I dearly love my male friends, colleagues and clients. That said, as a survivor of an attempted rape, I always feel a little uneasy travelling alone. On business, I often go back to my room, order room service and a drink, lock the door and relax. I love the idea of meeting some new friends or business contacts and sharing a drink or a meal instead.

That's a great idea for everyone. I speak for men when I say: it's cool - we're not going to oppose this one.

Or some perceived microscopic difference in the services or cleanlines and then turn that around into some bizarrely imagined patriarchal segregation. And please don't make a fuss or lawsuit if men do this too. Thanks. Separate but equal works for me too.

Terribly sorry Mike but you don't speak for all of the men here. If we are striving for a world with equality for all, then there must be equality down to every last detail. Anything less will breed resentment and further the 'battle of the sexes' that humanity has been dealing with since the dawn of history.

Hey, sounds like a great idea to me. And the rest of the floors can be a co-ed mix. Where's the negative? Except for the $30 extra a night for a "jewelry holder" and special hair dryers anyway. I'd say that $30 should go towards premium chocolate on the pillow and primo toiletries instead ;-)

I'm in Massachusetts. I've seen several "Curves" franchises around, and I don't care that it's just for women. I've seen another health club called "Cuts" that's just for men.

It's not right to charge women extra, however. I don't understand how they can justify it or why they would do it.

They need to watch out for Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari trying to sneak up to the 19th floor.

"they won't exclude men from business networking (the way male-only business networking clubs like Rotary and the Elk's Club did until the courts intervened)."

There is no chance that this floor will be a business networking free zone. So, in fact, men will be excluded from this networking solely on the basis of their genetalia. This sexist exclusion of men is (yet again) violating the rules to which you have been holding men for 30 odd years.

I've not been here "since the dawn of history." Could you please describe some of those early battles of the sexes for me?

I am sure that while they socialize the women will only talk about their nails and hair. Please! Businesswomen will talk about business, and that's networking.

You can't have it both ways, simultaneously insisting on inclusion in male networking circles, and maintaining seperate and exclusive female ones. It is not consistant or fair to men.

I feel sorry for the timid people out there who are afraid to socialize for fear of getting hit on. If you aren't interested in the attention, dress modestly, and tell any would-be suitors to buzz off. If they don't, ask the bartender to please see what they can do to ensure you are able to enjoy their establishment without harassment.

I am so tired of getting hit on by guys ever time I try to just have a drink with my friends.

The "ladies-only" floor is a silly idea. First, it could be used to exclude men from that insidious female networking. And the special hair dryers? Give me a break! Who wants to pay $30 dollars extra for a hair dryer?

Such segregation could only be justified if they had special security passes or a special security guard in the interests of protecting women from commonly male-perpetrated crimes like rape. Most women already know how to deal with being hit on.

However, this reminds me of a rather scary experience I had staying at a not-so-classy motel in a small town. The motel seemed mostly populated by an oil exploration blue crew of blue collar men.

At two in the morning, I was awakened by hard pounding on my door and a man screaming, "Wanda baby, let me in. I wanna get it on with you." I went to the door and yelled through it that I was not Wanda. There was a pause and the pounding renewed with the man saying, "Well whoever you are, let me in. I wanna come in and get it on with you!"

Now we can have female free floors too! Actually, I'm more interested in gay free floors. Then I can relax ove a drink without getting hit on by guys.

Honestly, this is the kind of solution they dream up over there.

Sure it is, women are superior so when women are excluded it is unfair and damaging to women and society but when men are excluded it is beneficial to women and society (the meaningful parts of it).

apparently not

...who need paternalistic forms of protection from the scourge of (GASP!) unwanted flirting! (SWOON!)

Fetch the smelling salts! I think a man just smiled at me! I'm so delicate and easily-damaged, how will I EVER recover from this?

I've been around long enough to have seen women struggle to be treated equally. The struggle continues.

A ladies-only floor is illegal. Period. It goes against gender equity. It assumes that all men are a problem, which is sexist. It assumes that women won't cause problems, which is also sexist.

The problem is not that "ladies" should be given the option of having their own space away from men. The problem is that hotel managers should provide a safe place for their guests.

Hotels need to make sure that only guests access the areas of the hotels where the guests expect privacy and security. Hotels should have mechanisms in place so that, if a guest feels under threat, that they should respond quickly to remove the threat. Doors and locks should be secure. Ground floor windows and sliding patio doors should have extra security, be it bars or special glass that is hard/impossible to break. Parking areas should be well-lit. Shrubbery under windows should not be a potential hiding place for problem people.

As for Curves, I object to the place, because it has ties to the fundies and offers a wimpy workout. But that, as they say, is another story.