February 13, 2004 -- When I'm ragged and jetlagged, covered in airplane gunk or just bone-tired from twelve hours of walking, there's nothing as miraculous as perfectly-tempered hot water falling on my head. Rolling over my shoulders in an endless cascade, it rejuvenates me, knocks me back to my senses and reopens my eyes to the wonder of traveling.
A good shower or bath is such a powerful rejuvenator, that I'm amazed so much of western Europe hasn't quite caught on to the concept of high-quality plumbing. Especially in budget hotels in England and France, you're more likely than not to find faucets that only have two temperature settings -- freezing and scalding -- and limp, hand-held hoses that force you to do Cirque du Soleil-esque acrobatic routines to get everything clean.
For some reason, it also seems easier to build a good bathtub than a good shower. Plenty of hotels have big, roomy bathtubs, but when you turn on the showerhead, a thin trickle of water is the most it can muster. Sure, let's save water, but at home.
Recently I've encountered some truly delightful showers, though. High-tech, high-pressure, multi-nozzle extravaganzas seem to be spreading through top Spanish hotels, and I say si to that trend: one hit from these nozzles before dinner and you're ready to stay out until 3 AM with the Spaniards.
In my mind, a perfect shower has three components. Water should flow powerfully, in a broad stream, from above your head. It should be of consistent and easily manipulated temperature. And it should come in soothing surroundings, not a cheap plastic tub.
Maybe Frommer's should start listing "best plumbing" in our guidebooks. Until that happens, here are my picks for the best showers I've had on the road:
3. The Hotel Borg (www.hotelborg.is), Reykjavik. Icelanders know hot water. Their country sits on a gigantic volcanic fault, so natural hot springs and geysers are everywhere; dig down deep enough, and things start steaming. So it's no surprise that their plumbing is a work of beautiful precision. At the Art Deco Hotel Borg, faucets are actually calibrated in degrees -- want your shower to be exactly 38 degrees Celsius? No problem. Needless to say, the water comes fast and plentifully, too.
2. The High-Tech Hotels chain, Madrid. Moderately priced, comfortable hotels in central Madrid, they make up for their lack of bathtubs with crazy eight-nozzle showers. Turn the dial, and water hits you at every level from knee height to well above your head, helping you avoid that tricky issue of never being able to properly wash your calves in the shower.
1. The Kayanta Spa at the Ritz-Carlton, Cancun. Okay, this is a high-priced joint, but if you ever get a chance to check into the unusual spa in this polished Mexican gem, don't miss the showers. Three separate levers control arrays of nozzles shooting water at you from left, right, and above scour your skin to a soft sheen. The aquatic barrage is soothing, invigorating, and fun, like being in a full-body Jacuzzi. The guest rooms have separate tubs and showers, too. Amazing. (If you can't make it to Cancun, the Ritz-Carlton folks told me there are similar showers at the Hotel Arts a Ritz-Carlton property in Barcelona.)
Do you share my plumbing fixation? Who's got the best showers? Please, talk about it on our Lodging Message Boards.