Aberdeen hotel first in Scotland to receive ‘female friendly’ accreditation

An independent hotel chain in Aberdeen has become the first in Scotland to offer ‘female friendly’ accommodation after winning official accreditation. By winning accreditation from award-winning business travel network for professional women Maiden Voyage, Skene House HotelSuites has joined the networks exclusive portfolio of ‘Female Friendly’ hotels. Touches such as enhanced security, powerful hairdryers, beauty lighting and a selection of glossy magazines have all contributed to Skene House HotelSuites’ accreditation. Director of operations Melissa Gilchrist said: “Skene House HotelSuites has always looked to differentiate the service we offer to Aberdeen’s hospitality sector. “Research shows that the number of lone female corporate travellers is growing each year, driven in particular by the number of women who work in the north east’s oil and gas sector. We also know that the numbers of female leisure travellers, both from UK and Europe, remains a strong market. “Since the early 1990s we have offered female travellers a better alternative to hotels as our style of accommodation addresses many of the concerns females have when travelling on their own. “For instance our suites’ fully-equipped kitchens mean that guests can cater for themselves or order in, which for female travellers makes for a far more relaxing evening compared with dining solo in a bar or restaurant. “By working with Maiden Voyage, we have further enhanced our female friendly offering to increase security and comfort and we look forward to welcoming their members.” The Maiden Voyage suites at the two Skene House HotelSuites are located on the lower floors and include a pamper hamper containing a combination of essentials, home comforts and a few added treats. “It was particularly important for me to find genuinely good female friendly accommodation in Aberdeen after a pretty horrendous stay I had in the city,” said Carolyn Pearson of Maiden Voyage. “With the oil industry largely male dominated, it can be particularly daunting for a woman travelling alone to find herself in a hotel predominantly occupied by men, so I was delighted to receive a recommendation for Skene House HotelSuites from a fellow business-travel executive. “The team at Skene House HotelSuites have a natural affinity with female business travellers and their needs, so we are delighted to recommend them to our global members.”