Arab News
 
RIYADH, May 12: 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.

Stewart Barkwood, general manager of Sheraton-Riyadh, told Arab News that his hotel began receive lady guests in February. He said according to the new regulations, women are only allowed to book rooms by themselves after they register with the local police.

“Our typical female guests are usually business travelers in their late 20s and 30s, and others preparing for an occasion in the hotel, such as a marriage. We also have foreign tourists,” he said.

At Al-Mutlaq Hotel, women are required to provide an approval letter from their male guardians. “It’s just a routine procedure to avoid any responsibility,” said a receptionist at the four-star hotel in Riyadh.

The number of female guests booking in differs from one hotel to another. Mohammed Al-Saeed, marketing director of Le Meridien-Jeddah, said that the new regulation has raised the number of the total guests by 15 percent.

However, Mohannad Batch, front desk manager at the Red Sea Hotel Jeddah, said the number of female guests is way below expectations. “Ladies represent two percent of my total guests,” he said.

He pointed out that most women in the Kingdom are not yet used to the new regulation. “Society needs time to accept the fact that women can stay in hotels alone,” he said, adding that he expects the number of guests will increase in coming years. “Many women keep calling the hotel asking whether the decision has been implemented or not, and inquiring about the documents they should bring with them.”

Mosaad Al-Saeed, general manager of Al-Faysaliah Group that owns a chain of hotels across the Kingdom, said that Riyadh gets a host of women travelers due to its status as an economic hub .

He said Jeddah comes second because of its coastal location as well as its proximity to Makkah.