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Hermitage Hotel Restroom Voted Nation’s Best For 2008
August 27, 2008
Hermitage Hotel Restroom Voted Nation’s Best For 2008
Historic Nashville Hotel Wins 7th Annual “Cintas America’s Best Restroom Award”
CINCINNATI, OH, August 27, 2008 – The finest restroom in America is the five-star Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee - says the Internet public who cast online ballots in the 7th annual “America’s Best Restroom” contest presented by Cincinnati-based Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS), a leading provider of restroom hygiene products and services. High-resolution images of the winner are available at www.bestrestroom.com.
The 2008 contest attracted nominations from a wide cross-section of businesses, including restaurants, hotels and museums. Ten finalists were selected based on exceptional hygiene, style and open access to the public.
“The important message here is restroom hygiene matters - for good health and good business," said Keith Hartman, Cintas director of marketing. "Cintas is proud to honor The Hermitage Hotel, and we congratulate all of our participants this year."
Tens of thousands of votes were cast at the program’s web site, which produced the following results:
| Business | Location | Restroom Feature
|
| First Place: The Hermitage Hotel | Nashville, Tennessee | Art Deco-Themed: features leaded-glass tiles, authentic terrazzo floors and a shoeshine station. |
| Second: 21C Museum Hotel | Louisville, Kentucky
| One-way mirrors facing urinals, LCD screens with traveling images of eyes built into mirror above sink.
|
| Third: Brio Restaurant | Rockford, Illinois
| Women’s Room is themed as Heaven, Men’s as Hell: features custom mirrors, sinks, doors and floor, using a wide variety of materials.
|
| Fourth: The Signature Room at the 95th | Chicago, Illinois | Perched atop the 95th floor of John Hancock Center: features sweeping views, custom woodwork, silver accent pieces and black & white photos from the 1930s.
|
Fifth: Smith College Museum of Art
| Northampton, Massachusetts
| Water-Themed: features an array of hand-painted tiles and etched glass panels depicting sea creatures and plant life.
|
Among the remaining finalists, those placing in sixth through tenth place are as follows: El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa in Taos, New Mexico; Grand Central Terminal in New York, New York; Jerome Bettis’ grille 36 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; The Montville Inn in Montville, New Jersey and Iowa 80 Truck Stop in Walcott, Iowa.
The Hermitage Hotel received the coveted “America’s Best Restroom” plaque of recognition from Cintas during a special presentation today, and secured its place in the “America’s Best Restroom Hall of Fame” found at
www.bestrestroom.com.
“From the architecture and room furnishings to exceptional customer service, The Hermitage Hotel has an uncompromising commitment to excellence,” said Greg Sligh, Hermitage Hotel President and Managing Director. “This philosophy defines everything in the hotel – including our distinctive Art Deco men’s room, which has long been known as Nashville’s most unique and elegant restroom. It is an honor for this whimsically distinctive facility to be recognized nationally as well.”
The men’s restroom, located outside the Oak Bar on the hotel’s lower level, maintains the 5-star elegance of the hotel, which was designed in 1910 to symbolize Nashville’s emergence as a major Southern city. The Art Deco restroom, which was remodeled in 1930, features lime green and black leaded-glass tiles, lime green fixtures, an authentic terrazzo floor and a two-seat shoeshine station. Since that time, the restroom has been the setting for music videos, business and political negotiations, as well as, believe it or not, wedding photos.
The Cintas Corporation created the Best Restroom Award in 2001 to honor businesses across the country that maintain exceptional hygiene, with style, in their public restrooms. Previous winners have included restrooms at
Notre Dame University;
The Grand Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi;
Kohler Art Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin; the
Fort Smith, Arkansas Airport;
Wendell’s Restaurant in Westerville, Ohio and, in 2007,
Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield, Ohio.
For more information about the Cintas Best Restroom Award VII and the ten finalists, contact the Survey Editor, David Brandt, at 757-404-2032.
About Cintas Corporation
Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements
corporate identity uniform programs, and provides
entrance mats,
restroom supplies,
promotional products,
first aid and safety products,
fire protection services and
document management services to approximately 800,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol
CTAS, and is a Nasdaq-100 company and component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The Company has achieved 39 consecutive years of growth in sales and earnings, to date.