Whether a towel warmer can heat the room depends on the amount of heat it generates and the size of the room. Most towel warmers definitely will not heat the room, and those that are designed to heat the room, need to be carefully selected. There are a couple of different types of bathroom towel warmers, electric and hydronic. The ones that use more power can heat the area. These are examples of companies have towel warmers that will heat your towels and the room: http://www.runtalnorthamerica.com/ and http://www.zehnderamerica.com/
Signature Hardware has a large selection of towel warmers to give you an idea as to what is on the market: http://clawfoot-tub.signaturehardware.com/search?w=towel%20warmer
Another way to heat your bathroom is with electric radiant heat (or with hydronic radiant heat if you’re doing the rest of the house). Many people like having a warm floor and Bill installs more of these than towel warmers
You’d need to check with your contractor to determine whether the product you have in mind can heat your bathroom.
:) Rhoda

Thanks so much for the info!

Is this a free standing towel warmer? We are debating whether to have a towel warmer in our new bathroom or just go with towel bars, depending on final space. The plumbing supply company showed us a free standing unit that could be an option instead of having one permanently installed on the wall. Do you find it actually dries the entire towel? Can it dry two towels if they are both hung together?

Heat the room with AMBA. Hundreds sizes, shapes, BTUs and wattages to choose from. Oh ! and we have a freestanding one too.

bathdilemma - In answer to you Amba offers choices. see one of the freestanding one that is available in stock. Its 33 inches wide. See the different sizes at the Ambaproducts website. See what applications heated towel bars are used for in the AMBA binder.