Whispers of beauty, sophistication and an impulse to snap photos are not part of a typical segment in overheard restroom chatter.
But behind the doors of the Little America Hotel’s lobby restroom in Salt Lake City, guests are frequently heard gushing over the restroom’s quality, ambiance and even using the space as a backdrop for social media-worthy photos.
“We are constantly being tagged (on social media) in real photo shoots taking place in the bathroom,” said Madison Kent, the director of marketing and public relations at The Little America Hotel.
Hotel guests have been known to use the space for professional photos, head shots and even bridal pictures, Kent said. She credits the restroom’s “ambiance” and “overall sophistication” with drawing droves of visitors to the lobby restroom to pose for photos, making it one of the most photographed spaces in the hotel.
“It really just says a lot about the space, a lot about the hotel itself, and a lot about what we want to try and put back out into the community and the city to create that really memorable experience,” Kent said.
For several consecutive years, the Salt Lake City hotel has been seeking recognition for its thoughtfully-crafted restroom space by submitting itself as a nominee for Cintas’ America’s Best Restroom.
In 2023, the restroom made the cut as finalist but was outvoted by a restroom in the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Cintas believed The Little America Hotel deserved a second chance at the title — something they rarely provide, explained Christiny Betsch, marketing manager at Cintas.
Now, for the second time, The Little America is a finalist in Cintas’ 24th annual America’s Best Restroom competition. And Kent believes the hotel boasts a “fantastic chance” of winning the 2025 crown.
The Little America will compete against eight other restrooms across the country for the title. The Salt Lake City hotel is up against the following rest spaces:
Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely, Minnesota
City of Fruita in Fruita, Colorado
Footprints in Lawrence, Kansas
Moderne Bar in Orlando, Florida
The Rooftop at Pier 17 in New York, New York
Rosebrook Lodge in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Tatsu in Dallas, Texas
Tecolote Shores in San Diego, California
Restrooms across the country are selected based on criteria such as innovation, cleanliness, functionality and design. Cintas sifts through hundreds of nominations every year and relies on interviews, photos, reviews and other research to narrow the finalists down to nine or 10 restrooms.
The prize — a $2,500 voucher for Cintas products and services as well as a Cintas UltraClean service — goes to whichever restroom receives the highest number of votes from the public.
Last year the title went to the Utah-based gas station company, Maverik. Among the nominees this year are rest stop bathrooms, bar restrooms and state park bathrooms.
“There is definitely an eclectic group of restrooms that we have every year,” Betsch said. “Some of them are high-end restrooms ... there’s some innovative self cleaning restrooms. We have some that are high on the personal touches and making it an inviting space. So it’s kind of a little bit of everything. We don’t just focus on kind of one type of restroom.”
Against the group of restrooms finalists, The Little America’s space stands out for its “exceptional design” and “memorable guest experience,” Betsch explained.
“Their iconic pink restroom, it’s just part of the signature charm of Little America.”
‘It’s more than just a restroom’
As with every design choice at The Little America Hotel, each decorative decision made for the pink lobby restroom was intended to leave visitors with a “lasting impression,” Kent said.
“It really is gorgeous, and it is so thoughtfully designed,” Kent said. “It’s more than just a restroom. It really is this refreshing little spot within the property.”
The floors of the restroom are wrapped in imported Italian marble, which extends across the countertops and sinks. Each stall stretches from ceiling to floor, providing unique privacy. There is also a crystal chandelier within every individual stall as well as coordinating wallpaper and hand-selected artwork furnishing the walls.
Also featured in the restroom is an adjoining sitting area with personal vanities. This space is decorated with English wool carpet and French Rouge furnishings.
Getting selected as a finalist for the second time was “very special,” Kent said. She added, “it really just reinforces how we as a business maintain our facilities and it’s a reflection of our commitment to our guests.”
If Little America wins the 2025 title, the hotel will celebrate by honoring the internal staff members responsible for cleaning the restroom and working to maintain its reputation for quality.
“This hotel has really become a staple to the city, I know we have a lot of local loyalty,” Kent said. “We definitely encourage everyone to get online and to vote for us. We want that for the city. We want that for the community. We want to be recognized for all of us as the best in the country.”
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