Business travelers’ expectations, as opposed to leisure travelers, are that the hotel will help them fulfill the duties for which they came in the most efficient way possible. When something goes wrong that hinders their ability to do their job, their view of the hotel will depend on the staff’s ability to quickly remedy the issue.
Business travelers are in search of a no-nonsense experience that provides exactly what they need when they need it. They are not making booking decisions or choices about their stay based on emotions; they are looking for somewhere they can work and sleep and maybe have a bit of respite from a hectic workday. They value in-room amenities that will help them complete the business they came to do, such as a coffee machine and an ironing board.
While location is one of the most important factors to business travelers, the most important amenity in a hotel is the availability of WiFi; in fact, a majority of business travelers would book with a hotel directly in exchange for free WiFi throughout their stay. If there is a problem with the internet connection and the hotel is unable to fix it quickly and provide a viable alternative in the meantime, or if the hotel fails to provide the in-room amenities mentioned above, they will look to take their business elsewhere upon future trips.
A key difference between leisure and business guests is the possibility of a corporate or loyalty plan with the traveler’s company. Though this means that guests may not be paying for the trip themselves, this is no excuse to skimp on quality of service, as their dissatisfaction will be reported back to the company and the hotel could risk losing more than just one individual client’s business.
For a hotel optimized to cater to business travelers, organization and efficiency reign supreme, so any adopted solution should help the hotel achieve the highest standard possible of both for satisfied guests.
