Travel is no longer one size fits all. Women are consistently traveling more for both business and pleasure and hotels are now starting to see that their experience may need to be a little different than a typical male guest.
Women make up nearly 50 percent of business travelers and make a whopping 85 percent of household buying decisions according to a recent CNN.com article. Hotels are starting to realize how influential women can be.
The Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is continuing the recent trend in female-only room blocks with their Orchid Floor. This floor has 18 rooms grouped together and stocked with extra amenities, like Aveda products, free fashion magazines, and female-focused accessories as well as a ladies-only emergency kit.
The Sofitel Luxembourg Le Grand Ducal, is highly regarded for the way they cater to women's safety and security. They're also held in high regard for their Hermes toiletries and full-velocity hair dryers.
Among properties in the United States, the Hyatt Hotel chain has become of the leaders when it comes to catering to women. Hyatt performed an extensive survey over 18 months which included 40 focus groups around the world. They rolled out a women's initiative called the Hyatt Women's Experience at all 500 of their hotels and resorts.
Hyatt's research found that women want five key things:
1) Assurances of a clean room
2) An easy way to obtain forgotten items
3) Healthy, portion-controlled food
4) Upgraded bath products
5) Open communication lines
With these findings in mind, Hyatt created guest response cards to give women a way to connect to the hotel staff. They instituted "Hyatt Has It" which is a list of things women can keep, borrow or buy that they may have forgotten to bring along, including phone chargers and flat irons.
Hyatt has committed to provide high-end hair and bath products that women will actually use. They've added healthier food, drinks and "create your own" options grounded in their "thoughtfully sourced" food philosophy.
The Hyatt Women's Experience rooms are available to all guests upon request and availability. The rooms feature:
1) Female friendly amenities including make-up wipes and a useful vanity kit
2) Smaller robes more appropriately sized for most women
3) Locations away from possible safety concerns such as stairwells and exit doors
4) Beds with no decorative pillows to cater to women's cleanliness concerns
Women are making the world go around and businesses, like hotels, are taking notice. Whether it's a regular business trip, a family vacation, or a girls' getaway, women can now feel catered to when it comes to where they choose to stay.
Sources:
First2board.com. Web. Published 2 February 2013. "Hyatt's women's experience".
http://first2board.com/travelingwellforless/2013/02/25/hyatt-womens-experience
Hoteliermiddleeast.com. Web. Published 20 April 2013. "Hyatt launches women's experience worldwide".
http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/16854-hyatt-launches-womens-experience-worldwide/#.Ua_fGMu9KSM
CNN.com. Web. Published 3 March 2013. "What women want: Hotels look to cater for more female business travelers".
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/06/travel/business-travel-women-hotels
Reviewed June 6, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith