility in a standard room.

Edit: please politely ignore the mess.
 
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Agree with @RooFlyer that it is an excellent looking shower.

In English private houses, from my small sample, and some English hotels, the shower controls are complex. It is embarrassing to have to ask how to operate them. I am biased but typical Australian plumbing appears simple and practical by comparison.

Southeast Asia can be bad for hotel showers that leak onto the bathroom floor. I don't appreciate having to step onto a close to soaked bathmat.
 
However the shower is very similar to the one @RooFlyer posted.
This was in the junior suite at the Adelaide Sofitel - so I am pleasantly surprised that he got a similar facility in a standard room.

My hotel was an MGallery, and as I note here, generally of Sofitel standard. Classy place.
 
Having just renovated my bathrooms just about everyone of your points is standard these days - or should be (except the grab bar).

That's not to say new hotel builds / renovations are adopting these best practices.
 
I am regularly amazed by the variety of different shower controls. Why can’t hotels adopt a standard mixer.
The thing that really annoys me is the placement of the toilet roll. For example on the wall behind you as you are sitting!

I actually think this is one thing Australia excels at. We've really standardised the mixer tap - pretty rare to see other controls here.

It’s funny how different nationalities have different shower expectations.

We love big walk in showers, glass doors etc and don’t think anything of it if there’s no bath.

In North America they are building brand new hotels with (seems to us) the very old fashioned shower over the bath and shower curtains but that’s the expectation / standard there…

Not in my experience - most low-mid hotels I've stayed in recently when renovating have removed the bath for a stand in shower. I'm guessing it's easier to clean - and just looks more modern. Very hard to get a shub that looks modern.

Luxury rooms do both.
 

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