According to a recent survey conducted by Corporate Traveller, a division of the Flight Centre Group, breakfast, Wi-Fi and late check-outs are the three value-adds that corporate travellers want from hotels.
In order of preference, the top 5 value-add inclusions for a hotel stay worldwide are: breakfast, Wi-Fi, late check-out, a room upgrade, and early check-in. Corporate Traveller GM Oz Desai said that South African business travellers were looking for the same value-adds as their global counterparts. He expanded on the five hotel must-haves:
Breakfast
Business travellers will often be eating on-the-go during the day and attending business dinners in the evening, so the option of a complimentary, healthy breakfasts at their hotel is important.
Wi-Fi
Free and fast Wi-Fi is a non-negotiable for business travellers. In 2016, the Global Business Travel Association Hotel Technology Study found 55 percent of business travellers used their in-room Internet for business purposes for at least one hour each day. Not surprisingly, the GBTA said travellers wanted Internet access that was free and fast.
Late Check-Outs
“A business traveller uses their hotel as a place to get things done or to get some rest. An early check-out is not conducive for either of these requirements,” says Desai. “A productive hotel offers travellers fast Wi-Fi and a comfortable place to work until it’s time to leave for the airport.”
Room Upgrades
Accommodation is a significant factor in a corporate traveller’s overall happiness with their experience. “It is important for their home-away-from-home to have certain features that will not only keep them safe and comfortable, but that create a productive environment… A room upgrade can make a big difference and make the traveller feel more comfortable, especially when they are up all night communicating with colleagues in a different time zone,” Desai adds.
Early Check-in
Many business travellers take an overnight flight and arrive in their country of business in the morning – and then find that they are unable to check-in before 2PM.
Corporate Traveller’s SmartSTAY programme has been designed to address the needs of business travellers, and most of the hotels that are part of the programme are all able to offer these value-adds. “Booking through SmartSTAY not only provides free hotel extras, but also facilitates the reduction of overall travel costs for companies by offering a programme that travellers want to book. This immediately helps corporates to adhere to their travel policy and cuts ‘leakage’ costs spent on non-preferred suppliers,” concludes Oz Desai.
