"Girly" but not gaudy: Hotel Le Bristol, Paris

With all the talk and controversy surrounding female-only floors at hotels in London and Copenhagen, our thoughts have turned markedly more femme-oriented in recent weeks.

Certainly "women-friendly" hotels are nothing new; ladylike touches and targeted packages (think: bachelorette weekend, Fashion Week, and Sex and the City-themed deals) are often dreamt up to attract a female clientele.

But what hotels are truly catering to women, minus the gaudy marketing tactics? We take a closer look at three European accommodations for ladies doing just that sans tiaras, pink-splashed walls, or cringe worthy frills.]]> Heidi Atwal 2012-01-18T15:40:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/12/13/14388/799

Following in the footsteps of Copenhagen's Bella Sky Comwell, who devised an all-female floor to cater to XX chromosome guests, another hotel is stepping things up for the ladies, this time in London. The Dukes Hotel has anointed some of its suites "Duchess Rooms," themed to attract women clientele.

While this kind of marketing ploy was recently ruled illegal in the Danish capital, London is willfully flaunting notions of political correctness by providing a package of clichéd feminine perks to "tempt single female travelers or groups of women," according to the NY Daily News.]]> Heidi Atwal 2011-12-13T16:00:01-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2011/11/18/19435/040

Twenty-First Century Betty Friedans looking for female-friendly lodgings on their next trip to Copenhagen would do well to stay at the Bella Sky Comwell. The hotel's Bella Donna floor is touted as the "first women-centered" project of its kind in the hotel world, and has been curated to appeal strictly to a ladylike demographic. We think Manhattan's The Pierre could learn a thing or two from these guys.

Just how successful are they? Well, that, of course, depends on your idea of femininity.]]> Heidi Atwal 2011-11-21T09:15:02-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/10/3/44925/0484

Setting aside women only floors is definitely a current trend in hotels across the world. We're wondering why men aren't agitating for some men-only floors, although we hate to think what they'd do there. In any case, the latest bandwagon joiner is the Tamani Hotel Marina in Dubai which has made its 29th floor available for women only:

The idea of having a Ladies Only floor is to ensure that our female guests feel as relaxed and secure as they would in their own home  -  with the added attraction of first-class service with an authentic Arabian flavour.