Seven services your business hotel needs to offer

If there is a segment of our population that should earn a reward for the amount of movement they have in their lives, it would be a large part of the business community. They are constantly moving and shaking, making this world run as efficiently as possible, while waiting for nothing but a really nice business hotel at the end of the day.

While many hotels go to great lengths not to label themselves as catering to a particular group of people, there is a new trend in the travel industry whereby the big names in the lodging business are catering to business travelers. That’s right. Just think how exhausting travel can be for the casual traveler who travels for pleasure and relaxation. Business travelers travel almost every day, sometimes they even see a few time zones in one day. They must maintain a sharp personal appearance and be ready to handle an important meeting at any time.

When you have so much on your plate, it’s nice to know that your hotel has “backed” you. But do they do it? Many hotels try to promote their available services to the business community to boost business. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing (they’re a business, right?), It’s the follow-up that can be mismanaged.

At the end of the day, business travel experts have found that most business travelers only want a few amenities when booking a room. Surprisingly, the business elite is not much different from the rest of us when it comes to their service checklist:

Internet WIFI – Few things keep this old world of bears moving like the Internet. Considering the number of companies trying to go paperless and utilize 21st century cloud technology, Internet service is the top priority.

Communication (fax / copies) – Still, having basic communication tools like a copier and fax machine is key to any last minute information transfer.

Wall sockets – It’s a simple thing, but when you crawl on the floor with things to plug in but nowhere to do it, it’s the most important thing.

Dedicated meeting / conference room (s) – Trying to repurpose ballrooms or other types of rooms for a meeting to take place can sometimes backfire.

Recreational activities on site – After a long day, you want to hang out by your hotel pool, or maybe even visit a lounge.

Free breakfast option – If you move and shake, you need a little fuel earlier in the day. Breakfast is where it is.

24 hours reception – You don’t like to think that things are going to go wrong, but you want to be sure that if something does go wrong at any time during the day or night, you can count on a reliable reception to help you.

A business hotel can be the ideal place for the weary business traveler to rest their aching bones. For any hotel looking to regularly book this type of traveler, it takes a willingness to understand what the business traveler needs, but also how to make it happen.