DENMARK – Billed as Scandinavia’s biggest hotel, the soon-to-open Bella Sky Comwell in Copenhagen claims to be the first hotel in Europe with an entire floor dedicated to women.
The four-star hotel development, which is set to open 16 May 2011, is located in two 24-storey hotel towers alongside Scandinavia’s largest congress and exhibition centre, the Bella Center, and will offer 814 bedrooms.
The ‘women’s only’ floor, called Bella Donna, was designed by a selection of Danish women who were part of a focus group. The floor will only be accessible by women’s keycards and will “cater to women’s special needs,” says the hotel.
Over half of the surveyed women would prioritise staying on a women’s floor, according to the hotel’s focus group study. There were three primary reasons for this choice: it provides a sense of security, it feels more hygienic to know that the previous guest was also a woman, and they prefer rooms tailored to women’s needs.
According to the study, female travellers prioritise the bathroom and there must be a bathtub, extra large shower head, powerfulhand shower, an excellent hairdryer and a make-up mirror with magnification. The women’s rooms must also be equipped with free wireless internet access, easy to operate sound and lighting, a docking station for personal iPods, a separate alarm clock, a full body mirror with a view from both the front and rear, many hangers in the wardrobe, a selection of women’s magazines, a bathrobe, slippers and fresh plants.
The female travellers also have other wishes when staying at a hotel. They would like a lounge area with the opportunity to purchase items such as stockings or an emergency kit with lip gloss, eye shadow and mascara.
The menu is essential for the women in the study. They prefer organic and climate-friendly food and they want the option of choosing from dishes on the menu. They would like to eat in the same room as travellers of the opposite sex.
Nor do the women have anything against sharing thefitness room with male travellers. “So the men who are also travelling alone and would appreciate female company can breathe a sigh of relief. There will still be women around the hotel, even though they prefer staying on the women’s floor,” said Bella Center’s CEO Arne Bang Mikkelsen.
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