Today’s business travelers expect unique hotel experiences, and hoteliers are only to happy to accommodate
Don’t discount the impact of Millennial momentum. It’s changing the face of business travel, especially in their individualized choices of where to lay their yet-to-gray heads for the night. “I really think we’re facing a very special moment in the development of the hotel industry,” asserts Lukasz Dabrowski, senior vice president, global for corporate hotel solutions provider HRS. Of the roughly worldwide 300,000 properties in the HRS portfolio, two-thirds are independents.
The generational shift is propelling younger business travelers to book hotel properties much the same way they arrange for their private travel, Dabrowski says. “The balance is definitely shifting from the same room, with the same amenities wherever they go worldwide towards the new, the local, the unique.”
Marwan Batrouni, senior director and hotel practice area leader at corporate travel consultancy Advito, echoes that assessment. “Younger travelers want the best of both worlds,” he says. They crave frequent stayer points, the better to spend them on their personal leisure longings. At the same time they’re also in search of “a non-traditional or new experience while on the road.” It’s the sort of thing that keeps Millennials smiling, whether they traveling for business or pleasure.
“The marketing is evolving and travelers want options,” agrees Rodolfo Elizando, vice president and head of global business consulting at American Express Global Business Travel. Business travelers “accustomed to alternative lodgings from their leisure travel want these options for corporate.”
Those options include true independents and increasingly the so-called ‘soft brands’ – independent properties that find economies of scale and marketing prowess under the corporate umbrellas of big chain hoteliers.
A Soft Landing
Esta historia es de la edición February 2017 de Business Traveler.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición February 2017 de Business Traveler.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A New Leaf - How hotels are incorporating plants to boost guests' mood and productivity
Indoor flora can boost happiness, relieve stress and increase productivity.
Private Flies
FORGET THE DAY when private aviation was reserved solely for celebs, royals and high-powered CEOs. You don’t have to be a Logan Roy scion to travel on your terms. In 2024, private jets are taking off as a viable option for business travelers, shifting toward flexibility, cost sense, ease of use, and convenience.
Bandon Dunes
In 1999, a national golf magazine sent me on a road trip four and a half hours from my home in Portland to review a new resort on the Oregon coast that seemed particularly destined for obscurity.
Bright Ideas
FORNDLY NICKMAED THE the Queen City, Charlotte, North Carolina, is a destination that thrives on many fronts. Visitors can look forward to year round mild weather, a robust food and drink scene that includes more than 40 breweries, and an ever-growing cultural lineup of museums, public murals and music performances.
Full House
Corporate buyouts are on the rise at boutique properties
Remote Control
The Malin, a designforward work-focused membership club, brings professionals together in New York and Nashville
Bigger and Better
Dubai plans a mega airport to attract more flights and passengers
Urban Renewal
How Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton is revolutionizing the airports of New York and New Jersey
LATAM VIP Lounge
The LATAM VIP Lounge in Santiago International Airport’s Terminal 2 offers a peaceful retreat for international travelers. Covering more than 43,000 square feet, this lounge is the largest in South America, providing a combination of luxury, sustainability and comfort.
Fouquet's New York
Francophiles are likely all too familiar with Fouquet’s Paris, the sumptuous and historic hotel on the Champs-Élysées that has been open since 1899.