Functionality is the central element of bathroom space: Monica Malhotra Kandhari

The first show of "Design Innovation to Conservation" WeBBlast Series titled Shower with All Senses began with a stellar lineup of panelists. The session for day one was moderated by Siddharth Barua, Country Director – India, WATG London. Participating at the event was Monica Malhotra Kandhari, MD, MBD Group

Moderator Siddharth Barua shot the question to Monica Malhotra asking what she would ask her designers to design the next time while designing a bathroom since as a hotel owner, she has an ROI to meet and what her design ambition is regarding the bathrooms for her guests.

To which Kandhari said, “I will share views from both sides of being an owner as well as an operator. We are market driven but there should always be room for experimentation. There should always be an element of surprise so that your products last for at least five years. So even if the cost of the surprise element goes up by 10-15 percent that can be absorbed eventually as it is the surprise which will bring a guest to the hotel. We obviously want a standardized product, but we also give the flexibility and leverage to the designer also to bring in the surprise factor be it in using the washbasins or the showers.”

“So of course, there should be the safety of ROI but there should also be the space for experimentation, but one should also not overdo it. Moreover, today it is not just about the space planning, but it matters more what you do with the functionality of the space,” she added. 

“It’s after putting the functionality that you put other factors around it, whether its sustainability, the colour scheme, the aesthetic. I think the layout is the first factor I will tell my designer to experiment with and explore another layout also because you do not need any technology to view that. So, there should be no holding back in experimenting with innovation be it luxury or budget hotels. Also, the technology being incorporated should be easy to use otherwise you might get negative feedback from the customers,” Kandhari added. 

Monica Malhotra Kandhari also said that people do not want to see something similar to their office washrooms so experimentation is a must but again the bandwidth to design and innovate is more in a luxury hotel. 

Responding to the question of business strategy for ensuring sustainability and conservation without compromising on the quality, Kandhari said, “We design in-house hotels and lay a lot of emphasis on sustainability. We have already adopted some technologies and also going forward that we would repurpose our equipment for water conservation, for harvesting. We have been doing this for a long time but yes there are so many new equipment’s available which help us to do this in a more efficient way.”

“Also, right at the planning stage one must be involved to ensure that the customer experience is not getting compromised whether in terms of technology or in terms of sustainability. Technology will obviously help us a lot in bringing this sustainability in,” she added. 

Citing the example of misty showers, Kandhari said that while the misty showers are 10 to 20 percent more expensive than the other options but the amount of sustainability and conservation, they bring in is worth it. So, there is a lot of sustainability that can be achieved in terms of water with available technology.

“So, we have a lot of responsibility when it comes to ensuring sustainability,” she concluded.