Skift Take
Dukes Hotel’s new female-specific rooms highlight personal safety, but they also reinforce gender stereotypes. The bigger question is: Do they really think these measures are serving women better or is the real goal to use women as a marketing gimmick?
Dukes Hotel in London recently introduced its “Duchess Rooms,” making the establishment one of many to design rooms specially for solo female travelers in the past few years.
In an interview with CNBC, the hotel’s managing director, Debrah Dhugga, discussed growth in women’s travel coming from Asia, particularly into London and Dubai, where Dukes will soon be opening a new property.
Dhugga said that according to "market research," which Dukes Hotel would only identify as an "independent market survey," security is a primary concern for solo female travelers. The hotel addresses this with room service provided by a female employee rather than a male, as well as a corner table in the hotel’s restaurant for discreet solo dining.
Stereotypical perks include fresh flowers, glossy lifestyle magazines, and high-quality beauty products.
This type-casting relates to men as well. Dukes claims that, according to the same survey, male travelers are looking for sports on TV, beer in the fridge, and newspapers in their hotel rooms. Dhugga says that the hotel doesn’t provide male-specific accommodations because men’s travel habits have defined the industry from the beginning.
Dukes Hotel wouldn't provide details on its "market research," n
