Scots hotel certified ‘female-friendly’ by site

IT’S ladies overnight. A hotel has become the first in Scotland to be certified “female-friendly” by a women’s social networking site.

Skene House Hotelsuites in Aberdeen received the accolade for offering perks such as double-locking doors, fully equipped private kitchens, powerful hairdryers and good mirrors.

Aimed at the lone female business traveller, the hotel also allows guests to order in food rather than spend the evening dining solo in a bar or restaurant, a 24/7 manned reception to encourage safety, and “feminine touches” such as glossy magazines and good lighting for applying make-up.

It has been named Scotland’s first female-friendly hotel by Maiden Voyage, a networking site that helps lone female business travellers to meet up while away from home.

Melissa Gilchrist, director of operations at Skene House Hotelsuites, said many of the female travellers the hotel accommodated worked in the north-east’s oil and gas sector.

“Our style of accommodation addresses many of the concerns females have when travelling on their own,” she said. “For instance, our suites’ fully equipped kitchens mean that guests can cater for themselves or order in, which for female travellers makes for a far more relaxing evening compared with dining solo in a bar or restaurant.”

A hotel spokesman added: “As well as providing enhanced security, such as double-locking doors and a 24/7 manned reception, guests will be able to enjoy a host of feminine touches, including portable powerful hairdryers, beauty lighting and mirrors and a selection of the latest glossy magazines.”

Carolyn Pearson, founder of Maiden Voyage, said it was a welcome addition for Aberdeen. “With the oil industry largely male-dominated, it can be particularly daunting for a woman travelling alone to find herself in a hotel predominantly occupied by men. So I was delighted to receive a recommendation for Skene House Hotelsuites from a fellow business-travel executive.”

More than 43 per cent of business travellers are now female, and the rise of women executives has seen an increasing number of hotels across the world aim themselves at the female market over recent years.

The Luthan Hotel and Spa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, caters solely for women, while others such as the Georgian Court Hotel in Vancouver in Canada dedicate entire floors to women.