Macy's, Landmark Mall, Alexandria, VA

Oh Macy's, Macy's, Macy's. I received an e-mail from Sara telling me to check out Macy's because the condition of the bathrooms always leaves a lot to be desired. So far she is right on the money. The Macy's at Landmark was the 2nd this week and it was awful! Again, several of the sinks were inoperable, some soap dispensers were either broken or empty and there was a handwritten sign on one door stating the stall was out of order. The disabled stall I spent the most time in had a lock with missing pieces and you could see straight into the stall (exposure issue). The corners and floors were very dirty as was the toilet. They also made a half hearted attempt at a lounge area and while it looked a heck of a lot better than Pentagon City's, it still fell flat. Macy's get it together!

This picture was snapped in the "men's" section of Macy's. I'm not sure what C.K. was thinking, but those are PANTIES!! Not underwear, but panties. Those can't even qualify as briefs!

Macy's, Pentagon City Mall, Arlington, VA - VIDEO!

Macy's is at one end of the Pentagon City Mall and Nordstrom's is at the other end. It's a perfect way to describe their bathrooms as well because they are on the opposite end of The Lavatory Lady's scales. I walked towards the bathroom with my urine filled 5 year old in tow, past the customer service desk and the pretty little gift bags. I did not need to ask anyone where the bathroom was because not only have I been there before, but I could smell it from several feet way. This is not starting out well. The first stall we entered was too dirty for him to use and the lock on the door was broken. Once he came out of the stall the next big issue was finding a sink where the faucet would work. There were 8 (I think) sinks and only 5 of them were fully operable! What the hell?! There were paper towels, soap and a trashcan, blah, blah. OK, they attempted to make a lounge area a la Nordstrom’s. I took a picture of it and it turned out like crap, but hey so did their attempt at a lounge so maybe I'll post it anyway. The broke down Nordstrom's wanna be lounge had a stained couch with fabric hanging off it, the table had part of the wood veneer missing with the raw wood showing and the area rug was FILTHY! Macy's, use some of the profits from your $50 t-shirts to clean your bathroom and upgrade the lounge. There is no excuse for your restrooms being in this condition. Get it together.


UPDATE: I won't post the picture, I think I'll take the video camera in tomorrow and attempt to film it.
UPDATE 2 - I have unedited video, don't ask, I think it's a Vista thing.
UPDATE 3 - I finally figured out how to get the actual video on the Blog!

Nordstrom's, Pentagon City Mall, Arlington, VA

The Ladies Restroom, pardon me, Ladies Lounge at Nordstrom’s could easily put some living rooms to shame. A lot of effort was put into the facility resulting in a comfy space that could easily host a small event. Cleanliness, of course, is the most important aspect of any bathroom, but what stands out in my mind for Nordstrom’s is the Mother’s room! Oh what a joy to behold. There is a full counter, two chairs that can be used by other children or you if you need to sit down and nurse or just comfort your child. If you forgot your diapers or ran out, there was a diaper vending machine. I didn’t check on sizes, but whatever you can get if you have nothing is fine until you can get home. There was also a door in the event privacy was needed was well as a separate sink. In addition to the mother’s room, there was another lounge area with sofas, chairs, carpeting and nice art on the walls. Another door leading to the actual bathroom full of marble and tons of mirrors including a full length on the wall. The stalls were clean and the floors were free of paper. Several fragrance stick jars were placed around the room to give off lovely scents that were not overwhelming. The stalls were clean and the doors were floor to ceiling with very sturdy locks. The paper towel dispensers were of the old fashioned pull down variety, but were operable. There were plenty of open trashcans around the room, including one by the door. There were only a couple of minor complaints here. One leaky dispenser spilled yucky, pink, disinfectant soap everywhere. Now Nordstrom’s, you all put a lot into this bathroom, please, please upgrade your soap. Lastly, the automatic water does not stay on very long and NEVER got warm. Overall, this is an excellent bathroom, especially for families. Good job!

Mother's Day Weekend

I have a wedding this weekend and will not be able to post much, but we are going to Vidalia's on M street for the big day. I can't wait, Vidalia's is one of my favorite places in the city.

I went to the Nordstrom's Ladies "lounge" today and I have a wonderful update and pics. One of the best department store restrooms.

Happy Mother's Day!