What women want in biz travel ... More free hotel Wi-Fi ... Deal of the Day: Spain

Found a nice story on CNN Travel the other day, talking about how hotels are working hard to cater to businesswomen.

Women apparently are travelling more than ever on business, so much so that a woman named Carolyn Pearson has formed a website called maiden-voyage.com, which connects female biz travellers around the world and rates hotels on how friendly they are to women.

It makes sense. There are entire hotel floors given over to women at some properties so they feel safe, including one at the Georgian Court in Vancouver (see below).

"Women are nearing half of all business travellers, and they make up 85 per cent of purchase choices in the household," Pearson said. "A woman might choose a hotel for business travel and then, if she likes it, go back for a weekend stay, or boook the room again with the family.

"Hotels are starting to realize that when it comes to travel decisions, women are really influential."

Interesting stuff.

Pearson also trains hotels to look at their service from a female perspective, CNN said.

"We take the entire hotel staff - from concierge to food and beverage - and really get them to see their hotel through a woman's eyes," Pearson said.

I guess that means no more half-priced chicken wings at the hotel bar....

Hyatt apparently has done enormous focus groups with women and developed programs where guests can get anything from deodorant to humidifiers to a multitude of nail polish colours if they need something on the road.

Here's what maiden-voyage.com has to say about the Georgian Court Hotel in downtown Vancouver.

"Internationally recognized as a Small Luxury Hotel of the World, the Georgian Court Hotel in downtown Vancouver offers modern amenities with a boutique feel.

Within our 180 spacious guestrooms, you will find the Orchid Floor, featuring 18 rooms dedicated to female travellers. You’ll find a flat iron, curling iron, ladies emergency kit, satin-padded hangers and skirt hangers, and upgraded Aveda spa products. Take a soothing bubble bath, and then relax with complimentary copies of In Style and other fashion magazines.

For business and pleasure, the Georgian Court Hotel offers convenience, charm, and luxury—within reach."

MORE FREE HOTEL WI-FI?

I'd prefer they provide free Wi-Fi in the rooms, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Barb DeLollis at USA Today reports more than 300 Marriott Hotels and Resorts will soon be offering free wireless Internet access in their hotel lobbies, for both guests and non-guests.

Free Wi-Fi currently is offered in about 185 Marriott properties. But DeLollis said it should be standard at 500 of them by the end of this month, and amen to that.

DeLollis has reported in the past on how hotels are increasingly tearing up their vast, ground-level restaurants and bringing in smaller, fun areas with libraries, lounges and even ping pong tables.

JAUNT.CA DEAL OF THE DAY

Jaunt.ca, a division of Torstar, has a good deal on tap for sunny Spain. It's a 10-day affair priced at $2,274, including $475 in taxes, and includes both fabulous Barcelona and the beaches of Ibiza. Barcelona is an awesome spot, with great, imaginative cuisine, a fine waterfront, bustling markets and my favourite urban park in the world, Parc Guell (featured in photo at right). It's got great views of the city and fantastic, colourful architecture, including stone lizards covered with brilliant blue and orange and red and yellow tiles.

Jaunt Highlights

• BONUS: $150 Future Travel Voucher per person
• BONUS: Extend your flight for up to 30 days at no additional cost (accommodations extra) and return from anywhere Transat flies in Europe
• 10-Day, 8-Night Barcelona & Ibiza - City & Beach Package
• Includes return airfare from Toronto to Barcelona on Air Transat, domestic round-trip flight from Barcelona to Ibiza, and airport/hotel transfers in Spain
• 8 nights' accommodation in 3 or 4-Star hotels (double occupancy). Hotels include the following: Hotel Berna (Barcelona) and Hotel Sol Pinet Playa (Ibiza) . 
• Includes Barcelona Hop on Hop off Pass 
• Meals include 5 breakfasts while in Barcelona and 2 meals daily during 3 night stay in Ibiza

• Tour the fascinating, dynamic city of Barcelona
• Relax on the beach in Ibiza

Offer Details

• Valid for travel on June 21, 2013
  
  Other DATES and GATEWAYS available.
  Call us at 1-855-687-5925.
• Pricing (Rates are per person):
  
  Toronto:
  Single $2279
  Double $1799
  Tax: $474.64
  
  
• Valid passport required for travel from Canada
• This offer is refundable until March 13 at 5PM EST. After this time, this offer is 100% non-refundable