Business travellers make excellent hotel guests.
We should know – we work with them every day. Aside from being highly professional... Those travelling for business purposes are much more loyal than holiday guests and are likely to repeat book should they enjoy their experience. As well as that, they travel throughout the year, so even during less busy periods, you're still able to fill rooms. And of course, because they're often travelling on work accounts, they are more likely to pay extra to take advantage of the hotel bar, the restaurant and any other amenities you may have, increasing their overall spend with you. So, if you run a hotel or provide accommodation of any kind, it often pays to attract clients travelling for business. To give you a head start, we've put together five things we know our clients always look for when it comes to seeking out the best business accommodation:
EASY ACCESS TO RELIABLE WIFI
Wi-Fi is essential. Most business travellers would prefer a good Internet connection to a good bed. Naturally, business travellers spend an enormous amount of time on their laptops and mobiles while they're on the road. And to make sure they're able to stay connected, you need to offer a good source of Wi-Fi. If you're able to provide it for free, that's a huge bonus. Alternatively, if you do use a portal that charges, make sure it is easy to access and reliable. It helps to provide clear instructions for accessing the network during check-in so guests don't need to work it out later on.
MAKE CHECKING IN AND OUT EASY
We all know the phrase 'time is money'…and this is particularly so for people travelling for business. Checking in and out should be designed to be as smooth and hassle-free as possible. For the regular holiday traveller, it's just one of those things and they're not too fussed if they're stood around for a while – they know a holiday is on the other side of the wait. But for someone on business who's in a rush, has been meeting clients all day and just wants to get their head down…a long, drawn-out process will put them off staying again.
BE FLEXIBLE ON RATES FOR CORPORATE CLIENTS
There are various studies that prove those booking hotels and accommodation for business are more likely to repeat book. It makes sense for the businessperson – rather than searching anew each time they travel, they can save time and go with what they know. Understanding this tendency to repeat book and remain loyal to a particular hotel affords you the opportunity to be flexible about rates and offer incentives to such corporate clients, knowing it'll pay off in the long term.
PROVIDE LOYALTY SCHEMES
Another way to encourage loyalty from business guests is to set up a specific business travel loyalty scheme that provides extra bonuses to those who stay regularly. Don't just focus on price here. Think about other discounts you can offer that will encourage extra spending elsewhere in the hotel. For example, a free drink or two with an evening meal in the restaurant might mean a booking you would have otherwise missed out on.
OFFER HEALTHY EATING
This is something very few hotels really think about, yet it can be a huge issue, especially for business guests. Whilst on the road, business travellers find it very difficult to stick to routines or find the time to eat healthily. Often it's a case of grabbing something at the service station, or carb-loaded foods at conference buffets. So, if you're able to provide a healthy option for business guests at the hotel, they know they can avoid snacking and save themselves for a good meal back at the hotel. Think about each of these factors when it comes to providing accommodation and you'll soon start to see loyal business travellers booking your bedrooms. And of course, if you'd like to find out more about catering for business guests or think you might have an accommodation offering our own clients might enjoy, don't hesitate to get in touch. You can email us at
info@rapidtravelgroup.com or call us direct on 0330 090 41 42 and we'll be happy to talk more.
