I'd follow the instructions and cover the holes with one of those Hotel-style retractable clotheslines...

I had this exact problem in my bathroom! I did install mine using the existing holes. I can tell you that it makes my relatively small bathtub/shower seem spacious. The only issue is that the curved part of the bar will extend beyond the plane created by the bathtub (you can see how this would happen in the figure). This makes the shower rod "extend" a bit more into the bathroom. My bathroom is pretty small and I did notice the bar further out at first, but I've gotten used to it and it doesn't bother me now. Someone tall (whose head is closer to the height of the bar) might feel differently.

My BF just 'installed' one in our bathroom...it's not quite a finished installation due to the fact that the pipe is longer than the width of our tub walls so one side is attached to the wall outside the tub and the other side is attached where the original drill holes would be (we had a removable rod w/o any screws) and I will say that even if the rod fit perfectly where the wholes would be - the shower curtain will be out so far that we would be rubbing against it whenever using the sink which is adjacent. If your sink/toilet isn't next to the tub then I don't think it would be a huge issue but otherwise I would follow the manufacturer's advice and install a few inches inside.

Now I have to explain to the BF that he needs to remove the rod entirely and move it in further...which I know is unlikely and this temporary installation will be permanent...

I disagree with bepsf. You're working against the exact reason to have a curved rod - more room.

I bought a similar curved shower rod from BB&B. Removed my old curtain rod (which was installed in ceramic tile) and installed the new rod in the exact same place.

The holes on the mounting bracket didn't line up perfectly so I used the old upper hole and drilled a new lower hole. The old lower hole was covered by the bracket. It worked perfectly. Loved it. The shower felt twice as big.

There was NO issues with it being in the same spot. The key is to make sure your shower curtain is long enough. Mine was fine but you can buy x-long curtains if theres a problem.

that's why i like tension rods. no drilling required! the thing stays up for years, too. i have the double shower rod (by polder, from bed bath beyond) and i dig it, but i didn't install it permanently because it has such odd screw holes. no other curtain rod in the world has those same holes, so i'd be stuck patching tile in the future? no thanks! like i said, i'm all about tension rods. but... that curved rod makes SUCH a difference! friggin' spaciousness, yo!

I was too frugal to buy a new rod. In fact, my shower curtain rod is tension (cheaper still). To get the same effect, I moved the entire straight tension rod away from the showerhead (to the left, in your picture) as much as I dared, about 4 inches or so. Amazingly, it works great and I have the same feeling of extra space as the expensive curved rods. Just make sure to have the curtain long enough (also easily vertically variable with a tension rod).

I think the reason they "suggest" you put the brackets in more than with a standard straight rod is to help keep the widest part of the curve from sticking too far out into your bathroom. Extra elbow room in the shower is great, but not so great if it's at the expense of head room next to the sink or toilet. Have a look at your bathroom and try to picture it. If it looks like you'd find it to be in the way of the rest of your bathroom tasks, then install as they direct, if you don't think it will be a problem, don't worry about it, install as you wish and enjoy your new spacious shower!

lenny and wendy-rae have good points. Before you buy the rod, make sure the length is correct or close enougg - its easy to adjust the length with a inexpensive hack saw. Regarding the positioning, make sure you have enough room inside AND outside the shower. I was a little put off by the cost but in the end I felt it was worth it.

These are installed in my new apartment. I like the extra space inside my shower but I definitely notice it takes some space away from the room itself. If you leave the curtain open, you see your bathtub... not ideal. If you leave it closed you lose more space inside the room then with a conventional rod. So it's sort of a toss up for small bathrooms.

We put ours up using the old holes and it works fine. We really like it. However, the rod we got isn't as curved as some, so that may be something worth considering as you shop around.

I loved it when a hotel I was staying in had one. Whenever I stay in a hotel with a standard tub sized shower, I hate the shower curtain inevitable touching me which is gross. I'm going to install one in my guest bathroom.

I'll never understand the appeal of these things.

It means that the nice warm pocket of air between the curtain and the shower walls is now bigger and therefore ... colder.

I stayed at a hotel recently that had this rod installed... the bathroom had a heavy metal door that wouldn't prop open - so the tiled bathroom was constantly freezing! As a result, the area in the shower could never truly warm up.
Try shaving your legs when you have goosebumps!! You don't look so pretty in a dress after that!!

Stupid, stupid invention. (but then I'm a very small person and have never once been bothered by a shower curtain invading my space.)

This curtain rod is the best. It comes standard in my apartment and i love it. I can't go back to using a regular shower curtain rod ever again. I've noticed since having this little luxury that if i shower somewhere that i doesn't have a curtain rod like this i get very claustrophic and end up pusing out the liner which invetibly leads to water all over the floor. I absolutely love it.

you know what would be absolutely awesome? if the bar swiveled - during your shower, it could sit convex to the bathtub, and after... you could flip it over the top and it would sit concave, so as not to take up more room than necessary. it would have a stop at the bottom of the bracket so it couldn't sag into a u-shape...

dang i'm awesome! when am i gonna learn to get patents before speaking up?

lookingupatleaves, do you know which brand you have or where you bought it? I might try to go with a less curved option so it doesn't stick out as much...

lizkid, i agree. you ARE awesome. :)

I put one in my bathroom and I love it. So far no one has complained of any cold.

I'd mount it over the original holes, I'd much prefer to have it stick out a bit than have holes in my tile.

I have that rod. I love it. When I am in the shower I no longer feel claustrophobic. However, you really have to play with the height. In my tiny bathroom, I had to have someone hold the rod and move it around. Too low and it gets in the way of me standing in front of the medicine cabinet. It would stick out too far. So. I moved it higher. It does give the illusion of space.

Oh, there is an odd tension thing. Every once in a while I've noticed the screws have come loose on the underside of the wall bracket (not the ones that connect it to the wall). I just tighten them up.