Brisbane International Airport has the best bathroom in Australia. Photo: Supplied

Brisbane Airport toilets named the best in the country

Jack Needham|Apr 17, 2019

Airport toilets may not be on everyone’s list of favourite places to spend a penny, but one of them has just been crowned the best public loo in the land, even beating the swanky surrounds of a five-star hotel.

The recently refurbished toilets at Brisbane Airport’s international terminal have won the Total Facilities’ annual award for the ”best bathroom facility”.

In its third year, the competition is open to public bathrooms and private bathrooms located in commercial buildings, shopping centres, hotels or recreational grounds.

The awards judge bathrooms on their cleanliness and maintenance standards as well as cutting-edge design and high-end materials.

Krishan Tangri, Brisbane Airport Corporation’s general manager assets, said their bathrooms stood as “the all-important first impression of our city, state and country”.

The bathrooms at Brisbane International Airport allow patrons to give immediate feedback on their experience. Photo: Supplied

“When international travellers set foot in one of our newly refurbished bathrooms, they’re taken on an aspirational journey around Australia – before they’ve even left the airport,” he said.

The terminal’s bathrooms have images of various Queensland and Australian scenes and locations on the walls including of the Queensland outback, the Daintree rainforest and Bondi Beach, as well as state-of-the-art wash basins, urinals, hand-dryers, hourly cleaning and immediate touch-screen feedback on the state of the bathrooms.

The ultimate loo with a view at Melbourne’s Sofitel hotel – which came third in the awards. Photo: Supplied

“We embarked on a bold redevelopment of our terminal bathrooms to not only improve existing facilities and achieve compliance with new disability access legislation, but to also provide a unique visual experience different from other common public bathrooms,” Mr Tangri said.

Second place was awarded to the toilet block in Arthur’s Seat State Park, in Victoria, which features an environmentally friendly design and incorporates rainwater harvesting, solar energy and onsite sewage treatment facilities.

The Arthurs Seat toilet block, which ranked second for its environmentally friendly design. Photo: Supplied

In third place were the bathrooms on level 35 of the five-star hotel Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, the ultimate ‘loo with a view’ – offering sweeping views of the city’s skyline.

“We evaluate bathrooms on design, innovation, aesthetics and products and services that improve wellbeing for everyone,” said Total Facilities’ event manager Andrew Lawson.

“This competition profiles some of the most progressive organisations which are at the forefront of bathroom experiences.”