We installed towel bars in (on) the tub surrounds in our MB and in our hall bathroom. DH drilled into the tile, and then used wall anchors (I'm assuming) along with the backing plate and screws supplied with the towel bars. I don't know if the finish makes any difference, but ours are satin nickel. Our bathrooms are very small, so there really wasn't anyplace else to hang our bath towels (I don't like having them "out" for others to use for hand drying, in our own home, or while visiting others' homes). The towels/bar is on the wall opposite the shower head (tub length is 60"). Towels are completely dry for showering again the next day. We also have a microfiber cloth hanging on the towel bar, for wiping down the tile and tub edge after showering (couldn't find a squeegee I liked, and the cloth actually does a better job at the base of the tile). Hall Bathroom:

It would really help if you could post a photo. It's hard for me to visualize exactly what's going on from your description.

I would not have the towel over the toilet. The towel will be IN the toilet :) If you cut down the bar as Madtown suggest, look at Baldwin brand as the bar comes out from the post and can be cut to the length you want. Others can do this too. These post on the Baldwin I bought are fairly long, so easy to get a towel draped. I cut mine down to a 14" bar. None of the 12 to 14" bars that I saw fit my needs. I spent $18 for the Baldwin brand bar off Ebay, and it is chromed and solid brass. Brass is easy to hack saw through. Here is a picture of my shortened bar. Thats a 14" center to center bar. See how the post bring the bar out nicely from the vanity. That is the easiest bar to put a towel into. I change the hand towel out daily and can practically toss it into place. I don't know if this example is your style or not but your drawing is rather traditional looking, so I thought my picture might help. To be honest once the bar was up I am never inclined to look at the style details. This last picture you posted looks just like it is painted the color I used :) Benjamin Moore "Bunny Gray". It looks like a light blue but is considered a gray. Who knew I would love it! But it was the perfect color with my marble listello. As far as towel rings go. I have never had one. They are just fussy looking to me though. I see them as too unstable, with just one connection. One has to lift the ring, then insert the towel. For kids I think a bar would work better. I could see even me twisting a towel ring off the wall :0

The hand towels in my guest bathroom / powder room get very wet. I think my teen son uses them to wash his face. I plan to remodel my son's bathroom next year. The first picture below is of my remodeled guest bathroom. In this room, the toilet is next to the vanity, so side of vanity was obvious place to hang TP holder, not a towel. Contractor was reluctant to hang the towel bar on the wall because the towels cover the electrical outlet. In my master bathroom, I have no towel bars, so hand towels sit on the counter. The layout in my son's room is more like the "By the Bay" Houzz photo above, there will be space for a towel bar on either the right-side side of the vanity or on the wall to the left (as in the "Art House" Houzz photo). But ... I'm thinking about keeping a medicine cabinet on the wall, so would be crowded to add a towel bar here, as in second photo below, taken at an open house in my area.