More than half of business travelers notice by a very large majority (90%) that the hotel industry does not fully meet their needs. A figure that is far from trivial for the leaders in accommodation, but which might improve by paying more attention to the expectations… of business travellers. Since they are the ones in question and who represent 52% of nomadic professionals. ” What we would like is that little something that changes nothing, but makes all the difference : a room with double security, a person in the hotel to whom to speak discreetly in case of harassmentt,” notes Eva, an event planner in London, on the SHe Travel Club website.
From there, Valérie Hoffenberg founded the SHe Travel Club and created and the label SHe who ” honors hotels that adapt their offers to specific expectations of female travelershelping to unleash the travel desires of women worldwide“, describes its founder. In fact, this certification focuses on four key pillars for travelers: safety, comfort, services and catering. The whole being declined in three levels of labeling Silver, Gold and Platinum.
Nearly 200 hotels around the world can now take advantage of this first hotel label dedicated to the needs of female travelers. Among these, the luxurious Bristol, the InterContinental in Paris, Lyon and Marseille and the Kimpton Saint Honoré on the IHG side, as far as Hyatt is concerned, Andaz Amsterdam while waiting for the Park Hyatt in Vienna and Dubai, or even the establishments of the Astotel group. Several Accor group hotels have also received SHe certification, including the Mövenpick Abidjan, the Novotel Dubai Al Barsha, the Hotel Molitor in Paris and the Sofitel Legend The Grand in Amsterdam.
Accor supports the deployment of the SHe label
To go further, the French group has just announced a partnership with SHe Travel Club to support the deployment of the label. In this context, several Accor brands, including Sofitel, MGallery, Novotel and Mercure, will participate in a pilot project involving 50 hotels in Europe and the Middle East. “This collaboration represents another step forward in ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all within our ecosystem.“said Maud Bailly, General Manager Southern Europe and co-president of RiiSE, the Accor group network for gender equality, diversity and inclusion.
However, the importance of the attention paid to the expectations of travelers is not a discovery for the French group, in particular through the MGallery brand and its programme Inspired by Her. Launched in the middle of the last decade, this program guarantees travelers to find bathrobes and slippers in their size or a large mirror and a hair dryer in the rooms, make-up remover wipes and feminine hygiene products available free of charge at reception, in addition to balanced dishes on the room service menu.
However, more than anything, safety remains the main expectation of nomadic professionals, through lit corridors, peepholes and double closing doors in the rooms or a 24-hour reception staff. According to a survey of 5,000 women by the SHe Travel Club, 70% of female business travelers believe that their company should consider this issue first when booking. Alongside the eco-responsible labels that are springing up here and there, will we soon see the She label appear in corporate hotel booking tools?
