There are certain gender stereotypes that we cannot seem to get past no matter what sector we are in and the idea that women are far more interested in interior design than men is one that has seeped into the tourism sector, meaning numerous hotels pay specific attention to their colour schemes with the intention of keeping their female guests happy. The problem is that hotel designers have apparently been focusing their attention in the wrong direction because, as an award-winning new study from the University of Florida shows, it is the male eye that these establishments need to be trying to please the most.
What did the study show and what can hoteliers learn from it?
While it is true that brighter colour schemes and pinks and purples are generally preferred by female guests, the study – where guests of both sexes were asked to rate a series of computer-generated models with different décors – showed that men were a lot pickier about what they liked and didn't like. Women were happy enough with a wide range of different schemes while men preferred a much narrower group of darker and neutral colours. Additionally, it seems that once men pass the age of 45, they stop liking contemporary styles and lean towards more traditional and Tudor approaches.
The fact that these results are surprising shows that many establishments could very well need to rethink their approach to decorating, especially if their consumer base generally includes more male guests than female. The biggest lesson for hoteliers to take on-board here is that adopting a new, masculine approach with a focus on neutrality and simplicity is likely to be worthwhile because, as the study shows, women probably won't mind if the room is in neutral tones rather than pinks and purples but men are sure to mind if it is the other way around.