Mie N Yu Country's Best Loo? It's Up to You!

Ten finalists have been chosen for the 2012 Cintas' America's Best Restroom Contest and now the winner is up to you.

"Will America’s next Best Restroom be the result of a multi-million dollar renovation to the nation’s largest natural outdoor amphitheater, and set against picturesque iconic Hollywood Hills? Or will Sin City’s most luxurious loo, a sprawling 2,000 square foot space inside Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, earn America’s popular vote? Perhaps it’s the charm of the Old World Style Craftsmanship found in the hand carved wood doors and oversized oak barrel sinks that are nestled inside Georgetown’s Mie N Yu Restaurant that will capture the crown?"

When she takes guests on a tour of the restaurant, Raquel Mercado, marketing and events manager at Mie N Yu, says, "Everyone wants to see the restrooms!"

The Indonesian riverboat picture that inspired the restrooms designed by CORE Architecture + Design is no longer in thier possession, but you can imagine the scene—walking onto your cruising vessel and seeing hand-carved door frames, thatched bamboo walls, and individual state rooms along a long corridor. When you emerge from your state room, there is an attendant with fresh flowing river water to help you wash up before continuing your journey along Marco Polo's Silk Road: from The Mediterranean, North Africa, India and Asia.

The Cintas story is a bit dramatic—an attendant is on-hand only during busy evenings—but the copper basins with river rocks are designed to take you on that journey. "We are glad that our restrooms are an inspiration to design and culture," says general manager Mike Cherner.