MGallery hotels target female business travellers with 'Inspired by Her' campaign

In celebration of International Woman’s Day MGallery, Sofitel's boutique hotel collection, has launched a new concept that it plans to roll out globally. 'Inspired by Her' is a project designed to anticipate and respond to the specific demands of female travellers, who make up 70 per cent of MGallery’s clientele, with exclusive services and special considerations during their stay.

The idea was launched on 8 March at Melbourne’s The Como hotel, as well as Hotel Muse in Bangkok. Each location hosted an event showcasing the special touches the program will offer. Tailored services will include luxury bathroom amenities, lighter and healthier cuisine options, feminine interior design touches, fashion and lifestyle magazines in rooms, access to beauty appointments and an emergency kit that includes makeup remover wipes, nail polish remover, hair ties and pins, suncream, tights and more.

In Melbourne, the launch event featured a fashionable boutique brunch with guest speaker Katie Sarah, the first female mountaineer to conquer the Seven Summits—the seven tallest peaks on all seven continents. Renowned fashion illustrator for Vogue, Kerrie Hess, was also in attendance, painting an ‘Inspired by Her’ illustration that will be a symbol of the campaign in the Pacific region.

Vogue's Kerrie Hess works on her design for a logo

Bangkok’s The Muse location celebrated with a live performance by the show Phare, The Cambodian Circus, and a four-course dinner with selected wine pairings prepared by French two-Michelin star chef Thierry Drapeau.

Initially trialled in 2013, the Inspired by Her program has been rolled out steadily by MGallery, which is part of the AccorHotels Group, following an extensive study with the global marketing research company Ipsos to examine the habits and requirements of female travellers.

With nearly 3000 participants from France, Italy, Great Britain and Australia, the results gave insight into the specific expectations of women staying at upmarket hotels. It revealed 86% of women preferred a female-oriented hospitality program within a hotel that includes special gestures such as attentive staff, name recognition and assistance with luggage. One element uniting the majority of respondents was the appreciation for quality toiletries: the Melbourne event showcased this in quirky fashion with a massage programme provided and a bathtub full of luxury products.

MGallery by Sofitel currently has 90 boutique properties in 24 countries, each aiming to be a haven for female travellers. In 2018, MGallery will also add two new hotels, designed by Bill Bensley: Hotel de la Coupole in Sapa, north Vietnam, and the Legacy Yen Tu, set next to the pilgrimage site at Yen Tu Mountain, a short drive from Ha Long Bay.