Can you see why women are angry at this Sofitel hotel ad?

Can you spot what is wrong with this ad? Photo / Twitter

This was one of Lifestyle's top stories in 2018

At first glance this photo looks innocent enough — a young couple relaxing in a hotel bed, both reading over breakfast in their fluffy white robes.

He's reading a copy of the Australian Financial Review newspaper and she's flicking through a Chanel coffee table book.

Laid out on the bed in front of them are a selection of breakfast items. There are pastries and pancakes for him, a healthy fruit platter for her.

To every woman who has read an actual newspaper in bed alongside her male partner, this photo looks like an ad "straight out of Mad Men's Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce," as one critic on Twitter put it.

Hi @SofitelBrisbane, your breakfast looks delicious! Hey and just wanted to let you know I’m a woman and I also read the @FinancialReview every day pic.twitter.com/qOg5J2vkqz

— Elizabeth Redman (@elizabethredman) October 7, 2018

Many female readers of Fairfax's Good Weekend magazine spotted the ad in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on the weekend and slammed its suggestion that women only read light, frivolous material about fashion.

"Yes, newsflash for @SofitelBrisbane — some women are in fact more interested in whether stocks and shares are going up and down than whether hemlines are," one woman wrote on Twitter.

"Ah yes, those hotel mornings when you wake up, put your hair in a nice chignon and read a coffee-table book about Chanel," joked one woman. Replied another: "Jesus, is that a Chanel coffee table book? This is … so disheartening."

"No no, don't be silly, you are a woman, you only read fashion books and cookbooks," another said.

One woman commented, "I'm surprised she's not in skimpy underwear while he's holding a handful of spanners", while another said, "Funnily enough I actually prefer reading @FinancialReview in the morning."

Ugh. @SofitelBrisbane this ad is seriously misguided. Believe it or not, we’re capable of a whole lot more than just looking at pretty pictures. I know what I’d prefer to read. https://t.co/Q2dHWFQs8u

— Olivia Caisley (@livcaisley) October 7, 2018

. @SofitelBrisbane thumbs down to your gendered ad in @GoodWeekendMag showing Him reading about business and finance and Her reading about fashion 👎🏼 pic.twitter.com/ELLw1B4etg

— Dr Natali Pearson 🧜🏼‍♀️🎓💦 (@sea_greeny) October 6, 2018

Of course the fruit platter is on her side, she'd be loathed to touch the baked goods...

— Kumi Taguchi | 田口久実 (@kumitaguchi) October 8, 2018

A spokesman for the Sofitel Brisbane apologised for the ad and said it has now been pulled from any future publications.

"There was no intention of portraying a stereotype but we recognise it and apologise for any offence that it has caused," the spokesman said.

"The creative has since been pulled from any future communications activity."