It’s often the finer points that get you brownie points. Here’s an insight into what female travellers secretly wish for in their hotel rooms, but rarely share!
Hoteliers today spend a lot of time, effort, and money to get the interiors of their rooms and suites just right. The best materials, top-of-the-line fittings, the most avant garde styling… but sometimes the most basic things to make a traveller’s stay comfortable are missed out on for the simple reason that they didn’t think of it! This is probably because a majority of hotel owners and designers are male, and they fail to put themselves in the shoes of a female guest to understand what she needs.
Here’s a heads-up on the little things that can delight the female guest:
A well-lit, full-length mirror
Some of the most high-end properties forget this most basic of necessities. That a lady wants to check how an outfit looks in its entirety before stepping out.
TIP: The light should be such that she can see the colours and contours of her clothing properly and check her hair and make-up too.
A ledge in the shower stall
Because she shaves her legs and even if you’ve provided a relaxing tub to do this in, there may be times when she’s got to shower in a hurry. A space to rest her foot so she doesn’t have to bend over double will win you many, many brownie points. This can also double up as a shelf to stash her bath accessories. Because even though you may provide the best bath products, she’ll almost always carry some of her own!
TIP: Place this at a height that is easily reached. If you have the space, you can even make the niche a seat.
A hook for the bath towel
It may look stylish to have the towel on the outside handle of the shower stall, but that’s actually the place where the bath mat should be hung, ready for use. Being able to access the towel without stepping out of the cubicle or doing complex calisthenics is a blessing.
TIP: Place the hook in a way that the towel doesn’t get wet with the hand shower or the overhead one.
A convenient space for the luggage
You may think this is a given, but we’ve found many hotels where this is not part of the room plan! Ideally, the guest should be able to unpack (or at least open up) the suitcase close to the bathing and changing area. If granite or marble are too expensive, you can provide a sturdy table instead. At a boutique property we stayed in recently, they had thoughtfully provided two of these, so that both guests in the room could access their bags easily.
TIP: Ensure that the platform for the bag is at a height that allows access to guests of varying heights without bending over uncomfortably.
A master switch for all the lights
Yes, a lot of rooms have this feature already. But many club this with the fan or the charging points, so if a guest wants to use those while sleeping, then she has to traipse all around the room to find individual light switches, often after a tiring day out.
TIP: Don’t forget to include the lights in the foyer area or the bathroom under the control of the master switch.
Put these features in now and thank us later.
Read more.
The tipping point: How to ace the gratuities game
How to have hassle-free hair on your next holiday
Solo women travellers, here’s why you must pick Shillong for your next trip