Business travelers represent a lucrative hotel audience distinct from leisure guests. Frequent and willing to pay more for convenience, they hold immense revenue potential. However, attracting business guests requires understanding and catering to their specific requirements. From in-room amenities to food and beverage options, you must tailor your property to support productivity and efficiency. This article will provide hoteliers with a comprehensive guide to Attract Business Travelers.
Implement these strategies for shaping an environment where corporate clients often choose you over competitors.
Table of Contents
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Understanding the Needs of Today's Business Travelers
Today's business travelers seek more than just a place to sleep between meetings. To Attract Business Travelers, you must consider They require an extension of their mobile office paired with responsive service. Analyze their essential needs:
- Reliable, fast WiFi to stay connected
- Outlet desks to work from the room
- Energy-boosting F&B options
- Efficient check-in/out process
- Central location, easy transportation
- Reward programs and loyalty perks
- Modern, clean, comfortable guest rooms
- Helpful amenities - gym, printing, etc.
When every aspect of your hotel caters to these pain points, you become known as a preferred brand for corporate clients.
Crafting the Optimal Property to Attract Business Travelers
Your facilities and operations should aim to meet and exceed business guest expectations. Focus on getting these key elements right:
Streamlined Arrival Experience
From parking to check-in, make it seamless. Offer pre-registration, mobile room keys, and amenities to skip front desk lines. Luggage assistance and room upgrades are appreciated touches.
Upgraded In-Room WiFi
Provide fast, reliable, and secure WiFi with robust connectivity everywhere on-site. Make it easy to get online instantly. Prioritize any guest issues immediately.
Spacious, Ergonomic Guest Rooms
Rooms should allow comfort plus in-room work. Include large desks, executive chairs, ample lighting, and outlets. Upgrade linen, blackout shades, and amenities.
Business Center and Print Services
To aid productivity, offer computer workstations, printers, internet access, office supplies, and print/scan/fax services—staff for prompt assistance.
24/7 Food and Beverage Options
On-site restaurants and room service with extended hours, healthy selections, and grab-and-go meals bring convenience. High-end coffee shops are a popular option.
Updated Fitness Facilities
A hotel gym lets travelers maintain routines. Include strength and cardio equipment, yoga mats/gear, and pre-loaded fitness classes on in-room TVs.
Local Transportation Coordination
Offer coordinate local transportation as a free perk or seamless billing to rooms. Make getting around effortless.
Reward Programs and Loyalty Perks
Join a major hotel rewards program and promote benefits prominently. Offer exclusive amenities, upgrades, rates, and VIP status for frequent guests.
When each touchpoint aims to speed up, simplify, and anticipate needs, business travelers get their most precious commodity - time - back.
Strategic Amenities to Attract Business Travelers
Curate amenities that specifically appeal to business travelers' lifestyles:
- Pressing services - garment care, shoe shine
- Travel-sized toiletries - sewn kits, high-end bottles
- Breakfast grab bags, evening snacks
- Local, upscale dining delivery options
- Portable battery packs, charging cables
- Upmarket hospitality gifts - quality pens, notebooks, lip balm
- Forgotten item kits - ties, blouse, dress socks
- Local artisanal food and drink options
Remember, business travelers' days are hectic. Finding ways to indulge and refresh them creates delight.
Marketing Your Hotel to Business Clients
Your marketing and sales efforts should speak directly to corporate guests. Tactics include:
- Targeted digital ads focused on business keywords/regions
- Promote meeting space and group rates in corporate RFPs
- Send special offers in email/social campaigns to loyalty members
- Attend local B2B events to network and promote incentives
- Partner with nearby offices/hubs to offer preferred corporate rates
- Feature business amenities prominently on your website
- Run local print ads in business, tech, and finance publications
- Negotiate discounted rates through corporate intranets
- Host business mixer events to connect with local decision-makers
Tailoring your messaging to the corporate segment ensures you surface on their consideration set.
Making Loyalty and Rewards a Priority to Attract Business Travelers
Joining the right loyalty program and effectively promoting perks helps win business travelers. Ensure you:
- Partner with leading travel brands like Marriott, Hilton, IHG
- Highlight elite benefits - upgrades, late checkout, bonus points
- Train staff to recognize elite member status and preferences
- Offer food/beverage and spa credit for top-tier loyalty members
- Provide easy ways to earn points through Uber, Lyft, etc.
- Send thank-you gifts or amenity packages to loyal guests
- Host member-only events for networking and advance promotions
- Leverage loyalty programs to incentivize direct bookings
Rewarding loyalty drives repeat visits and higher spending.
