Women business travellers are letting their hair down more, according to a survey at 27 Novotel hotels and resorts. Females preferred to conduct their work in the bar last year, whereas in 1999 they did their work in the hotel room. They are becoming noisier, and are more vocal than men during sex, it reports. Sounds like someone's been listening at the keyhole, doesn't it? It would appear women are becoming more assertive, with females now accounting for 14 per cent of passes made at hotel staff, according to the survey, which examined the habits of travellers in Novotel premises across Australia and New Zealand.

Women are more likely than men to get out of control at social functions such as weddings, but when it comes to business functions it is the men who go over the top. Women, who prefer to leave their spouses at home, even if they are allowed to take him along, are also more light-fingered, and tend to steal flowers, while men go for glassware, alcohol and even extension cords. When it comes to the mini-bar, wine has replaced water as the most popular drop for women, though this is probably not the reason why women have the most accidents in hotel car parks. Hotels have increasingly become a meeting ground for partners, and hotel staff are more frequently called into action as matchmakers. And when it comes to guests getting romantic, the most popular places they've been caught having sex are in the communal spa and stairwells. Guests seem to be getting more adventurous, with increasing numbers found in saunas, car parks and lifts (although no one has yet been caught in the glass elevator of the Novotel Atrium Darwin).

The survey also reports more unusual conference themes last year. There was a Survivor party inspired by the television show of the same name, and a circus theme complete with animals (although the hotel drew the line at allowing an elephant on to the grounds). One company even asked for everything to be black from the walls and table decorations to the food.