Hotels were increasingly tuning their product to cater to female travellers, according to a DWP study

Initiatives ranging from specialised design features through to enhanced security are increasingly being developed and rolled out by hotels in a concerted focus to appeal to solo female travellers, according to research from Design Worldwide Partnership (DWP).

Visibility of hotel security topped the list of features sought by solo female travellers, followed by female-only room service attendants, lighting and bathroom design and healthy menu options. Female travellers were also on the lookout for aesthetically-pleasing lobby design in luxury hotels, particularly those which don’t appear cluttered as well as the ability to check-in at a concierge desk or access self-serve portals to bypass staff members altogether. The study found women would avoid hotels without these features.

Major hotel groups were responding with dedicated booking categories featuring many of the elements sought by female travellers, the report identifying MGallery by Sofitel’s ‘Inspired by her’ program as well as W Hotels’ ‘What She Said’ and Hyatt’s ‘Female Traveller Program’ as programs actively working to cater to female travellers and address their individual needs.

AccorHotels Asia Pacific Vice President Communications & CSR, Gaynor Reid, said AccorHotels was continuing to assess and address concerns from women looking for specialised services in their hotel stay.

“At our MGallery hotels, we are addressing the desire of female guests to have access to well-being services, women’s amenities such as beauty items, luxurious linens, and designer soft furnishings that make women guests feel at home. As a result, we have introduced online check-in within our stunningly modern design hotels, which are each inspired by their own stories within our Living Room, Wellbeing and Memorable Moments – optimizing on experiences that welcome females.”

“Whilst our research shows there are many hotels who already provide exceptional service and amenities, females have genuine gripes with Interior design fixtures and Hotel operations that impact on your time and also your mindset,” DWP Regional Business Development Director Bobby Ali-Khan added.

“Thoughtful touches of smaller sized slippers and lighter bathrobes, complimentary high-power wi-fi, in-room-yoga mats and lower height accessible safes would benefit all, including the Asian tourist market. Having environment-friendly non-plastic bottled water and healthy menu options is evident that female guests value their wellbeing as a priority”, she added.