How to Find the Best Business Hotels

Statistics show that in America alone, there will be more than 405 million business-related long-distance trips per year. This breaks down to over one million people hitting the road (or the skies) for work each day.

These busy rovers need a place to stay when they’re not at home, and the hotel industry is more than happy to provide.

As a general rule, business travelers stay at hotels on weekdays, boosting hotel bookings on days that would typically be slower. Some hotel chains offer conveniences that cater to the hard-working corporate segment to further attract this customer base.

As with everything, though, not all hotels are equal, especially when it comes to providing business travelers with professional amenities.

If you’re looking for lodging that accommodates multiple kinds of corporate clientele, it’s important to prioritize certain factors. This guide explains some of the characteristics that set the best business hotels apart from the rest.

1. Prime Location and Convenience

Corporate travel is a booming industry that continues to grow, even during a global pandemic. Let’s face it: E-commerce reshaped how companies do business, and borders aren’t a restriction anymore.

Now, many businesses have clients and staff who are as likely to be in another country as they are in the same city.

At some point, these individuals end up traveling to another destination on work-related trips. From blue-collar to white-collar, these numbers are turning corporate travel into a trillion-dollar industry.

How Hotels Compete for Travelers With Location

Most business travelers are hitting the major hotspots: New York, Washington DC, Orlando, and San Francisco.

To compete with the other lodging places, the hotels in these areas focus on getting in the most prime spots possible. For the most part, this means chains are dominating those locations, edging out boutique hotels.

Why is location such a crucial part of a hotel’s expansion mission?

While it may cost an arm and a leg (and a few extra extremities) for the first-rate square feet, it’s usually a great return on the investment. Prime spots bring in the most clientele.

Advantages of Prime Spots and How to Find Hotels There

Prime locations have a significant advantage for the typical car-less business traveler. Hotels in the business district or financial district are within walking distance or a quick rideshare hop to the next stop.

Before you send your crew or staff on their next trip, spend a little time getting to know the best business hotels in the area.

Filters options on platforms like Hotel Engine make it simple to narrow down the closest hotels to your focal point.

Where will the travelers be on the day of meetings? Where is the project located?

Find the nearest landmark and use the filters to look for hotels nearby.

Once you have a few choices available, pull them up on the map, then zoom in to see what’s around. A prime location will be near restaurants, shops, and transportation hubs.

From there, pick the hotel that is most convenient for your travelers. Booking corporate groups on Hotel Engine is a breeze with the platform’s bundled billing solution.

Related: What Is a Boutique Hotel and How is it Different?

2. Hotel Amenities

Once commuters get to the hotel, they may never have to leave if it has everything they need.

This is the perfect solution for business trip workers on both a time crunch and an extended stay. The better amenities offered on-site and in the guest rooms, the happier your travelers will be.

Yes, they’re there to work, but they should also be able to enjoy their quality of life at the same time. Hotels that market themselves to the corporate world make this easy by including upscale and luxury perks at reasonable rates.

Filter your searches to hotels that feature top amenities like:

• In-room workspaces
• Free WiFi
• On-site meeting rooms and business centers
• State-of-the-art technology
• Indoor pools and fitness centers
• Room service
• Early check-in/late check-out
• Concierge services

Traveling shouldn’t mean you’re stuck eating junk food, either. Check around the hotel to ensure your workers have access to healthy food opportunities. (Or use Hotel Engine to book everyone full-kitchen rooms at discounted rates!)

For longer stays, the hotel should also include a laundry service. Blue-collar workers, in particular, will need regular cleaning services if their jobs are in physically demanding fields.

Discover: 7 Underused Hotel Services and Amenities

3. Transportation Options

If you’re going to be heading out for work or leisure and don’t want to walk everywhere, transportation is necessary.

A hotel in a great location will have multiple nearby opportunities but don’t bet on it without checking first. You don’t want anyone stranded and unable to get around safely.

So what kind of transportation options do you look for from a distance?

Use these tips to guide you:

• Check the hotel’s website to see if they provide free shuttle services. If they do, write down the destinations, hours they run, and how frequently they leave the hotel lobby.
• If you know the area has a subway or other public transit, like Boston, Chicago, and New York, check the site for the nearest entrances to the hotel
• Check taxi and rideshare apps to see if they offer drivers in the area and make sure your workers are comfortable using this transport
• Find the local bus routes to ensure the main destinations are covered

Whatever you find, share the info with the travelers, so they aren’t stuck doing the work again themselves.

