Hotel Bella Sky Comwell in Copenhagen, that opens today 16 May, is not only the largest hotel in Scandinavia with 814 rooms, it is also the first hotel in Europe with an entire floor dedicated to women.
Women’s floors are in demand elsewhere in the world, but have yet to be seen in Denmark. Nonetheless, the owners of the new hotel – the Bella Center A/S (the largest congress venue in Scandinavia, with a maximum capacity of 20,000 delegates) which is directly adjacent to the new hotel – had no doubts when it came to reserving an entire floor of Bella Sky Comwell for women only.
A panel of carefully selected, well-travelled women was consulted in the planning of the women’s floor. The floor has been named Bella Donna and is only accessible with women’s keycards.
The hotel management asked a number of influential and well-travelled Danish women whether they felt there was a requirement for their own floor and, if so, whether they had special requests for its design. The answer was a clear YES!
Over half of the women surveyed would prefer to stay on a women-only floor, according to the hotel’s focus group study.
The bathroom is the key
According to the study, female travellers prioritise the bathroom highly, among other requirements. They would like a lounge area offering café latte, green tea, freshly squeezed juice, Danish and international newspapers, and women’s magazines, as well as the opportunity to purchase items such as stockings or an emergency kit with makeup etc.
Women are not at all interested in planned entertainment, but would appreciate suggestions for places to dine or go out alone, as well as suggested routes for jogging and walks.
Demanding women in the restaurant
The menu was another essential element pinpointed by the survey. Women prefer organic and climate-friendly food, and they want the option of “picking & choosing” from dishes on the menu. They do, however, prefer to eat in the same room as travellers of the opposite sex and the women asked also didn’t have anything against sharing the fitness room with male travellers.
“So, those men who are also travelling alone and would appreciate female company can breathe a sigh of relief,” says CEO, Arne Bang Mikkelsen, who looks forward to welcoming the first female travellers to the Bella Donna floor.
