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Marriott International Inc. announced it was scrapping plans for a woman-only floor in its new $100 million, 340-room JW Marriott luxury hotel, scheduled to open this September in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Originally, the 19th floor was designated for women only. A spokesperson for the hotel announced that the women-only floor idea was abandoned due to tremendous response from customers (presumably negative), but that the 19th floor rooms and common lounge area still will feature amenities designed to appeal to female travelers, such as chenille throw blankets, ionic hair dryers and special bath products.

Marriott’s original idea was to help women business travelers, who often travel alone, feel safer. What was left unsaid was the nature of the customer response. Did women object to being segregated for their own good, or did men object to being categorized as potential threats to women’s safety, or did both genders bristle at the notion that women needed special hotel treatment when traveling? What do you think about women-only floors?