New business trend: Women-only hotel floors; no men allowed

 A small number of hotels around the world catering to business travelers are adding spaces that cater exclusively to women. 

“Men’s and women’s preferences are very different. When men come into a hotel room, the first thing they do is check the view, turn on the TV, plug in their computer, and check out the minibar. Women on the other hand go straight for the bathroom. Does it smell nice? Is it clean? Does it have a nice bathtub and shower?” says Copenhagen’s Bella Sky Hotel’s CEO Arne Bang Mikkelsen. The Bella Donna is Europe’s first hotel floor dedicated entirely to women.

Judy Brownell, professor and dean of students at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University thinks the hotel is tapping a need. But Marybeth Bond, National Geographic author and founder of gutsytraveler.com, maintains, “A lot of hotels will jump along on this fad — and prove me wrong — but I think it’s a flash in the pan.”

Why cater to women now? They represent nearly half the business travelers in the United States.

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