[ Inside scoop ]

James Lohan, founder of website Mr & Mrs smith (mrandmrssmith. com) offers an insight into the hottest trends in hotel bathrooms.

* spa facilities. some hotels, such as Gidleigh park in devon, are bringing the spa experience into the bathroom with steam rooms and saunas.

* sunken baths are becoming fashionable again. Great for making a room feel bigger, easier to step into – not to mention reaching for your glass.

* High-impact wall coverings, such as mosaics or prints. A great example is palihouse santa Monica in california, where the bathrooms have feature prints on the walls – who says you can’t have papered walls in a bathroom?

* Freestanding baths in the bedroom are still very much on-trend – sanará on Tulum Beach in Mexico does this with aplomb, as does Foxhill Manor in the cotswolds, with side-by-side tubs set by the window.

* Thoughtful details, such as the heated, steam-free mirrors in the bathrooms at The Beaumont in London are genius, while the swivel mirrors located either side of the double sinks at Uxua casa Hotel & spa in Brazil are guaranteed to find the best light.