25 years ago hotels got rid of women-only floors. Now they are back, albeit branded slightly differently.

Take the US Crowne Plaza. It recently opened a Women's Executive Level in its Milwaukee branch for its female business travellers. It calls the floor 'women friendly' referring to the fact that, while the floor caters for women's need with a 24-hour fitness, blow dryers and vanity mirrors, men can book themselves a room on the floor too. Similarly, the Millenium hotel group created a Female Travellers Floor in its New York Premier Hotel, where guests are offered yoga mats, light room service menus and bath salt.

Hilton's Hampton Inn in Albany also introduced a floor for female guests, offering them flavored coffees, skin moisturizers and extra-soft socks. But it too makes sure it is not seen as a women-only scheme, permitting men on the women’s floor on weekends.

US hotels are not the only to make women-friendly moves, in countries around the world the same trend can be seen. At the Grange City Hotel in London rooms feature illuminated closets and more bathroom shelf space. At Jumeirah Emirates Tower Hotel in Dubai, the women-friendly rooms offer flower arrangements and cosmetics by Chopard. At the Presidente Intercontinental in Mexico City, panty hoses can be found in the mini bar as well as different snacks and more diet soda.

The rebranding of women floors as women-friendly may be part of a move by hotels to avoid criticism that lead women-only floors to be abandoned in the 80s, when separate floors in hotels offended women traveling on business, and was seen as sexist by others.