Ladies Night, Every Night on Floor 19: No Men Allowed
A luxury hotel in Michigan bans men from certain areas..
May 18, 2007 — -- When the JW Marriott tower in Grand Rapids, Mich., opens in September, it will have something other hotels don't — a floor just for women, no men allowed.
"The 19th floor is a women's only floor," hotel general manager George Acquino said.
Not only are men not allowed in the rooms on the 19th floor, they're also forbidden from entering a private women's bar.
The hotel is banking on research that shows half of business travelers are women, many of whom are tired of getting hit on in hotel bars. Designating female-only areas is the hotel's way of protecting women and giving them peace of mind while traveling alone.
Rooms on the women's floor will have softer blankets, safes for jewelry, luxurious bath products -- and a steeper price tag. At this Marriott they'll cost $30 more than the standard $229 nightly rate.
One woman said the security of a women's only floor might be worth the price.
"You wouldn't have to worry about the creep factor, getting hit on or whatever," she said.
But civil liberties groups are not resting easy.
"No person can be denied fair and equal access to services at a place of public accommodation," said Linda Parker of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission.
For now, at least on floor 19 of the JW Marriott in Grand Rapids, every night is ladies night.
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