The Westin New York hotel has just launched a slickly designed package that "caters to women whose personal journeys do not include children." This vague language is designed to include women who have chosen not to have kids (the so-called "childfree" woman) as well as those who might want kids someday, but just don't have them right now.

As a childfree by choice woman and a travel writer who stays in dozens of hotels each year, I was pretty psyched to hear that a hotel was going to be offering special rooms and amenities just for women like me. Even though the hotel's in New York, where I live, I hoped that their program could pave the way for other hotels to offer similar services. I assumed that these rooms would be located on floors where absolutely no children were allowed to cry, scream, or run unsupervised up and down the hallways. Instead, they offer rented workout gear, "consultations" with the hotel's chef and "running concierge," and a scented candle.

The Westin's new Wellness Redefined program (and its accompanying #RedefiningMoments hashtag) is part of a collaboration with author Melanie Notkin. In 2008, Notkin launched Savvy Auntie, a blog that caters to women who don't have kids of their own, but take joy in spending time with nieces and nephews or friends' children. Early on, Notkin realized that the blog's success suggested that there were many women like her out there–and, more importantly, that they could be sold products.

Westin

Melissa Braverman, the marketing manager for the Westin New York, describes herself as "childfree by circumstance." She came up with the idea for the package after reading Notkin's book . More than a rumination on why some women don't have kids, Otherhood is about how childfrees are an emerging segment of the marketplace. "Regardless of where you are in your journey and why, this is an opportunity to get away and have a rejuvenating experience," Braverman says of the customizable package. "It isn't a one size fits all."

For Braverman, who had her eggs frozen last year, the Westin's new program isn't about creating a trend for the sake of sales–it's about connecting with a group of women who already exist: "It made sense, not only from a marketing perspective, but because we're a reflection of this trend. We're not trying to shoehorn ourselves into this," Braverman says about the Westin's team. "I wanted to be part of something that speaks to me and the people in my life. Overall, we're a misunderstood part of the population."

For all intents and purposes, I am a member of this newly discovered group. And I, too, have my own sound bite: "I didn't choose to be childfree," I usually tell people. "I was born this way." What I mean is that I've just never had any kind of maternal instinct or desire to have kids, and I long ago realized it was better to opt out of having children than to be a disinterested or ambivalent parent. Childfree and childless women are just like any other solo traveler: When I'm on the road, the hotel amenities I look for are things like a comfortable bed, reliable air-conditioning, and free wireless. But while I enjoy comfortable workout clothes, I prefer ones that other people haven't worn already. And I don't need any more scented candles. As a single woman, I've had my fill of people trying to shove scented candles at me.

My point is that although Braverman is totally right that women without kids make up a substantial segment of the marketplace who deserve their own spaces, not all non-moms are the same. And it's an important distinction: Notkin is childless by circumstance, which means that she's open to having children, but hasn't yet; women like me are childfree by choice, meaning we don't plan to have kids. Ever. We have very different motivations and intentions. The Westin was brave to take a chance on a segment of the population that doesn't often get addressed and deserves to be (after all, without kids we have more disposable income. That's just Econ 101). But will it pay off? This childfree woman is on the fence.

Photo: Courtesy of Westin

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