Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-12

rHE latest victory which women
have won is the freedom of fash
ionable hotels the world over. For
years an old-fashioned prejudice exist
ed against the woman travelling alone,
and even I'm America an absurd rule
obtained, until within recent years, pro-
hibiting women without escorts from
dining after o'clock.
The contrary is the rule now, and at
three Of the largest hotels In New York
women have dining room where men
alone will not be served. The tea rooms
OF the hotels in London and Paris are
made gay with flowers, lace and rare
china every afternoon at 4 and the rule
In every notable hotel In the world now
is to take extra good care of the woman
tourist who may he unescorted
In New York the managers perhaps
go to the greatest lengths TO please
women. The waldorf, the Astor the
Knickerbocker and others provide lux
uriously fitted rooms, attended by eN-
pert maids. where the dressing tables
are furnished with all sorts of the rich
est toilet preparations with a small fee
TO the attendant as the only charge,
and this Is by no means compulsory.
Guides. chaperons and escorts are to
he had by women visiting the city alone.
and the hotel guarantees the safety Of
the guest who goes to the theater or the
opera i'm such company.
For several seasons the large hotels
have been competing with each other i'm
the artistic beauty of the menus and
souvenirs furnished at holiday times. At
some places the dinner Is not complete
without the presentation of fans and
flowers to the women guests.
The Waldorf was one of the first to
welcome women who wished to dine
after 6 in the evening, even though they
might not be escorted Profiting by this
good example. even conservative Lon
don has fallen in line. Manager Sailor
of the Hotel Cecil makes special pro-
vision for the comfort of ladies who
may be travelling alone. The tea rooms,
overlooking the Thames. are made in
viting with fresh cut flowers every aft
ernoon for the hour when the whole
English capital pauses for its third
meal of the day with two more TO fol-
low. At all the large London hotels
souvenirs in the way of fans are given
to the ladies at dinner and luncheon.
American women set the pace in the
matter of making foreign tours without
escorts, and the European hotels have
become accustomed to the idea, al
though ii must be admitted that the
presence of a maid and a jewel case
adds greatly to the prestige of a femi-
nine guest in Paris where the manless
woman invariably creates q certain dis
trust in the minds of porters and wait
ers.
But women are the greatest advertis-
ers in the world, and most of the for
eign hotels provide them with pretty
post cards, which cost them nothing
but the postage, and which serve to adj
vertise the place in far distant coun-
tries. some of the cards even having
the menu of the day printed thereon.
A hotel that becomes known as
mans hotel very soon loses the Glen
tele of all except commercial travellers,
who wish to be exempt from dressing
for dinner and other of the small cour-
tesies of life.
All the gorgeous furnishings, the
hangings and suites in different periods
are done with a view to the apprecia- |
ton of women rather than of men. A
woman always likes a footstool under
the table at which she Dimes and she
appreciates it even when she may
maintain a silence if it is missing.
Perhaps the custom of the conven-
iently fitted dressing room, with maid
in attendance and dressing table with
ltS 1OlQlnS mirrors ana CdTelully Sndueu
lights, came to us from abroad, where
restaurant dinners and suppers at
which evening dress was the rule have
long been popular.
Our practice is more like that of the
Frenchwomen, who. however elegantly
gowned, prefer the high-neck gown and
a hat for hotel wear in public. But
here now as abroad our popular res
taurants and hotels have beautifully
fitted dressing rooms for women guests,
where cloaks may be checked and the
costume rearranged for the occasion.
The American hotels are even more
generous than those of London and
Paris, for a great number of the women
who use these dressing rooms are not
even visiting the hotel except for the
purpose of utilizing the powders and
pins and creams that are so literally
provided.
The fee to the maid is all that is re-
quired, but the maids have learned to
discriminate in their service. However,