What Are the Best Business Travel Hotels?

Travel is often considered a necessary evil in the business world. If your job requires you to travel frequently, it's a good idea to develop an understanding of what makes a hotel well-suited for doing business. Because you are traveling in a work capacity, your considerations will often be very different from those who are traveling for pleasure or to visit family and friends.

Similarly, if you are a business owner or a business travel planner, you are responsible for selecting accommodations for traveling employees. Understanding traveler needs is essential to ensuring that your workers are safe, productive, and happy while on the road.

Business Vs. Leisure Travel

There are several differences between business and leisure travel, which means that a hotel that is great for a vacation may not be so great for a business trip. Choosing a hotel that is well-regarded by tourists may result in unexpected frustrations for a business traveler.

One of the chief differences is that leisure travelers typically regard their room as a place of relaxation, as well as where they will sleep and shower for the duration of their trip. Business travelers, on the other hand, might be expected to use their hotel rooms, and possibly the hotel itself, as an extended office/workspace during their travels.

Another consideration is that many people end up traveling frequently as part of their jobs, sometimes for weeks and months at a time, while leisure travelers may only take one trip a year, or every other year. This means that business travelers may have unique considerations, such as maintaining fitness and wellness routines, that the occasional vacationer does not have.

Business Travel Considerations

Some considerations that are specific to business travelers:

Travel and Check-In Times

Business travelers don't always have a lot of control over when they arrive at a hotel. In some cases, they are expected to fly out after putting in a full day of work at the office, which means that they might not be able to check into a hotel until late in the evening after hotel restaurants often close. Hotels that have 24/7 room service, an on-premises convenience store, or that are close to restaurants that deliver late are good choices for these travelers.

Length of Stay

Some business travelers will be in a location for a week or more. It isn't unusual for some business travelers to spend over a month away from home on a significant project. Living in a standard hotel room during lengthy stays can be stressful, which is why many hotel brands offer suite-only and extended stay hotels that are designed for guest comfort. Rooms offer separate living and sleeping areas, kitchenettes so that you can prepare your meals, on-premises laundry, and fitness centers so that you can keep up with your wellness routine.

Room as a Second Office

For many business travelers, a hotel room serves as a second office. This means that amenities such as free, reliable WiFi, spacious desks, comfortable office chairs and conveniently located outlets and USB ports are essential. Bonus points for suites and studios that offer some division between the desk area and living/sleeping space.

Hotel as Workspace

The hotel itself can also become a workspace for business travelers: In addition to the need for a business center that can provide access to computers/Internet, copying and scanning services, a business traveler may also need private meeting rooms or quiet areas where he or she can meet with clients to discuss business.

Location

Tourists often choose hotels that are close to tourist attractions or family members. As a business traveler, your concerns are different. If you are traveling to attend a conference, meeting, or convention, you'll want to be near the host venue. The same is true if you are visiting with a client or potential client: You'll want your hotel to be convenient to your client's office. On the other hand, if you'll be in different areas within a city or region each day, you'll want to choose accommodations that are centrally located to the various worksites that you'll be visiting.

Security

Safety and security are important to all business travelers, but business travelers often have special needs. These include:

• Safe storage of laptops and other electronics, particularly those that store sensitive data: Hotels that cater to business travels will have secure, in-room safes (large enough for laptops) that allow you to manage the passcode.
• Secure WiFi: This can be a tricky issue because it can be difficult to determine how secure a hotel's WiFi is. Many frequent travelers have VPN apps on their devices, which provides a secure connection.
• Well-lit parking lots: If you are a truck driver or driving a large company van, parking lot security is important. Check with the hotel to ask about lighting and security patrols.

Best Hotels for Business Travel

Several well-known hotel brands can be excellent choices for business travel:

Embassy Suites: Embassy Suites gets high marks for its "all-suite" concept. Studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites are available. All have separate living and sleeping areas, including a workstation, as well as kitchenettes with wet bar, refrigerator, and microwave. All properties have a restaurant, and guests receive a free cooked-to-order breakfast as well as a complimentary evening reception with beverages and snacks. These hotels also usually have conference rooms that can be rented for group meetings.

Hampton Inn: Going on a short trip? Hampton Inn may be a good option. While these hotels don't have restaurants, they do offer a free hot and cold breakfast buffet each day. In addition, many locations host an on-premises convenience store that is open 24/7, stocking meals, snacks, and sundries, which is often ideal if you regularly arrive to your accommodations late at night. Many Hampton Inn properties also include microwaves and refrigerators in guest rooms.

Sheraton: Sheraton hotels have been redesigned to accommodate travelers doing business. Many of these changes have been in the public areas of the hotel, which include private and semi-private meeting spaces, communal workstations, and soundproof "phone booths" that allow you to take business calls privately without having to return to your room.

Atwell Suites: Owned by the parent company of Holiday Inn, Atwell Suites offer in-room standing desks, outlets throughout the suite, and in-room coffee makers, wet bars, refrigerators and microwaves. The hotel lobby offers coworking spaces, a complimentary beverage bar, and free breakfast. In addition, these hotels also have meeting rooms that can be rented. The atmosphere is very modern, which may appeal to younger business travelers.

TownePlace Suites: Owned by Marriott, this chain features an all-suite format that includes kitchens with refrigerators, microwaves, and cooktops, workstations, and closets designed by The Container Store. The hotels also have business centers, outdoor grills, pools, workout rooms, and an on-premises convenience store. This particular brand is specifically designed for trips that take you away from home for long periods.

Final Word

Your choice of hotel for business travel depends on a range of considerations, and it will be up to you to determine what is most important. Spending some time online comparing locations, prices, amenities and reviews can help you pick the right hotel for your next business trip.