GIRL POWER
Feminine fun in Swiss shopping
MALLORCA: WHAT makes a hotel room female friendly?
A bathroom with a loo seat that lowers itself ? A telly with Sex and the City on a permanent loop? David Beckham arriving at the door with a bottle of Prosecco and offering to pop it for you?
The elegant Hotel Bristol in the shopping paradise of Geneva, Switzerland’s third biggest city, hasn’t quite gone to these lengths.
But some careful planning has certainly gone into making their “Ladies First” rooms – aimed at women travellers and a first for Geneva – utterly fabulous.
For girls who appreciate comfort and glamour there are fluffy white dressing gowns and slippers to lounge around in, calla lilies on the sideboard, organic juices in the mini bar, Molton Brown toiletries…
There’s even an in-room beauty menu offering a range of cleansers, exfoliators and moisturisers.
Targeting mum-and-daughter city breakers, hen weekenders and businesswomen, the feminine touches allow ladies to travel lighter before residing in luxury with their needs catered for.
They certainly make a change from the standard trouser press, thimblesized shampoo and dusty miniatures of Johnnie Walker Red Label.
But surely this is sexist? Blokes like luxury hotels with nice shower gel too. Well, there are plenty more stylish rooms available for male TAMAR JOHNSON travellers, couples and families at the Bristol with amenities to match their requirements such as espresso machines, wifi and kids-stay-free offers, sending out a clear message that everyone is welcome.
In a further bid to tap into the lucrative female traveller market, Geneva Tourism has created the Geneva Girls’ Guide – a collection of hundreds of attractions selected by local businesswomen, stylists and food experts.
Carved into eight sections: shopping, beauty and wellness, activities, restaurants, going out, brunch, tea and coffee, comfort food and the perfect weekend, it’s all geared towards ensuring your girlie weekend is as well advised as possible.
On the shopping front, there’s everything from Burberry to Zenith luxury watchmakers, plus plenty of unique offerings in between.
Boutique Septieme Etage is worth seeking out for pieces you’ll want to keep forever. For quirky homeware check out Les Enfants Terribles, a former garage in Plainpalais, which houses a vintage emporium, a design workshop and a café bar. For beauty on the go, try Chez Louise which offers a great nail service.
Getting around is easy as guests at all hotels, youth hostels and campsites in Geneva receive a transport card granting free use of the city’s buses, boats, trains and trams. But the size and layout of Geneva means it is also easy to explore on foot.
Soak up the past in the Old Town via the cobbled Grand Rue, marvel at the late Romanesque Cathedrale St Pierre, then stop for a coffee or Swiss hot chocolate at Place du Bourg-de-Four, a beautiful square