As part of a $12-million renovation that began in October 2018, the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis renovated its club-level accommodations, guest rooms and suites.

Part of the initiative included modernizing nearly 300 guest bathrooms to feature walk-in showers in king guest rooms and new powder rooms in all suites. 

The luxury hotel, located within Missouri’s upscale Arts and Garden District of Clayton, selected modern linear shower drains from QuickDrain USA to complement the new contemporary design theme.

Some of the upgraded amenities include full Carrara marble bathrooms with separate soaking tubs and showers that feature the brand’s total shower solution. The drain’s high-end look and high-quality PVC construction allow designers and contractors to create stunningly beautiful showers without breaking the bank, QuickDrain USA explains.

Ideal for tub-to-shower conversions in single-family, hospitality and multi-family spaces, the ShowerLine drain system features a fully sloped trough where water exits through either a vertical or a side waste outlet, making it easy to accommodate existing plumbing, the manufacturer adds. 

Luxury baths at most high-end hotels and resorts are typically known for sleek designs, often featuring oversized tiles and glass shower doors to visually extend a space. Standalone showers are especially well-suited to this clean look, particularly when designed with an unobtrusive linear drain.

Particularly attractive for the Ritz-Carlton renovation team was QuickDrain’s PET (polyethylene terephthalate) rigid-foam shower floor panels that are fabricated from 100% recycled plastic. 

Crafted with plumbing and design professionals in mind, the PET shower pan system affordably accommodates finished shower dimensions between 32 inches to 72 inches, with an interlocking design that can be quickly and easily modified to any size or shape directly onsite with a standard utility knife, QuickDrain USA notes.

Unlike conventional, pitched mud beds constructed over two days, QuickDrain USA points out that contractors using the company’s PET shower panels and waterproofing system can complete a shower modernization job in less than a day.  An advantage for architects and specifiers is that these recycled components may make an installation eligible for LEED certification points. 

In addition to reducing installation time and labor costs, site-sizable pan systems enable installers to contend with a full range of rough-in config-urations, including above-the-floor, flush or at-the-surface, and through-the-floor or depressed waste connections. 

According to the company, for every QuickDrain shower pan system installed, 450 plastic bottles are saved from landfills. Since 2015, more than 19 million plastic bottles have been repurposed into thousands of pre-sloped and tile-ready shower pan systems.