No extractor fan in hotel bathroom

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

We stayed at a chain hotel last weekend - got a good deal and had a very nice stay; supremely comfy bed. However, the one big glaring omission that we noticed was that there was no extractor fan in the bathroom. It's a modern purpose-built hotel, so obviously designed that way - we're not talking about an adapted old castle or anything.

I was always under the impression that you legally had to have a fan in a windowless room where there's a toilet - is this wrong, or is it true but only for private homes? They're often wired in to the light, so you can't not activate the fan, unless you deliberately do your business in the dark.

Obviously, being a hotel, it's en-suite - meaning that all bathroom smells waft straight into the bedroom. We're not a squeamish family in that way (we had an extra bed for our DS), but I imagine it would rather kill the mood if you were on your honeymoon, in the first flush (no pun intended) of romance with a new partner or just one of those couples we read about on MN a lot who insist on driving to the next county refuse to poo or fart anywhere there's the slightest chance that their spouse/partner might hear or smell it.

Looking online, it appears that this is not unusual - even in quite expensive hotels. AIBU to think that it's seriously grim to deliberately design hotel rooms to stench throughout, every time one of the occupants leaves their calling card - and apparently believe that's just fine? At places that serve full English breakfasts, with their very well-known after-effects, too! <boak>

Actually, when we had a recent extension built on our house, the loo (no shower) had to have an extractor fan as part of building regs - even though we have a window that can be opened.

Domestic building regulations are different to regulations for commercial buildings...

You say you're not a squeamish family who avoid pooing anywhere near each other, but you are coming across that way.

No, still not squeamish: we don't get upset or embarrassed about it; oddly enough, we're just not massive fans of poo smells.

If a toilet doesn't have a window, there does exist a way to try to combat the spread of the smell, but it seems like I'm very unreasonable to think that a decent hotel might think of including it!

Where do you suggest that an individual bathroom extract fan extracts to?

The hotel I'm staying in at the moment doesn't have an extractor fan in the bathroom either. Well it does but there's no switch to turn it on and it doesn't come on automatically with the light. The only reason I use one though is to help clear the bathroom of any moisture after a bath or a shower. Not to rid the bathroom of any smells after going to the toilet. (Although I may occasionally use it to deter the noise if I'm room sharing with someone)!!

Where do you suggest that an individual bathroom extract fan extracts to?

No idea, I'm not an architect. Into a central duct, maybe? They obviously build modern hotels with ducts for heating pipes, water, electricity etc., so I wouldn't have thought it impossible to do the same for a central vent outlet i.e. one that actually extracts 'fumes' as well as damp/moisture, of course.

If you extracted into a common extract duct, you'd run the risk of air (smells) from your room going into another. You'd need a fairly expensive system to run it, to avoid negatively pressurising your hotel room. And however expensive the hotel, they're prepared to pay bugger all for things that can't be seen, like the mechanical services (it's the mechanical services team that would design this, not the architect btw)

All the air supply & extract systems are carefully balanced, and the number of air changes per hour are specified, and are actually greater than you'd get for running a small bathroom extract for 15 mins.
I'd suggest lighting a match after a particularly smelly episode, but the smoke detection system may kick in 😉

No answer to the question but I fully support you in the big breakfast/toilet scenario op!

That's all well and good, but it doesn't solve the pong problem at all.

The pong problem seems mostly a issue with yourselves, wasn't there that product VI Poo that deorderised it.

Thanks, all - it looks like there's no easy solution, then; and it sounds like we're the only family on MN whose poos stink!!

Extractor fans are to prevent steam causing damp. Most hotels have fully tiled bathrooms. Perhaps that is why. The extractor fan in our main bathroom has just bitten the dust. I’ve been wondering if I need to replace it since the room is fully tiled.

No idea but this is why you should always take some poo pourri or a box of matches with you 😀

Quiet bathroom extractor fans don’t help much with smell, they aren’t anywhere near as enthusiastic as kitchen extractors.

Bog standard chain hotels are mostly built for business travellers who are alone, so I suppose it isn’t an issue, but the smells issue is why I find en-suites in private houses a mystery…

Bog standard chain hotels

I see what you did there!

I'm with you on en-suites in private homes - there's a lot to be said for a standalone bathroom a little walk away from where you're going to be sleeping. I've even seen the odd property on Rightmove where there's a toilet in the corner of the bedroom, with no wall or anything else shielding it from the rest of the room. Imagine waking up in the morning and the very first thing you see being your spouse/partner grunting on the throne.