Following the government’s decision in January to permit women to check into hotels unescorted, the practice is meeting some rough spots. While some hotels see occupancy rates rising some 15%, others see much lower figures. Female travelers find that some hotels are easy to deal with while others appear not to have figured out how to handle female travelers and demand extra paperwork. This Arab News article has the details…

Women Staying in Hotels Complain of Discrimination
Najah Alosaimi, Arab News

RIYADH, 12 May 2008 — Several months after the government’s decision to allow women to stay in hotels without guardians, businesswomen and other travelers started taking advantage of this new freedom. But many say that they sometimes feel discriminated against by hotel regulations.

Nada, 29, works for a media corporation. She told Arab News that the new regulation has made her life easier, especially since she frequently travels on work-related business. But she added that she often notices people looking at her with an eye of mistrust when she introduces herself as a single woman wanting to book a room. “People don’t look at me with respect because there is no man accompanying me,” she said.

Likewise, beauty salon owner Hadeel, 33, expressed her dissatisfaction at the “verbal instructions” a hotel clerk gave her. She said she was explicitly told that she was not allowed to bring men into her room, even if it was a relative. “I am married, fully aware and respect the rules. Why am I looked at with suspicion when my husband is not with me?” she said.

Shafeeg Hadad, general manager of Holiday Inn in Riyadh, said his hotel has rules that are designed to provide security. “We don’t allow visitors to enter our guests’ rooms,” he said, adding that this applies to both male and female. “We have restricted access to our guest rooms… Elevators open only for guests with key cards programmed for the floors where their rooms are located,” he said.

He also pointed out that the Holiday Inn makes it more convenient for women by assigning rooms near elevators and shortening their walk down isolated hallways.

There are 1,165 hotels across the Kingdom. Most accommodate women who have their ID cards, but a few require additional documents.