Girls, have you ever needed (or wanted) to take a trip by yourself but felt a little uncomfortable about traveling alone? If you’re new at it, or going to a new destination, it can be a bit overwhelming.

I started traveling by myself in college.  I would frequently make the cross-country trip from LA to NY.  But, because I was going home, I was (naturally) picked up at the airport and stayed at home with my family.  After I graduated, I began traveling for business and that meant dealing with cab rides, rental cars and hotel rooms – all by myself.  

It can be exhilarating to travel by yourself, but like most things in life that are fun, it also comes with some risk.   No matter how smart we think we are, there is always someone out there who takes advantage of people for a living.  Let’s face it, it’s not the same world our parents grew up in and we ALWAYS have to watch our backs.  This holds true for anybody traveling alone, but can be especially true for young women.  

To help us maintain our comfort and safety, a new trend is emerging within the hospitality industry.  Some hotel chains are now starting to cater to female travelers by offering special amenities and even the option of staying on “women only” floors.  Amenities range from fresh flowers and yoga mats in our rooms, to private lounge areas. Other hotels are going all out by making women’s floors accessible only through special keycards.  Kind of like VIP exec lounges.  So when you’re coming home late from your friend’s wedding or dinner with your boss, you don’t have to peek around every corner looking out for strange men lurking in the halls – or staying next door to you.  Yuck.

The Crown Plaza in Washington DC even goes so far as to offer a bellman to walk a woman to a nearby destination like restaurant or coffee shop.  

Some of our more feminist-leaning friends may take issue with this, arguing that girls are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves, and of course, I agree.  However, we all know that the world can be a strange and unpredictable place and there’s nothing wrong with ever going that extra mile to ensure our safety.  I think it’s less about protecting us in that old school, can’t-make-any-decisions-without-my-husband kind of way and more about the world-is-full-of-crazy-people-so-let's-be-extra-careful way.

I remember the first business trip I ever went on:  I was 24, and my company sent me to a large convention in New Orleans. Awesome!  I was so excited that my job was taking me seriously and that I was going to go to New Orleans, which (pre-Katrina) always had a reputation as one of the most fun cities in the world.

It’s also one of the most dangerous.  I grew up in New York City and know how to keep my purse hidden and poke a guy in the eyeballs if I have to, so I didn’t think much about the sketch factor. That first night, I was supposed to meet a bunch of my co-workers for dinner in the French Quarter.  I had flown in separately from them, checked into the hotel, changed my clothes, and went back down to the lobby.  I thought nothing of hailing a cab on my own and heading to the restaurant that was just five minutes away.   It wasn’t until I was inside the cab that I realized just how vulnerable I was in a strange and high-crime city.   Fortunately, nothing happened, but it made me think twice about ever doing that again without first making sure that someone knew to expect me at a specific time.  If I had had the option of a hotel staffer escorting me to the restaurant, I would have done it in a heartbeat.   I learned my lesson without incident, but I was lucky.

The next time you plan to travel for fun or business, I would highly recommend seeking out one of these hotels.  For more information on which ones are offering female-friendly accomations, check out:

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