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What do women want from a hotel?
Easy access to electronics chargers, hair-straightening irons, yoga mats and quality shampoo that will protect their hair, according to new research from Hyatt
Hotels & Resorts. Being able to leave those items at home could help female business travelers turn a checked bag into a carry-on, and prevent the need to spend valuable time waiting at the airport, says Sara Kearney, Hyatt's senior vice president in charge of brands.
Female guests also want an easier way to
communicate with hotel management and give staff feedback.
These are among the findings from Hyatt's research, initially conducted to get to know all their customers better, says Kearney.
Hyatt runs about 475 hotels under seven names including the traditional Hyatt, upscale Park Hyatt, contemporary Andaz and mid-priced Hyatt Place brands.
"Initially, we were conducting a study to get greater understanding of what travelers' general perceptions of the overall travel experience were," Kearney says. "As we started digging, we found that the richest area of opportunity was to focus more on what we were hearing from women. You could tell there were passion points that would make a bigger impact for women, and that men would probably appreciate them as well."
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In response to the findings, Hyatt began testing proposed changes in eight hotels such as the Hyatt Regency Chicago O'Hare. For some hotels, the new female friendly approach — officially in place as of today — has meant buying new shampoo and conditioner. For others, there have been additional changes.
As of today, guests should find in Hyatt's hotels:
Easier communication: Many women want assurance that their room has been cleaned and they want to provide feedback, the research revealed. As a result, Hyatt's hotels have added old-fashioned sheets of paper on which housekeepers sign their name and personally confirm that they've cleaned the room. They also invite guests to share their needs during their stay using pen and paper instead of e-mail. So far, the notes have mostly consisted of "thank you's" but Hyatt will be monitoring future patterns, Kearney says.
No-hassle borrow or buy program: The research also showed that female guests tend to be "much more reluctant than men" to seek assistance, she says. That means that a simple forgotten item such as a Dell laptop power cord or Blackberry phone charger could create a major obstacle. As a result, Hyatt's rolling out a special program called "Hyatt Has It" so that guests can borrow a variety of must-haves such as chargers, curling irons, flatirons, steamers, makeup remover wipes, razors and yoga mats. The items will be available for purchase or for borrowing. Since all travelers forget things, Hyatt expects this will be a big hit with men, too.
Customized meals: Many women find it harder to maintain their health and weight on the road, the research showed, so Hyatt revamped its menus. Expect to see new, freshly made juices and smoothies as well as smaller-portion options, even on room-service menus for late-night orders. Women who might like to order a plain piece of broiled fish and steamed broccoli will now be able to do that, too.
More trustworthy shampoo: Most female travelers pack the facial soap they use at home, but when it comes to hair products, they'll likely use hotel-provided products if they are credible, Kearney says. As a result, the Hyatt brand is doing away with its generic Portico toiletry line and replacing with a variety of amenities from such labels as KenetMD Skin Care, Le Labo, June Jacobs and Aromapothecary. Hyatt repeatedly heard from women, "I want a quality bath product that's consistent with what I'd use when at home." Kearney says.
Catering to women in a male-dominated industry
Last month, USA TODAY's Hotel Check-In discussed the topic of what women want from their hotels with five leading hotel CEOs - including Kimpton Hotels CEO Mike Depatie.
The medium-sized chain of about 60 boutique hotels, such as Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C. and Hotel Palomar in San Francisco, receives a higher-than-average share of female guests because of its strategy, he says.
"You've got a fairly male-dominated industry; it's amazing how we forget some of the things that are important to women," he says.
He attributes Kimpton's appeal to women to its formula of having mainly hotels with about 200 rooms or less, which create a feeling of safety for many women, in addition to high-quality restaurants. The restaurants eliminate the need for female guests to "get in a cab and go across town," he says. Furthermore, their gyms all have glass doors for transparency, also generating a feeling of security, he says.
At Kimpton's boutique Hotel Allegro in Chicago, guests can ask to borrow a flat iron, curling iron or upgraded hair dryer.(Photo: Jordan Frank)
In addition, Kimpton hotels make available high-quality hair dryers, curling irons and flatirons. Each hotel receives requests for flatirons roughly five to 10 times per week, says Kimpton spokeswoman Jordan Frank.
"Other products most frequently requested by women are salon power hair dryers, shower caps, nail polish remover, feminine hygiene products, fashion tape and bubble bath/bath salts," she says.
Love for fancy shampoo, flat irons
So how big of a deal are such things as shampoo and flatirons for female travelers?
Meilee Anderson, a tourism industry executive in Seattle, for one, would appreciate it if hotels made flatirons available to guests. It would be one less thing to pack, she says.
Hitha Palepu, a pharmaceutical executive who travels often, says that "hotel-provided hair straighteners would be amazing." The irons are a must-have for her since she has "fussy" hair that can get fussier depending on the water quality in a given destination.
For other business travelers, having something as simple as upgraded shampoo is a valued expectation.
"If I'm going to a nice hotel, I expect some nice shampoo and leave my shampoo at home," says lobbyist Kim Musheno of Washington, D.C.
Jennifer Valdes, who works in public relations, says she regularly packs her own shampoo when taking longer trips and checking a bag with her airline. When she's taking a short trip, however, she boards her flight with only carry-on bags and takes a risk that her hotel will have quality shampoo, but she does so at risk of getting a talking to from her hair stylist.
