Well, I suppose it had to happen in this world of equality! Spain has opened its first (and probably only in Europe) Women Only Hotel. The four star Som Dona in Porto Cristo (Mallorca) opened in June this year. The first women-only hotel in Majorca or indeed Spain, the staff are all women as well.
The hotel has 39 rooms – all doubles – a pool, a gym, a bar and wellness zone. In addition, the semi-vegetarian Flexitarian Diet has been incorporated into the hotel’s cuisine. Over the summer, says director Antonia Iturbide, there has been occupancy of between eighty and ninety per cent. The clientele is varied, but she adds that it has mostly consisted of mothers with daughters. “They want to have some days to themselves without husbands or brothers.” The minimum age for staying at the hotel is 14.
The clients have predominantly been Spanish and German (surprised there’s no British????) Average length of stay has been four nights. Rooms are ninety euro per night with breakfast. The hotel offers peace and quiet and privacy. The policy is not to allow men to enter. “There are no exceptions,” stresses Antonia Iturbide. “If a client goes out and meets a man, she cannot invite him back to the hotel. We have to think about the rest of the clients.”
Sounds very sexist to me: Can’t imagine the uproar if someone opened a male only hotel. Mind, having said that, there were always men only clubs and men only golf clubs so………..?
(some content courtesy of the Majorca Daily Bulletin)