Hotels up security for women executives

With the increasing number of ladies climbing up the corporate ladder, hotels are gearing up to enhance security for the touring women executives.

The special services on offer include an exclusive wing for single lady executives, security cameras, special screening of telephone calls, female butlers, lady doctors on call etc.

There has been a 10-15 per cent increase in the number of single corporate lady occupants in hotels in the last two years. Apart from the domestic travellers, most single lady travellers are from the US, Europe and Australia. So much so, that hoteliers are now looking at women business travellers as a specific segment.

"With the surge in the number of corporates, there has been a conspicuous increase in the number of single lady executives travelling alone in the country. We take precautionary measures while allocating rooms and offer special services to them. Over five per cent of our hotel rooms are occupied by single corporate lady travellers," Darius Merchant, general manager, Taj Residency, said on Thursday.

Le Meridien also encourages single lady executives to opt for the club floor of the hotel, which has maximum security. The whole hotel has a closed circuit television and calls for lady guests are screened. Lady travellers are picked up by hotel representatives from inside the airport. They also get express check-ins and check-outs.

"We ensure that the single lady executive gets her room near the elevator or the fire exit, which is visible from the reception. Guards are informed about the rooms and we screen phone calls and keep a watch on visitors," Rajat Bhargava, executive assistant manager, Le Maridien, said.

Though only 7-8 per cent of its rooms are occupied by the ladies, most of these are repeat guests.

Hotel Crown also offers similar facilities. "Over 20 per cent of our hotel's rooms are occupied by single lady travellers. Keeping the safety of these ladies in mind, we offer them female escorts, a feminine touch to rooms with soft toys, teddy bears, flowers, women's magazines etc, baby sitters on request and door safety chains," said Hitesh Sanghvi, managing director, Hotel Crown.