At the Sheraton St. Louis City Centre Hotel and Suites, slated to open in July, check-in will be done at lobby pods, which provide more privacy for women travelers than a standard lobby desk would, said Bonnie Boyce, director of sales and marketing. Just ask Libby Mills, a registered dietitian and social worker who markets herself as the Lifestyle Coach, helps busy executives manage their lives, including travel. She said an in-room refrigerator is a big plus. It provides a way to bring in the food you want to eat or bring home that doggy bag, so you don't feel compelled to eat it all. Mills calls ahead, checking out hotels, restaurants and double-checking the travel connections for them, so surprises are minimized.
Safety is an issue, as is quiet.
Women, she said, seem to be more prone to insomnia. Eating crackers, a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts can help. Interestingly, the word fun rarely surfaces as a priority for her clients who are women, she said. They are not using the trip to fit in leisure fun time. Several of the recent surveys found that women often feel the service they get at hotels is sub-par compared with that provided to their male counterparts.