What Business Travelers Want from Small Hotels?

As tech-savvy professionals, they expect seamless digital experiences, wanting everything from check-in to room service to be available with just a few clicks. They look for hotels that integrate modern technology into their routine operations.

Let's dive into this blog to learn what they expect from small hotels.

Why do business travelers prefer small hotels?

Business travelers prefer small-size or boutique hotels nowadays for the following reasons:

1. Personalized experiences make them feel wow

In large-size hotels, business travelers can't get a one-on-one personal touch because the hotel is already crowded with a large number of guests. Today, personalization acts like a master key card that can unlock any door in the hotel.

Think of it this way: just as a master card can give you access to any door in the building, similarly, personalized experiences are a secret weapon for hoteliers to keep guests coming back. Guests want a personalized approach, not a one-size-fits-all strategy.

In fact, a research study was conducted that states that personalization has a direct relation with guest satisfaction. The results state that if the guest feels that the personalization was low during their stay, then their customer satisfaction rating falls on a scale of 0 to 6. 

2. Prefer accessibility over comfort

For business travelers, their #1 priority is finding a hotel that's located in a safe and convenient spot. Nearly 31% of hoteliers prefer staying at a property that's more convenient for them.

They can't compromise on location and timing because they need to be present at specific destinations at certain times.

Business travelers prefer small hotels for accessibility and convenient transportation options.

If the accommodation is not located near the meeting spot, they will be late, which impacts their reputation.

3. Cost-effective option for travelers

Compared to big chain hotels, business travelers prefer spending a dime on small hotels as they're cost-effective and offer discounts.

Additionally,the reason behind choosing such accommodations is to stay within their company's corporate travel budget. They don't want to overspend, especially if their business meeting extends over many days.

4. Get a luxurious touch and feel

Though busy travelers' schedules are filled with meetings and events, they still want to enjoy their work trips.

In such cases, they expect small hotels to include amenities that symbolize luxury and elegance, such as high-speed Wi-Fi, large meeting spaces, unique design elements, comfortable bedding, and other premium features.

Just because the property is small doesn't mean that guests won't get a sense of warmth and peace. Business travelers don’t want boutique hotel owners to go with a universal approach; rather customize the room decor and food according to their brand style guidelines.

What do business travelers expect from small hotels?

Here's what corporate travelers expect small size hoteliers to take care of:

1. Faster check-in/check-out process

For business travelers, time is money, and they're often operating on tight, busy schedules.

As they're always moving between different meetings, they want flexible check-in and check-out facilities.

They're frequently in a rush to catch their flights or attend last-minute meetings, and if they have to wait at the front desk, it only adds to their frustration.

After spending hours on their journey, they want a grab-and-go experience.

Moreover, since they often don't know their exact departure time, they expect hoteliers to offer contactless check-in and check-out options or at least provide them with a mobile check-in facility.

2. High-speed internet

Business travelers expect a small hotel to offer a quiet place where they can sit and do their work.

A report states that business travel spending is expected to increase by $1.8 trillion by 2027.This made hoteliers to consider WIFI from “nice to have” to “need to have” option.

They want blazingly fast internet facilities so they can do their work faster.

When they come on a business trip, they want everything to be accessible instantly be it work files, an important doc, or attending a ZOOM call. A study states that 2.94% of business travelers want a hotel equipped with Wi-Fi.

This means if there’s no Wi-Fi or slow Wi-Fi then they would find an alternative property that connects them with others.

3. Meeting rooms and workspaces

Guests expect small hotels to have a dedicated workspace or meeting area where they can conduct meetings comfortably.

As a small hotel owner, if you think that you've enough space and can use it for conducting business meetings, then it makes the travelers feel WOW.

Not only does it enhance the guest experience, but it also saves their transportation costs as they don't have to go back and forth to attend different meetings at different spots.

Barbara Robinson, Marketing Manager of WeatherSolve Structures, says she visited a hotel one day, and all she wanted was a dedicated workspace or work tab where she could focus, work, and get things done.

Even though she was away from her office for some time, she was very productive the whole day.

That means business travelers don't need fancy hotels, rather, they want an environment that caters to their needs. They need a private, quiet, dedicated workspace in a hotel that frees them from any distractions so they can enjoy their business trip.

4. Loyalty programs

When choosing a hotel, guests consider a loyalty program as a deciding factor. Loyalty programs are not just great for enhancing guest experience but also drive higher revenue for hotels.

As business travelers go on trips frequently, they tend to choose hotels that offer exciting reward points that they can use for their next trip. These could include discounts on early check-in/late check-out, room upgrades, and spa treatments.

Through loyalty programs, business travelers can continue to spend more, use their earned points, and upgrade to higher tiers.

5. Healthy food options

Though corporate travelers are out for business meetings, they care about healthy food options and ingredient sourcing. This traveler segment sticks to their daily routine and prefers hoteliers who offer sustainable menus and use eco-friendly practices.

Post-pandemic, travelers have become more environmentally conscious, so hoteliers are trying to blend sustainability into their routine operations. As per the American Global Business Travel Report, companies are looking for hotels that prioritize sustainability.

This creates an opportunity for small and boutique hotels to provide sustainable hotel stays to corporate employees. Sourcing products from local artisans and saying NO to plastic are small steps that count toward making your hotel greener in the future.

By taking sustainable initiatives, hotels demonstrate that they don't just care about the environment but consider it part of their social responsibility.

6. Good pillow and quality bedding

Another amenity that business travelers want from small hotels is a quality sleep experience. No matter how good amenities small hotels can offer, if travelers don't get a good sleep experience on a business trip, nothing is worse.

Having a good pillow is important as it can make or break a trip. A good night's sleep always keeps travelers coming back.

Conclusion

Beyond just offering prime locations and best-in-class infrastructure, business travelers want hoteliers to provide them with a comforting stay experience.

They don't just choose a hotel based on price; rather, they value comfort and convenience. For them, time is money, and if your hotel caters to their needs, they would love to stay at your property.

Whether it's offering sustainable food, providing speedy check-in and check-out facilities, or giving them free Wi-Fi, these little touches make their stay more memorable.