A new survey commissioned by Choice Hotels International polled business travelers on what mattered most when choosing a hotel. Of the 529 respondents, 73 percent said hotel location was most critical. Another 61 percent said they decided based on the quality of the room as the first consideration.
Free Wi-Fi came in third with 55 percent. Roger McDowell, Choice Hotel’s senior vice president of global distribution believed complimentary Internet remained an important amenity for business travelers.
“More and more people are using multiple devices when they travel, and I think the expectation is, whether they’re in a hotel room or on an airline, you can access free Wi-Fi most anywhere you go,” said McDowell.
Despite a trend to renovate hotel business centers and common areas, most corporate travelers work in their own rooms. About 84 percent of respondents said they preferred to work in their rooms, with only 10 percent who would rather work in a hotel’s business center and four percent that chose to work in the lobby or other common areas.
Technology continues to grow in importance to business travelers. About 76 percent of those polled booked rooms online and 60 percent have checked in to a hotel with a smartphone or tablet.
To respond to this trend, Choice Hotels launched a process last year allowing customers to reserve a room from their smartphone. Marriott’s Rewards program members can also use their mobile devices to check in at many of its hotels. At Starwood hotels, guests can not only check in with their smartphones to check in, but can also use them as room keys.
Newlio conducted the business traveler survey between March 2013 and February 2014 of 529 adults who had taken at least one overnight business trip in the last year.
For more information read the USA Today article or visit www.choicehotels.com.