Keep in mind that not all hotels can accommodate oversized truck parking. You may also need to find places to store your company vehicles, and your workers will have to get transportation back from that location, too.

You may also like: How to Find the Right Hotel Booking Tool for Your Transportation Company

4. Dining and Grocery Facilities Near You

Everyone has to eat, and the best business hotels make this essential activity uncomplicated. They have on-site restaurants or are in the middle of various food vendors. The trick is to find a hotel that meets the needs of your workers.

First, check the dietary needs of each traveler. Then, confirm the dining options near the hotel give plenty of acceptable choices. If everyone is using a per diem, verify that the average meals are within the given range, too.

Chances are, your workers’ per diems and budgets aren’t going to give them Ritz-Carlton-worthy options. They’ll appreciate you looking out for them by booking them where they can eat well without spending a fortune.

Saving money by eating in the room will be the option of choice for some, too. It’s helpful if each guest room has a refrigerator at a minimum.

If multiple people want to stay in, consider booking a suite for them with a full-sized kitchen. For example, most Hilton hotel chains often have top-quality suites that give you the feel of luxury hotels without the premium rates.

Delivery services are another popular mealtime method. Bigger cities have Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash options. But in smaller towns, these aren’t always available.

See also: How to Plan a Meal Allowance for Employees

5. Reviews

Of course, it doesn’t always matter what the hotel says about itself. The meat of finding the best places to stay is in the reviews.

To get accurate feedback, skip the social media pages. You’ll find some honest thoughts there, but you’ll have to wade through a lot of trolls and paid reviews.

Go to the big names for accurate information about each hotel. Not sure if you really want to stay at The Peninsula, TVS, Luxe, or Park Hyatt?

These hotel review sites have the skinny on global favorites like The Drury, Wyndham, Best Western, and more!

Trip Advisor

Tripadvisor is a worldwide review site, and businesses strive to get top feedback and earn the coveted green owl decal, Ollie. With Ollie decorating the storefront, customers know the company has good reviews through a trusted source.

With nearly 700 million reviews and counting, you’ll undoubtedly find feedback for whatever business you’re checking into.

Google

Google left other search engines in the dust long ago and even went on to become a household verb.

Need an answer?

Google it. Now, if you need a review — Google it!

The review features on Google are almost as popular as Tripadvisor. The main difference is that if someone leaves negative feedback on Google, they contact the reviewer and ask for proof of their stay.

On other platforms, verification isn’t necessary. If you’re on the fence about the criticism you’ve read regarding a business on Tripadvisor, head to Google to double-check it. If you see the same type of complaints there, it’s most likely accurate.

Oyster

A new contender in the world of reviews, Oyster is an underdog that’s quickly taking over.

The reason for Oyster’s colossal impact is the new method they use to review hotels. Instead of relying on consumers to judge and rate a business, Oyster hires a team of professionals and sends them into the field.

These experts take dozens to hundreds of photos then publish them along with a detailed review. There isn’t any emotional judgment involved, simply a unbiased examination of the most important aspects of a hotel.

Right now, Oyster is the small “fish” in a sea of sharks like Google and Trip Advisor, but they’ve already cemented themselves in the trenches. Potential customers looking for authentic reviews from people who know what they’re doing should check out Oyster.

Yelp

The once-popular Yelp reviewer site is still a source of help, but it has lost some of its legitimacy.

You may find accurate information from genuine past guests here. However, business owners know that Yelp’s reviews impact their profits and often use workarounds to boost feedback in their favor.

While it’s hard for the business to adjust reviews on other sites, it’s not as difficult on Yelp. A tech-savvy owner can get unwanted feedback removed or use different methods to boost their ratings.

Word of Mouth Reviews

Of course, any marketing expert will remind you that the best source for reviews is straight from the mouth of a previous guest.

Ask people you know, whose opinions you trust, to see if they have preferences. Some of your workers may have strong feedback about a place you’re thinking of sending them to.

Not super keen on visiting numerous sites to compare reviews? Hotel Engine pulls reviews from hundreds of different sources into the platform so you can get an at-a-glance idea of what traveler experience looks like at each hotel, and enjoy a huge time savings.