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    Airports Woo Travelers With State-of-the-Art Loos

    June 29, 2016  | Written by Jordan Yerman
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    MSP-bathroom
    A prototype of a women’s restroom in Concourse E at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport, including a ceramic mosaic by local artist Barbara Keith. Image via StarTribune

    APEX Insight: As Cintas accepts nominations for its annual America’s Best Restroom contest, APEX Media fleshes out some of the best airport restrooms in the world. Give them a swirl.

    For many an air traveler, a proper restroom in a moment of need is an oasis of comfort in the unforgiving desert of urgency. Through September 16, you can nominate your favorite “john” for Cintas’ annual America’s Best Bathroom contest. Last year’s winner was the Town of Minturn, Colorado, but Vancouver International Airport (YVR) surged into the finals. Let’s check in on how airports are innovating upon the most necessary of services.

    Washing Its Hands of the Past

    Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) is dropping millions of dollars to overhaul its loos over the course of the next several years. Prototype restrooms have been unveiled on the E and F concourses, featuring mosaic tiles and quartz countertops as well as larger cubicles. These prototypes alone cost $6.1 million. MSP’s restroom revolution is part of a much larger and more ambitious renovation project, including a security and retail overhaul.

    The Best in the East

    Cintas’ contest only covers the US, but the most consistently lauded airport restrooms are in Asia. We’ve previously mentioned the toilets at Singapore Changi International Airport, which are consistently voted the best on the planet. Incheon International Airport in Seoul, Korea, has won accolades since first opening its runways, and has been stepping up its game since. Case in point: extremely classy ladies restrooms, taking privacy and grooming into account from design to maintenance.

    Incheon International Airport restrooms
    Incheon International Airport’s restrooms are classy, taking privacy and grooming into account from design to maintenance. Image: Arielle Berger via Business Insider

    The Scoop on Pooch Poop

    Many airports have so-called animal relief areas, but JFK Airport has opened what’s better described as a lounge, a 70-square-foot space complete with astroturf and a model fire hydrant, in Terminal 4. Portland International Airport, a PaxEx heavyweight, is planning a pet restroom facility for August of this year. Though every American airport that moves more than 10,000 travelers per year will be required to do so, PDX has a culture of striving for that wow factor. Like Vancouver International Airport’s recently opened an in-terminal pet relief area, PDX’s new animal loo will be inside the secure area, which is a boon for those who have to make a tight connecting flight while their dogs are hopping from paw to paw.