A host of hotel business travel services are made available by hotels, which compete harder and harder with one another for your patronage. Since you are in the driver's seat, you should aim for Fortune 500 treatment.
Here are some perks you should expect, and even demand:
Just as a fancy car can guide you street by street to virtually any location using a GPS system, your hotel should offer the same technology. That way, if you happen to have a rental car without GPS, you can get a printout of directions for wherever you're going.
If you are conducting your business travels with a small delegation, or even with just a few business partners, pick a hotel that offers group rates. Your hotel of choice will still make a tidy profit by giving you a deal that includes a discount price, along with the full range of hotel business travel services. If you are a repeat traveler, or part of a repeat traveling delegation, you can double your leverage by asking for a repeat rate. Beyond that, membership in a business travel association can create an even better deal.
To receive the best hotel business travel services, you will need to invest some time and effort ahead of time to achieve maximum satisfaction once you reach your destination. Consider some key questions. Will you need a conference room? Should the conference room have video-conferencing capabilities? How about a reception room? Are you OK with patronizing the hotel's regular restaurant, or would you like a private dining area?
You don't necessarily need a travel agent to gain the best deals for hotel business travel services. The Internet is chock full of big travel websites. You may want a homey hotel, or even one with a historic ambiance. Sometimes hotel chains often are best equipped to offer all of the hotel business travel services that you desire.
If you do opt for a travel agent, look for a fee of about $15 to $20 per transaction. Ask your friends and business associates for a referral.
Even though you expect your hotel to take care of all of your needs as a business traveler, sometimes things don't work out as they should. Bring a neck pillow, both for the plane and for the hotel bed, because even some of the finest hotels have flat pillows. Stash some incense candles because you might get stuck in a smoking room, even though you expressed desires for a non-smoking one. Bring a portable alarm clock in case the hotel desk does not provide your wake up call. Bring some music and headphones because even the finest hotels can have thin walls. Bottled water is a great asset, especially in foreign travels.
Hotel owners and managers are realizing that a hotel room must offer more than just comfort. A hotel room is an office away from home. The hotels that do the best job in realizing this will become your first choice for the best possible hotel business travel services.
You don't need business travel insurance. It's not required to travel in the same way that car insurance is required for you to drive. But if you aim to relax and enjoy your trip, then you should have business travel insurance. |
Flying used to be the best business travel choice, period. However, as airlines become less reliable, you might be better off driving to an important meeting. Here's some advice on what to take into account before you make the call. |
 | The best business travel tips for productivity are to pack gadgets that reduce transit between destinations and all of the office electronics necessary to conduct business from the road. |
These business travel tips will ensure that you get the best deals even when traveling for business. |
 | Frequent business travelers need a few special amenities to bring the comfort of home to the road. If you've got the right comfort gear, you'll sleep well and maybe even enjoy your next business trip. |
