5 Features Every Business Traveler Should Look for in an Accommodation

For some people, part of the fun of traveling for business is getting to experience new accommodations. Depending on where they stay and how often they travel, they may get to experience the latest hotel trends are. If it’s really good, they may extend their stay into a mini-vacation or request that specific place again.

Business travelers and people traveling for leisure aren’t going to be looking for the same things. Often times, they have certain requirements that are needed to conduct their work. Because I travel so often for my own career, here are some of those trends and features to look for when booking your business travel accommodations.

1. High-Speed WiFi.

Unfortunately, this benefit is not always offered for free. Alternatively, it may be offered for free but may only be available at very slow speeds. In order to work effectively, be sure that you will be able to access high-speed WiFi and know in advance whether or not that will come at a cost.

It still baffles me how some of the nicest hotels that seem to have thought of everything when they designed them still manage to have the worst WiFi capabilities. If you need to be online or are staying at an Airbnb or unconventional place, you may want to consider traveling with a portable router.

2. A place to get work done.

This may go without saying but as a business traveler, having a space to get work done that is comfortable and well-lit is essential. Additionally, because so many people work remotely, having this space is nearly a requirement for many. So it should come as no surprise that most accommodations are actually making more spaces for people to work.

Some of the larger chains have been renovating their hotels to include coffee shops and comfortable tables and chairs on the ground floor for guests to use. Aparthotels (hotels that serviced apartment style, usually with kitchens and extended stay items like self-use laundry facilities) are also growing in both popularity and in function as many are connected to and/or come with access to co-working spaces.

3. Amenities that go the extra mile.

Plenty of accommodations come with the basic amenities of shampoo, conditioner, soap, and laundering services. But, more and more places now offer facial and body moisturizers, tooth care items, umbrellas, a grab bag of snacks, drinks like coffee/tea machines that are available 24/7, warm food, and common chargers for electronics, all for free. I even stayed at a hotel abroad that gave me a smartphone to use while navigating the city.

While these items are not a necessity when booking business travel, it is good to know that some accommodations will go above and beyond for their guests. Even better, many of these accommodations aren’t in the most expensive price range either. It’s a win-win.

4. Places to meet.

It used to be that business travelers would have the option of a conference room or two at a hotel. Now, many accommodations (mostly hotels though) have a number of spaces to work and meet. Some have added restaurants and cafes to their buildings with plenty of tables and outlets for people to work.

Even better, you often don’t have to be a guest to use the spaces. Some hotels like Marriott hotels let people book a space to work. Other hotels simply ask that people purchase food or drink if they want to use the working spaces that are located in common areas.

5. Easy check-in.

Having an easy check-in option is ideal, especially when you’ve been traveling for hours and are arriving late or very early. While this applies more towards accommodations that aren’t hotels, such as an Airbnb or apartment, having the ability to check-in or at least drop-off luggage is always helpful.

I recently stayed in an Airbnb in Japan that used an iPad for check-in services. You simply entered your information on the iPad and were given a code to access the elevator and your room. I’ve stayed at other places where the owners sent me an access code to a padlock on near their property that had the keys to the accommodation.

It’s interesting to see how accommodations are changing and what they are offering in an effort to bring in more loyalty. Some of the bigger hotels like Westin have partnered with New Balance to offer workout gear and shoes to rent at a low price. On the other hand, having the flexibility of an apartment can make a trip much more enjoyable (and more homely) for a business traveler.