Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 73

By Tara Mastrelli

break on through
Complicated answers to one simple question: what does it take to be a successful woman in this industry?
“The first rule about fight club is there is no fight club.” And the first rule about being a successful woman in this industry is there is no glass ceiling. Now, once you probe a bit, and start asking the questions, that’s a different story. Off the record, the men in certain large architectural firms are still making more than the women. Off the record, the men at certain large hotel companies are being promoted way more frequently than women. Off the record, certain design principals have an unwritten policy against women having children. Off the record, certain high profile women stand in the back of the room while their male employees do business in some of the hottest global markets. Off the record, some women like being the only woman in the room. Off the record, sometimes women designers have an advantage over men whose sexuality is “suspect”. Off the record, this would be a very different story if I had guaranteed anonymity. Off the record, the truth about women is we’re way tougher than most men would ever give us credit for. And the first unwritten rule about being a successful woman is never let ‘em see you sweat. So is there a glass ceiling? Hell no, no one would ever admit to that. But are there about 1,000 more social, cultural, and business factors that women need to consider than men when developing their strategy in how to handle each and every situation they encounter in this industry each day? Ah, there’s the rub. One look through the sea of dark suits at any hotel investment conference is all it takes to see the lack of diversity. There are, in designer terms, punches of color, but mostly in the form of a few Indian power players. And there are very few women. The hotel ownership and development side of this business is a man’s world, that doesn’t seem to be even up for debate. Some women in the design arena actually suggest that works in their favor. What is up for debate (and a heated one at that) is the veritable minefield of “negotiations” that female designers and architects have to make when dealing with issues of travel and family and the homogenous suits or dishdashas on the other side. Over the past several months we’ve broached this topic with women of all walks of the industry: designers, architects, purchasers, executives in hotel corporations. Some young women with small firms of three to five people, and some, gender aside, arguably the most powerful names in hospitality design. Some we discussed with one on one, and many in a roundtable forum at our leadership summit. Here we let the women of our industry speak for themselves.

The Female Advantage
“I think it is an advantage to be a female,” says Rebecca Jones, principal, RD Jones & Associates, Washington, DC. “Because primarily, the opposite side of the spectrum is all men and [design] is something that they are not totally involved in, so they have a respect for what we do.” “I actually think the corporate world, and maybe men universally, like dealing with women,” says Sue Firestone, founder/chairman, sfa design, Santa Barbara, California. “I think that it gives them an opportunity to deal with women outside their households in a respectful way. Again maybe it’s not OK to say that or admit that, but I’ve heard it and I just know that it’s reality. If you’re a woman and you’re competent and you’re successful, there’s a mystique I think that makes you more intriguing, and I just think that has an advantage to self promotion and having a woman-owned business, I think there’s a caché to that.” “I personally think I’ve never been in a situation where it’s been a disadvantage to be a woman,” says Margaret McMahon, managing director of the New York office of Wilson Associates. “In the Middle East

www.hospitalitydesign.com

July 2010

http://www.hospitalitydesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2010