Riyadh Ritz-Carlton joins growing trend and opens women-only floor

In a unique gesture, Riyadh's Four Seasons luxury hotel located in the Kingdom Center has launched its first women's-only floor that provides a secure and feminine atmosphere for the hotel's female guests. The hotel's 50th floor overlooking the streets of Riyadh will especially be a boon for solo female travelers in Riyadh.

The women's-only floor was launched recently in a ceremony by Princess Reema bint Talal.

"From the moment women set feet in the hotel, our goal is to make them feel special. No matter what their needs are, we will make sure they are being well taken care of with the utmost consideration all the way down to the smallest detail," says Greg Pirkle, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh.

Women-only floors in hotels have become a trend since 2010 in big cities such as New York, London, Berlin, and Toronto, where security is an issue for solo female travelers.

"According to Marybeth Bond, author of female travel books, women's market exceeds $ 19 trillion annually, so there is a great boost for businesswomen who travel from one city to another for work, even here in Saudi Arabia. Our role here at the Four Seasons is to try and make each guest as comfortable as possible," said Noor Darr, The Pearl floor manager.

"There are three objectives of having an all-female floor: safety, comfort and being pampered. We have catered to all what women need in one floor with special amenities in their rooms and with a private access from the 48th floor," she added.

The "Pearl Floor" is fitted out with 20 premium rooms and two Four Seasons Executive Suites, in addition to a special express check-in desk, which is managed by a team of experienced female staff who embody a depth of reliability and trust, allowing them to build a personal connection with female guests. The floor also includes a modern women-only lounge that offers complimentary refreshments, in addition to a new fully equipped ladies gym, both of which are open for 24 hours.

(c)2013 the Arab News (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). Distributed by MCT Information Services.