Despite advances in communications technology, business travel for meetings, group presentations or onsite inspections is still a reality in today's corporate world. Organizations invest vast amounts of time and money into ensuring their salespeople and executives are where they need to be to get their business done. But problems – big and small – can derail even the most seasoned travellers.
Inconvenient location.
"One of the main concerns for business travellers when it comes to hotels is location," says Nancy Tudorache, the Canadian director of operations for the Global Business Travel Association. "Obviously, being close to where you're doing business minimizes the travel from the hotel to the business destination." It also minimizes the stress because the closer someone is to where they need to be, the less opportunity there is for travel delays.
Lack of safety and security.
After convenience, safety and security are top concerns, according to Brian Robertson, president of travel management company Vision Travel Solutions. "Travellers, particularly female travellers, are looking for security when they're traveling," he says. That could mean a variety of things, like two or more staff members on duty in the lobby at all times, key cards that allow elevator access only to the floor of the room they are linked to, or the ability to request a room near an elevator.
Safety and security also include things that may not be evident to the guests themselves, but are important to their employer, who has a legal obligation to keep employees safe while they're traveling for company business. These measures include ensuring the accommodation has up-to-date fire procedures and a disaster recovery plan, in the event of an emergency.
Inability to do business comfortably.
Corporate travel managers surveyed by BTN Group in 2017 ranked free, high-speed Wi-Fi as the most important amenity for business travellers, even ahead of safety and security.
"Technology is an expectation today," Tudorache says. "No matter where you go – not just in hotels, but in office towers and lobbies of buildings – the expectation is that Wi-Fi will be everywhere a business traveller needs to be." In the past, users would have been willing to pay for Wi-Fi, but within the last two to five years, they have come to expect their Wi-Fi access to be free, she adds.
Technology isn't the only thing employees need for doing business on the road. Their physical space needs to be conducive to working, too. "Business travellers want an environment where they can work remotely," Robertson says. "Specifically, some sort of desk configuration in their hotel room." They'll also often need a business centre, access to a printer, onsite meeting rooms, coffee and nutritious food to be as productive as possible – all of which made the top 10 amenities in the BTN Group survey.
Inflexible or non-existent loyalty program.
"Allowing employees to collect loyalty points is one of those things that really helps with a traveller's personal satisfaction," Tudorache says. "When they feel that they're taking time away from their family life, their personal life, to be out on the road for their company, this is one area that brings tremendous satisfaction to the individuals themselves because they're able to accumulate something that is of benefit to themselves."
Lack of creature comforts.
While it's not totally necessary for a hotel to have an onsite gym, a restaurant or dry cleaning service for traveling employees to remain productive, these features can help keep them happy and reduce what Tudorache calls "traveller friction." She recommends that companies try to integrate their corporate culture into their employees' travel as much as possible. "If a company has a very strong health and well-being culture, they want to ensure that their travellers are staying at hotels that also offer health and well-being options, such as a fitness facility and health eating options."
Creating corporate partnerships with hotel chains goes a long way toward avoiding these and other issues. The company knows that its employees will be well looked after when staying at the vetted properties, and the employees can book their travel knowing they can get their work done in comfort.
"When there's a preferred hotel program in place for a company and their business travellers, the company has investigated those hotels in those particular destinations to ensure they meet the safety and security criteria, and other features, that are important to the company," Tudorache says.
"It cuts down on anxiety and travel friction for everyone."
This content was produced by The Globe and Mail's Globe Edge Content Studio, in consultation with an advertiser. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.