The Marriot has been introduced a new amenity for women business travelers: women only floors at select hotels. For a premium women are able to reserve a room on floor 19 that offers luxury linens, a women’s only lounge, and an upgraded blow-dryer among other frills.

Sounds nice, but I am begging to know, are they kidding? Their trumped up claims of increased security, this only comes when you pay a premium price. So they admit there are safety concerns for female business travelers when staying at a Marriot Hotel outside of Grand Rapids? If only all business could be conducted in Michigan from here on out, we would be safe, thanks to floor 19! And the only way they could decide upon for protecting these travelers was to charge them to isolate them from the opposite sex, give me a break. Another marketing misstep is the claim that women can enjoy a night at the women’s only lounge without fearing they will be hit on. So not only are we being sexist towards women, we are denying the existence of homosexuals in the business world?!

This is thinly veiled misogyny that nothing more than a gimmick to get more money from business travelers, who I am sure wouldn’t mind billing their clients an extra $20 for travel expenses for their female executive’s safety, and is a step back for women in business. If women began taking advantage of the secure women’s only floor because of safety and costs, their male counterparts would be taking many more trips and winning many more clients for their employers.

Specialty marketing has really taken a turn for the worse.