Why do hotel rooms often have phone next to the toilet?

[richie9x]

One thing that has puzzled me about hotel rooms is quite common to have a telephone my the toilet. It seems to be the more upmarket the hotel the greater the chance they will have a toilet phone. I mean most people don't have a toilet phone at home (or maybe they do?!?) why have on in a hotel room? Most hotel rooms are small enough you can easily hear the telephone ring no matter where you are.

Perhaps I should ring up the front desk and ask "Hello, I would like some one to come up and wipe my bottom please"

Or is there some other purpose I am not aware of?

 

[ejb]

I always assumed it was for safety if someone fell.

I could be wrong.

I did enjoy making calls when sitting on the toilet as a kid in hotels.

ejb


Sent from my iPhone so please ignore auto corrects!

 

[pauly7]

Because a huge percentage of deaths in hotels are from people having heart attacks / strokes in showers!!

 

[Mal]

I think it's a hangover from the days when you used to have "Emergency cords" in showers etc. But yeah, I don't see the real reason.

Execs with poor digestive motility?

 

[Princess Fiona]

I think it's in case your digestive system can't adjust to the local diet and you need to linger in there a little longer

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Always wondered that too

BUT IMHO - a far more intriguing question is why toilet roll holders in hotel rooms are strategically placed in impossible to reach positions for all but quadruple jointed contortionists?

 

[The Rok]

the phone is in the toilet so that people can talk cough

 

[ozmille]

because they know what the airlines feed you

 

[kpc]

I have used the phone by the toilet once. After doing "you know what", reached for the toilet paper when I realised that the cleaner had forgotten to replace the toilet roll and paper:evil::evil::evil:. Used the phone to ring the front desk asking for a roll to be immediately left outside my door after they rang the bell.... got a vey apologetic phone call from the front desk manager 1/2 hour later ...not a backpackers but, IIRC, Grand Hyatt Melbourne!

 

[simongr]

Always wondered that too

BUT IMHO - a far more intriguing question is why toilet roll holders in hotel rooms are strategically placed in impossible to reach positions for all but quadruple jointed contortionists?

This! 1000% this!

 

[Simo]

Back in the days just after mobile phones where on the market I remember when we use to have to give the phone numbers for the hotels that we where staying at and also there fax numbers so the office could get urgent info to us if needed.

I do remember more than once using that phone next to the toilet.

We use to have a either morning call with the office or an afternoon call with the office and sometimes the person we where needing was busy on another call so would have to give that number out as well.

Sometimes would get 10 or 15 ph calls after checking into the hotel for the night and a few faxes as well.

 

[Katie]

My non-smoking hotel room in Moscow had an ashtray next to the loo. Guess it wasn't a non-smoking room when it rlwas renovated 20 or so years ago.

 

[Fantic125]

Because a huge percentage of deaths in hotels are from people having heart attacks / strokes in showers!!

More correctly, (if there is such a word) is on toilets.

One of the more common causes/results of middle aged men (think overweight high-blood pressure suits as an example) trying to squeeze one out is a heart attack.

(Remember to breathe, then push, breathe then push!) LOL!

 

[turtlemichael]

My doctor partner tells me that it is not uncommon, at the start of a heart attack or pulmonary embolism to feel the ugent need to go to the toilet. The catastrophe then happens and it's lights out. :shock: So a phone next to the loo could be a life saver.

 

[Timba-Jet]

I had assumed it was so you could answer the phone whilst sitting on the dunny.

 

[oz_mark]

I always assumed it was for safety if someone fell.

My understanding this is the primary reason for it to be there. Falls happen on wet floors!

As for its location in the bathroom, they are typcially installed where they are not so likely to get wet - so not next to tubs, showers, basins etc.

 

[lovestotravel]

Quite a few hotels I have stayed in have these, but they are located in the toilet, which in most cases is totally separate from the bathroom and with a separate door!

The +1 never saw the joke when I used to call the room phone from the toilet and ask for a drink :evil:

 

[JohnK]

I noticed a phone in the toilet at the Hilton Hua Hin last week. Thought it was strange but guessed it would be handy in emergencies.

In my experience most hotels I stay at do not have a phone in the toilet/shower.

 

[tuapekastar]

I first experienced this at the Summit Hotel in Singapore early 1974 (still there I think but called something else). It was an 'answer only' phone and as a rather young feller I figured it was there just in case someone rang while you were on the can.

 

[flight2010]

surely, you wouldn't want to talk to another person while doing your "personal business" either, in case of gas stroke.