CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The finest restrooms in America are inside The Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. So says the Internet public who cast online ballots in the 10th annual “America’s Best Restroom” contest presented by Cincinnati-based Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS), a leading provider of restroom hygiene products and services. High-resolution images of the winner’s facilities are available at www.bestrestroom.com.
The 2011 contest attracted nominations from a wide range of businesses, including restaurants, hotels and museums. Ten finalists were selected based on exceptional hygiene, style, public accessibility and usability. "The Field Museum is honored to receive this award,” says The Field Museum’s Vice President of Finance, Jim Croft, who oversaw the redesign of the bathroom. “Host to over 1.3 million visitors each year, the Museum strives to give visitors the best service and exhibitions; we also feel this about the amenities and we are pleased to offer our guests these unique restrooms."
“This contest is undoubtedly fun, but it also conveys a critical message that restroom hygiene matters - for good health and good business," said Cintas Senior Marketing Manager John Engel. "Cintas is proud to honor The Field Museum, and we congratulate all of our participants this year."
Tens of thousands of votes were cast at the program’s website, which produced the following results:
| Business | Location | Restroom Feature | ||
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First Place: |
Chicago, Illinois | The ceilings of The Field Museum’s two large family-friendly restrooms features artwork of a beautiful night sky, a calming image that also absorbs sound. The Museum’s two ground-floor facilities offer sufficient stalls and sinks, as well as eco-friendly automated water faucets and hand dryers. The women's restroom has a special nursing room with a door, sink and small sofa for mothers. The restrooms also feature a family-friendly "tot area" with smaller toilets for its littlest guests. Additionally, Museum displays are featured inside the restroom for a fun, educational flair. The restrooms are cleaned every hour to ensure the facilities are in tip-top shape for the 3,500 visitors the Museum welcomes each day. | ||
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Second Place: Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel |
Arlington, Virginia | ForrestPerkins, the architect and interior designer for the hotel’s chic restroom uses light to reflect the evidence of motion throughout this elegant restroom. The hallway leading to the restroom is darkened with shadows of leaves, some blurred, some sharper, projected on the floor. Inside the restroom the walls ablaze with sunset tones of orange and gold. Mirrors above the vanity feature bird silhouettes that are lit and when a guest turns on the faucet, water flows in a sparkling red stream if it’s hot or a blue stream if cool. | ||
| Scottsdale, Arizona | This loo is sleek and modern with terrazzo flooring, glass-tiled walls and spacious, stainless steel stalls. An ingenious lighting system continuously shifts the colors of the space from cool blues and greens to warm golds and reds. | |||
| Chantilly, Virginia | This regal restroom trailer was actually set up for President Obama during the 2009 Inauguration. It features granite counters and shelves, black marbleized walls, wood panel doors and a hardwood-designed floor. Climate-controlled heat and air conditioning also guarantees to keep guests in maximum comfort during their visit. The dual audio system not only plays soothing music inside for the visiting guests, but those waiting outside can keep up with the event on an exterior-mounted flat screen television! | |||
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Fifth: Snowbasin Ski Resort |
Huntsville, Utah | Snowbasin's restrooms feature Italian Carrera marble, Barovier, Tosso & Moscatelli chandeliers crafted from bronze and crystal, floor-to-ceiling commodes, beautifully inlaid African Anegre wood and hand-painted walls. |
The remaining finalists were: Castello di Amorosa Winery in Calistoga, California; Habana Outpost in Brooklyn, New York; The Joule Poule in Dallas, Texas; Main Street Station Casino, Brewery and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada and NINJA NEW YORK in New York, New York.
The Field Museum received the coveted “America’s Best Restroom” plaque of recognition from Cintas during a special presentation today in Chicago, and secured its place in the “America’s Best Restroom Hall of Fame” found at www.bestrestroom.com.
Cintas created the America’s Best Restroom award in 2002 to honor those businesses across the country that maintain exceptional hygiene with style in their public restrooms. Previous winners were:
| 2010 | St. Louis, Missouri | |||
| 2009 | Branson, Missouri | |||
| 2008 | Nashville, Tennessee | |||
| 2007 | Fairfield, Ohio | |||
| 2006 | Westerville, Ohio | |||
| 2005 | Fort Smith, Arkansas | |||
| 2004 | Sheboygan, Wisconsin | |||
| 2003 | Biloxi, Mississippi | |||
| 2002 | South Bend, Indiana |
For more information about the Cintas Best Restroom Award, contact the Survey Editor, Sabrina Zimring at C:(757) 338-7731.
About Cintas Corporation
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid and safety products, fire protection services and document management services to approximately 800,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CTAS, and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.
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