I was happy to learn that last week a women-owned and operated hotel debuted in Saudi Arabia. The Luthan Hotel & Spa is owned by a group of 20 Saudi princesses and businesswomen and is meeting a very big demand in the middle east.

As many know, Saudi Arabia is one of the most conservative countries in the world,
where women are prevented from meeting male friends in public, driving
cars or taking up employment in many jobs. New rules announced in
January allow women to stay in standard mixed-gender hotels without a
male family member in tow, but bureaucracy and conservative family
values mean few have been able to make use of their new-found freedom.

The innovative endeavor does have its detractors who I believe feel threatened when women excercise their independence. Some locals are describing it as a "hotel for lesbians". Two steps forward, one step back it seems.