The Current Iowa Hotel Chooses TOTO’s WASHLET

Luxury, Art-Inspired Hotel Sets Trend for an Innovative Bathroom Experience with WASHLET in Every Room

(Morrow, GA) September 13, 2018 — TOTO, the world's largest plumbing manufacturer with more than $4.9 billion in annual sales, announced today that over 20,000 guests of The Current Iowa have experienced its WASHLET S300e high-tech bidet seat, which the sleek, art-inspired hotel installed in each of its 78 guest rooms and suites.

Developers and spouses Amy and Amrit Gill are proudly celebrating the one year anniversary of this stylish Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel, which is located in the center of downtown Davenport, offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River, and is across the street from the Figge Art Museum.

"We often say that it’s the guest experience that we live for—and our smart toilets make the guest experience a real WOW!," said Amrit Gill, President, Restoration St. Louis. "We believe the TOTO WASHLET experience helps us get even greater guest survey scores."

Renowned for its unique approach to the art-inspired hotel, The Current Iowa focuses on providing a hip art experience instead of serving as an art museum. Distinguishing itself from hotels whose walls are covered with bland, generic artwork, The Current has sourced over 500 original paintings, sculptures, and photographs by local, contemporary Midwest artists, which are on display throughout the hotel. Each piece of original art was carefully selected for its uniqueness and approachable qualities. Each of The Current’s guest rooms showcases different works of original art, including a whimsical animal sculpture.

This sleek, stylish hotel’s carefully chosen name -- The Current -- embodies the buzzy energy that courses throughout space and reflects the kinetic energy of the nearby majestic Mississippi River. Most of all, however, it captures The Current Iowa’s dedication to providing an artful approach to its high-energy, contemporary guest experience.

"We are proud to partner with The Current Iowa," said Toru Yamamura, President, Eastern U.S. and Canadian Sales Division, TOTO USA. "This hip art-inspired hotel marks another in a long line of TOTO high-profile installations. Our award-winning products help make people’s lives cleaner, healthier, less complicated and more beautiful. They are the first choice of hoteliers, architects, designers, and engineers, who want the highest quality fixtures for their projects."

The Current Iowa’s philosophy of introducing an artful approach to all aspects of the guest experience is highlighted in the bathrooms where owners Amy and Amrit Gill installed TOTO’s innovative WASHLET+ S300e and Drake II 1.28 GPF high-efficiency toilet combination, which conceals all the connections for an elegant, seamless look (no visible hoses or cords).

"One of the most frequent comments on our Trip Advisor reviews is '… and you should experience the TOTO smart toilets.' It makes us proud to WOW! people every time they stay," said Amy Gill, President, Checkmate Design.

TOTO’s innovative WASHLET S300e personal cleansing system leaves The Current Iowa’s guests cleaner and more refreshed than they have ever felt after a bathroom break, as it reduces the need for toilet paper. Combined with TOTO’s Drake II 1.28 GPF water-efficient toilet, The Current Iowa saves 20% more water than a standard 1.6 gallons per flush model. TOTO’s award-winning cleansing technologies EWATER+ and CEFIONTECT work synergistically with its high-performance Tornado Flushing System to keep the bowl pristine without using harsh chemicals, which are costly and harmful to the environment.

"After owning a TOTO WASHLET for the last 10+ years and recommending them to all our friends, we realized that we couldn’t own a luxury hotel and not offer the same ultimate in luxury to our guests," said Amrit Gill. "We are definitely installing TOTO WASHLETS in all of our hotels from now on."

In addition to The Current Iowa, the Gill’s portfolio of historic hotel renovations includes the 130-room Hotel Blackhawk, a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel in Davenport, IA, and the 213-room Holiday Inn SW in St. Louis, MO.

Future Midwest travel and culinary destinations that the Gills are renovating include the 140-room Hotel Saint Louis, a Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel in St Louis, MO, launching in Winter 2018, and the 142-room Warrior Hotel in Sioux City, IA, launching in early 2020.

Journalist’s Note: High-resolution digital images of The Current Iowa Hotel and TOTO WASHLET Bathroom Vignette are available for download from TOTO’s Online Press Room or immediately upon request.

About TOTO
TOTO USA is headquarters for the Americas Division of the TOTO Global Group, which was established in 1917 with the founding of TOTO, Ltd., in Kitakyushu, Japan. TOTO is the world’s largest manufacturer of bathroom fixtures and fittings with $5.1 billion dollars in annual sales. For the past 100 years, TOTO has been the recognized leader in innovation, technology, performance, and design with products that enhance the luxury bathroom experience. Today, the company maintains 25,700 employees in 69 offices around the world and owns manufacturing facilities in Japan, Mexico, the USA, China and Europe with an affiliated network of more than 80 production facilities worldwide. With over 1,500 engineers on staff and three centers devoted to research and development, TOTO is dedicated to engineering products that respect the environment while meeting people's needs for comfort, beauty and performance. TOTO’s corporate philosophy— People First Innovation—is the guiding principle for all the company’s processes, from engineering and design to manufacturing and sales. Consumers enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing they purchased a brand that innovates to improve people’s quality of life. Winner of numerous domestic and international awards and recognitions, TOTO is the only plumbing manufacturer honored as Water Efficiency Leader by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company continues to raise industry standards and consumer expectations as to what is possible in the bath space, as TOTO believes a high-quality bathroom is an experience and an everyday luxury people value and appreciate.

For more information, consumers may visit www.totousa.com or call 1.888.295.8134, Option 5. Follow TOTO on Twitter (@TOTOUSA) and become a TOTO fan on Facebook.