Conclusion
Hotels must cater to business travelers' distinct needs to capture this lucrative segment. By optimizing for efficiency, productivity, and loyalty incentives across your property and marketing, you can position your brand as a preferred choice. To discuss strategies for maximizing corporate bookings, contact Emersion Wellness today. Our team is ready to help you capitalize on this high-value traveler audience.
The business traveler audience represents immense revenue potential if understood and catered to thoughtfully. Ready to start tailoring your property? Contact Emersion Wellness today to discuss strategies for maximizing this valuable hotel opportunity.
FAQs About How to Attract Business Travelers
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What room amenities do business guests appreciate most?
Large work desks for spreading out laptops and papers, ergonomic desk chairs that support long work sessions, easily accessible power outlets near the desk, by the bedside, and in the bathroom, adjustable lighting like desk lamps and dimmers to set the right work mood, blackout shades for sleeping during daylight hours when working late, upscale bath products that add a touch of luxury.
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What F&B offerings appeal to business travelers?
Grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, and dinner options allow quick meals between meetings. All-day dining with healthy meals provides flexibility for hectic schedules. Gourmet coffee shops with great WiFi and charging stations enable remote work. Room service with extended overnight hours means dining in when needed. Thoughtful evening snacks left in rooms keep energy levels high when burning midnight oil.
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How can hotels simplify the arrival experience?
Allow pre-registration with key details submitted online for faster check-in. Provide mobile check-in for going straight to rooms. Self-bagag drop centers let guests skip lines. Welcome amenities like snacks, water, and coffee vouchers are given on arrival, and luggage assistance is provided to help with multiple bags. Room upgrades are available when available so business travelers feel valued.
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Why are rewards programs important for this segment?
They provide direct incentives for repeat business by allowing points or miles to be earned with every stay, which can then be redeemed for free nights. Elite tiers offer VIP recognition, upgrades, late checkout, bonus points, and other perks coveted by frequent business guests. Prominently featuring program benefits encourages loyalty.
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What business center services are most valued?
Printing, scanning, and faxing capabilities allow working with documents on paper. Computer workstations provide a proper place to work remotely. Free office supplies like paper, pens, and staplers save having to pack items. Fast, reliable WiFi and charging ports enable constant connectivity—knowledgeable staff who can promptly assist with equipment or technical issues.
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How should hotels market directly to businesses?
Targeted digital ads focused on business keywords and regions frequented by corporate travelers. Submit RFP responses promoting your meeting spaces and group rates. Email campaigns touting special rates or perks to loyalty members signed up via their company. Attend local B2B events to network and promote hotel incentives—partner with nearby corporate office hubs or business parks to offer preferred corporate rates.
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What metrics indicate marketing success with this segment?
Percentage of total bookings from business accounts versus leisure guests. Repeat stay percentage demonstrating loyalty—growth in revenue and bookings from corporate accounts quarter-over-quarter. Surveys show rising awareness and preference for your brand among local business decision-makers. Click and open rates on campaigns targeted to business travelers specifically.
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How can hotels cater to loyal elite members?
Send advance promotions and personalized offers based on stay history. Upgrade room type or offer late checkout where possible. Provide food, beverage, or spa credits as a thank you. Host member-only events like cocktail hours, breakfasts, or recidivism nights to foster networking. Send welcome gift bags with local goods to top elite members. Craft welcome letters addressing members by name and recognizing loyal status.
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What should hotels prioritize in website UX for this segment?
Easy online booking with rate filters and account sign-in. Logical site IA that surfaces business rates quickly. Prominent display of business amenities. Strocalls to actionion for group/meeting requests. Mobile responsiveness and speedy load times. Integration with critical amenities like rental car booking.
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How should staff be trained to deliver for business guests?
Recognize elite status members on arrival and accommodate special requests. Know how to assist with business service promptly for needs like printing, WiFand I, and bookings. Have the authority to resolve service issues quickly to save time. Proactively address any concerns noted by guests to exceed expectations.
Contact us for more details.ils
Also Read: Innovative Hotel Revenue Ideas: A Blueprint for Profitable Success
I'm Nathan Baws, a nutrition nerd, exercise and weight loss expert, and an unwavering advocate for good health. As the founder of Emersion Wellness, I'm passionate about crafting Seamless Weight Loss Programs to supercharge hotel revenue and transform lives. We've pioneered the World's First Plug & Play Weight Loss Programs for top hotels and resorts, sparking a wellness revolution. Beyond my professional journey, you'll often find me hiking, swimming, and riding the waves, embracing every moment in nature. Join me on this exhilarating journey towards diet, health and wellness.