When it opened in Washington DC, Hotel Zena was billed as ‘the world’s first feminist hotel’. The Viceroy-owned property’s pink pool tables, artwork depicting Ruth Bader Ginsburg via the medium of tampons, and its male head chef raised eyebrows. Questions were asked about the commodification of feminism in hospitality, whether corporations are missing the mark on what women want – for example, creating pink biros or ‘Empowermint’ cocktails – and, crucially, whether such an approach benefits those it professes to support. 'If there was substance, it’d go beyond marketing and branding,' says Zina Bencheikh, MD of tour operator Intrepid Travel.
Intrepid Travel is the industry’s largest B-Corporation, a certification that requires businesses to be legally accountable to the highest standards of social and environmental performance, including gender equality. ‘Feminism is about equal rights and equal chance for development, so you have to look at it on a macro level – not one area of the business. Women need to be supported at every stage.’
So, what should feminism in travel look like? We asked some influential women for their take.
1. JUDY DLUGACZ
President & Founder of Olivia Travel
‘In the 1970s, when we started Olivia Records – as a radically feminist, lesbian-run music label – people would always ask, “Why are you discriminating against men?” I’d reply, “If you can name five women bassists, producers, drummers and engineers, I’ll shut Olivia down right now.” They never could. So we kept going. Olivia Travel started similarly; when someone suggested doing concerts on the water, I thought – cruises for women, by women, I can do that. Women need the freedom to be themselves and feel comfortable while on holiday. Usually, the industry is targeted at gay men. So we create spaces where everyone who identifies with womanhood is invited as themselves. Safety is crucial, particularly for lesbian and trans women, so we charter the entire boat or hotel. Feminism recognises that women aren’t all starting from the same place, so it’s a constant push for equality across races, sexualities and generations. It’s in our support for women and girls around the world, whether that’s uplifting community-run NGOs financially or holding roundtables with Michelle Obama. We don’t scream, “Here come the lesbians!”; we just get on with it and are good citizens, and people go, “Wow, who were those women?”’ olivia.com
2. HARSHA L'ACQUA
CEO & founder of Saira Hospitality
‘We need representation, but we also need to stop asking women to give up their entire lives for a job. I don’t want to see a burnt-out GM, who dedicates their whole being to one building and whose downtime is spent entertaining guests. But that’s still what the expectation is and it’s not a safe environment for women. Hoteliers hire from overseas and fly in their old management teams because they assume there is no one worth hiring locally. [Feminists] look at what they’re doing for the community. We all need a mind shift in travel: it’s always about what you can take and so rarely about what you can give.’ sairahospitality.com
3. SALMA EL-WARDANY
Writer, ‘Feminist Freedom Fighter’
‘To me, a feminist hotel is female-owned and works on the economy of sisterhood, i.e., paying women for their work. The investors would be female, so profits generated continued to benefit women. Inviting women to spend their hard-earned cash – which is often less than men – so that the money might then go into a man’s pocket is outrageous, I think. And there has to be a conversation about safety. I travel the world alone, but the one thing people consistently say to me is, “I want to do what you do, but I’m scared that it’s not safe to travel alone.” So, for example, the concierge service could give women going out at night a car service or could make sure they were safe through various check-in protocols. Also, the whole thing needs to be intersectional: Black and Brown women need to profit on equal terms. It cannot be a space where only white women win.’ salmaelwardany.com
El-Wardany’s debut novel, ‘The Way We Were’, is to be published by Trapeze in June 2022. Pre-order via waterstones.com
- Eating & Drinking16 of the best bars in Berlin
4. KATHERINE LO
CEO & Founder of Eaton Workshop
‘The world has changed since I launched Eaton – my idea was to use a hotel to foster a sense of belonging; we’re now a “benefit corporation”, which means we are legally bound to make social and environmental progress, including gender equality. Feminism and activism go much deeper than slogans. Now, many companies are jumping on the bandwagon, but one of the most important things you can do for under-represented groups is to provide a platform for them. Women have had to overcome so many challenges, so, at Eaton, we try to fulfil the physical aspects of a person as well as the mental and emotional. I’m about finding fulfilling and nourishing ways for people to be their whole selves—systems of sexism and racism work against that.’ eatonworkshop.com
5. DANNY RIVERS MITCHELL
Founder of Black Girls Travel Too
‘Women travel recreationally more than men. Our influence should be huge and yet men are always at the forefront of shaping the future. I started Black Girls Travel Too, a global community that also curates trips because Black women don’t have the same access to the world as our white or male counterparts. It’s so important that these women are seen, heard, valued and accepted. They come to us with concerns about racism. We know our troubles; we know when people don’t like us for the colour of our skin and we can take ourselves out of that and go home. But this is difficult in a new country, where you may not speak the language – you can feel so vulnerable. So, we always vet the destination through their eyes. Everyone in our team is female, including our CFO, attorney and ambassadors – we must give women employment, a space and a voice.’ blackgirlstraveltoo.com