The Best BYU Loos

By Hannah Taylor Mortenson (BA ’21) in the Summer 2021 Issue

You likely have a favorite BYU building, but what about a favorite bathroom? Taylor A. Rees (’22), an information-systems-management grad student, certainly does. She’s visited just about every women’s bathroom on campus, rating each based on lighting, traffic, cleanliness, and design.

Rees posts each rating—complete with a bathroom selfie—to her Instagram account @bathrooms_of_byu. The page started as a joke in March 2019 but has since become a student favorite.

So what makes a campus bathroom great? “Definitely how clean it is,” says Rees. “I also really value the accessibility and the layout.” Selfie potential is important too: “Bathrooms always get extra points with me if they have full-length mirrors and full-length stall doors,” adds Rees.

If you’d like to be privy to the best campus privies, here are Rees’s suggestions:

A woman stands in front of bathroom window taking a selfie. The bathroom has marble floors and dark wooden doors.

1 of 6: Best-Kept Secret: Maeser Building | With recently renovated fixtures, beautiful tile, and floor-length stall doors, this one is a favorite for Rees: “Feels like you’re not in a typical BYU bathroom.” Photo by Taylor Rees.

A woman stands in front of a public bathroom mirror taking a selfie.

2 of 6: Hidden Gem: Kennedy Center Basement | If you’re heading to study in the library, Rees recommends stopping by the Kennedy Center first. She’s a big fan of the light traffic, the cleanliness, and the comfy armchair. Photo by Taylor Rees.

A woman stands in front of a public bathroom mirror taking a selfie. The sink has red marble around it.

3 of 6: Worth the Trip: Hinckley Center | Heading off the beaten path is worth it for the granite countertops, updated appliances, and low traffic in these bathrooms, says Rees. Photo by Taylor Rees.

4 of 6: Perfect for Privacy: Wilkinson Center Fifth Floor | If you’d like some peace and quiet, Rees suggests the fifth floor of the Wilk because it “has a really nice private bathroom.” Photo by Taylor Rees.

A woman stands in front of a public bathroom mirror taking a selfie. There are several stalls behind her.

5 of 6: Light and Bright: Joseph Fielding Smith Building First Floor West Lobbies | With “full-length mirrors and a ton of space,” Rees says that these bathrooms “feel very inviting and very clean.” Photo by Taylor Rees.

A woman stands in front of a public bathroom mirror taking a selfie. The walls are painted pink.

6 of 6: Quirkiest of Them All: Harris Fine Arts Center | While the HFAC bathrooms are old and hidden, Rees loves the pink tile. “I think it’s just so adorable. I wish more bathrooms had that fun, quirky style to them.” Photo by Taylor Rees.

Honorable Mentions: Museum of Art bathrooms (light traffic), Engineering Building bathrooms (nice and new), Kimball Tower upper-level bathrooms (private and clean—occasionally featuring Bath & Body Works soap!), and the third floor Tanner Building bathrooms (reliable and easy to find).

Want to share your favorite spot? Message @bathrooms_of_byu on Instagram with your own ratings and selfies.