Hotels Consider Women-Only Floors
Tue Sep 4, 2007 11:54PM EDT
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Any woman that travels frequently would attest to feeling a little unnerved about staying alone in a hotel. I've been there myself, and I really hate the idea that the only thing standing between me and a stranger is a door that opens with a magnetic stripe card. Kathleen Ameche, author of The Woman Road Warrior, says more than 40 percent of all business travelers are women, and security is one of the biggest issues they face—much more so than for male travelers.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota may be the only hotel bold enough to ease these security concerns by offering an entire floor for women only. Gadling picked up on the story that has raised a lot questions about about equality, segregation, and even feminism. The Toledo Blade says those wishing to stay in the ladies-only floor would pay an extra $30 to enjoy special perks like vanity mirrors, ionic hairdryers, chenille bedspreads, fresh flowers, chocolates, and a ladies-lounge stocked with snacks for women who don't want to eat or drink alone. Security would definitely be tighter, and only those staying on the women-only floor would be allowed to get off the elevator with their room key.
The JW Marriott in Grand Rapids, Michigan, was also considering an all-women floor, but recently decided the floor will be open to both men and women, although the hotel is keeping all the amenities originally installed to appeal to female business travelers.
Gadling also mentions an airline considering women-only bathrooms on trans-Atlantic flights from London to New York. I certainly wouldn't mind women-only floors or airplane restrooms, but I'm afraid a good majority of the world wouldn't approve of what feels like special treatment, all security and health concerns aside.
What do you think? Should the sexes be segregated?
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1 Posted by qatharms on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:23PM EDT Report Abuse
I am a woman, but I have never felt threatened when staying in a hotel. I was a traveling consultant for seven years, and I stayed in a lot of hotels during that time. Never at any time did I feel threatened by the hotel situation. I think women are at risk in hotels because of behavior, not hotels. A woman who gives out personal information to everyone she meets is at risk. A woman who flirts in the lobby bar is at risk. A woman who flaunts desirable possessions such as jewelry or even electronic gadgetry is at risk. The woman is probably behaving exactly as she would at home or when in the company of her husband or boyfriend, but the fact is that predators watch for just such behavior. In a court of law, it would be wrong to exonerate the wrong-doing of a predator because "she was asking for it." However, wise women, like wise men, avoid doing the things that will lead anyone to believe they are easy targets. If hotels want to have special amenities for me because I am a woman, I love the whole idea. However, they don't need to do it as if it would protect me more than the normal hotel room. I feel certain that if bad people wanted to target women for criminal acts, a whole floor filled with only women would be an easier target than one where they have a 50-50 chance of encountering a man in the room.