METRO VANCOUVER – Crystal chandeliers and two-storey bathroom stalls weren’t enough to win the title of “top toilet” for the lobby loos at the Shangri-La hotel in downtown Vancouver.
Instead, a Cactus Club Cafe in Burnaby that has comfy couches, magnifying makeup mirrors, and stall screens streaming Food Network footage won the accolade of Canada’s Best Restroom in the first Canadian survey by Cintas Corporation, a washroom supply company.
Flanked by white orchids and flamed granite countertops in the ladies’ room of the Byrne Road location, Cactus Club CEO Richard Jaffray accepted a plaque this week honouring his in-house design team’s contribution to a legacy of lavatories.
He noted the Italian tile, the “exotic foot flush toilets,” and fully enclosed “privacy stalls” equipped with their own fans, lighting, and sound systems.
“Our customers are always pretty excited when they have a visit into our washrooms,” said Christy Murphy, a spokeswoman for Cactus Club.
Visitors to Vancouver who can’t hold it for the trip to Burnaby should try out the comparable commodes in the Bentall Tower Cactus Club, at Burrard and Dunsmuir, she said.
The Bentall location is just two blocks from the fourth-place winner, the Shangri-La. Second and third went to two Toronto toilets.
Jill Killeen, spokeswoman for the Shangri-La in Vancouver, said she was thrilled that Cactus Club had brought the potty prize to B.C., and that Shangri-La had a strong placement.
“You don’t necessarily think of putting your washrooms out there as one of your shining assets,” she said.
So what criteria determine which throne room is crowned king?
The classiest crapper in last year’s U.S. contest, now in its ninth year, was the Shoji Tabuchi Theatre in Branson, Mo., where the powder room includes live cut orchids at granite and onyx pedestal sinks, and the gentlemen’s lounge features a hand-carved mahogany billiard table.
But the most memorable pit-stop for Joel Rubin, whose communications company co-hosted the online contest with Cintas, is a marketplace called Jungle Jim’s, in Fairfield, Ohio. “It looks like you’re going into a port-a-potty, and then you walk in, and you’re in a very large spread-out bathroom,” he said.
rcoppin@vancouversun.com
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Top five restrooms in Canada 2010:
First Place: Cactus Club Cafe, Burnaby, British Columbia
Padded furniture, televisions, hardwood walls and smoked glass, floor-to-ceiling stall doors.
Second Place: Spice Route Asian Bistro & Bar, Toronto, Ontario
Eclectic Asian décor, exposed stone walls and rich coloured tiles, overlooking a private garden oasis.
Third: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, Toronto, Ontario
Hand-painted murals, designer fixtures, slate floor and slate walls.
Fourth: The Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver, British Columbia
Private washrooms featuring two-storey ceilings, crystal chandeliers, lighted mirrors, hardwood walls, mosaic tile and designer fixtures.
Fifth: Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, Ontario
Designer fixtures, mosaic tile and 100% hands-free.
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