Timeshares, Hotels, and Women Who Travel
Sunday, April 17, 2011
With this week’s opening of the Hotel Belle Sky Comwell in Copenhagen, Europe now has its first hotel with an entire floor dedicated to women.
At one time, ‘women-only hotels’ were found in many metropolitan areas worldwide. These were entire properties that accommodated only female guests and sometimes only female employees. In 1903 the Martha Washington opened on Fifth Avenue, becoming New York’s first female only hotel. In 1939, New York’s Barbizon Hotel opened, serving as a residence hotel for more than fifty years and hosting many famous female guests, including Candice Bergen, Liza Minnelli, and Grace Kelly.
Although there are still a few female-only hotel properties around the world, there is less demand for them than in the past. However, interest in accommodations that better serve the needs of women travelers is on the rise, with more and more resorts and hotels either offering ladies-only sections, or at least catering more to the travel preferences of women.
Extras that Women Want in Hotels and Timeshares
One recent study shows that female travelers value good hairdryers, organic beauty supplies, good lighting and mirrors with magnification. Requests for the mini bar include café latte, green tea, and mineral water.
New York’s Premier Hotel is one of many properties that offer women-only rooms. These rooms typically include: yoga mats; magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Self, and O; curling and flat irons; bath salts; a vanity kit, and a stool at the sink (with makeup lighting) so women can sit while applying makeup.
In the timeshare industry, Wyndham Worldwide, was a frontrunner in speaking to the needs of women who travel. In 1995, Wyndham established Women on Their Way, a website packed with tips and resources for women who travel for business or pleasure, along with expert advice on destinations, hotels, and Wyndham timeshare resorts.