Are hotels masculine? Are they too masculine? According to Travel Industry Association Research, the number of women among business clientele is growing. They now represent 43% of the segment (17 million globe-trotters) and 75% of them choose the hotel they stay at. Although they travel an average of 4.4 times a year versus 8.6 for their male counterparts, this figure is growing as number of women in key management positions increases. For example, in 1980 the proportion of women who travelled for their work was no more than 17%: there has been major growth! Moreover, the difference with regard to frequency of departures is partly compensated for by the average length of stay: women stay for an average of four days, for a total of 19 nights per year, while men stay only three days. A sign of the times is the recent work “The Woman Road Warrior” by Kathleen Ameche, a veritable survival guide for the travelling business woman, it became a best-seller in just a few weeks in the United States... Women are travelling more and more and, according to different studies, they enjoy themselves more than their male counterparts, but they are also more demanding. The image of the woman who travels alone is that of the modern and liberated woman par excellence, and this image is strong. So the hotel industry is keeping in step with the phenomenon. Not so long ago, however, the sector was reluctant to recognise any difference between the sexes. Business clientele was business clientele. Men or women: their needs are exactly the same. But the trend has since reversed itself and some very real particularities are being taken into account. This suggests major efforts in terms of both infrastructure and service. In London, since September the Grange City Hotel offers a...