Best Hotels For Business Travelers

by McLean Robbins on

An annual hotel chain survey from the magazine Business Travel News shows that new brands are making waves among business travelers, with some new names beating out industry stalwarts.
Some changes might be attributed to a change in the scoring system this year (from a six- to five-point scale) and a new criterion consistency.

In the luxury tier, St. Regis/Luxury Collection, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, won top marks for business, achieving high marks for physical appearance, hotel staff, sales staff, business centers, business and in-room amenities and price/value comparison. They narrowly beat out Ritz-Carlton. Former industry winner Four Seasons dropped to fifth place, behind Waldorf=Astoria and Mandarin Oriental.

Even in a tough economy, “luxury hotels have rebounded powerfully,” wrote author Michael Baker in the September 10 issue of Business Travel News, even reaching pre-recession levels.

James Vanderslice, Hilton‘s global head of luxury and lifestyle brands, explained why in the article.
“Our travel partners have realized there’s actually efficiency to having a meeting or event at a luxury hotel because of the facilities and services we provide.”

“Upper Upscale” businesses also showed growth, with the W hotels brand edging out JW Marriott by one one-hundredth of a point. Upscale travelers preferred Embassy Suites, which beat out Doubletree hotels, also by just one one-hundredth of a point. Embassy Suites were viewed as the most consistent and best value, while Doubletree won for physical appearance.

Will this change where you stay as a business traveler?

For Business Travelers: Comfort On The Road Is Paramount

by McLean Robbins on

Frequent business travelers are looking to make their travel as comfortable and “normal” as possible, the Workstyles Study conducted by Hilton‘s Homewood Suites found. Work-life balance is a becoming a popular catchphrase amongst frequent business travelers who want room to spread out, the ability to maintain a normal routine and opportunities to interact with business associates and fellow travelers.

The most frequent complaint amongst respondents (32%) is that they missed their “normal routine,” a statistic up 12% from the 2012 study. Business travelers specifically missed their kitchens (25%), up 18% from 2010.

Business Travel Isn’t Going Anywhere

Being on the road can wear on travelers, with 34% also responding that the biggest obstacle of business travel is simply “being away from home.” In an effort to feel more at ease in their surroundings, two-thirds of travelers take the time to unpack their suitcase.

This “wear and tear” on travelers doesn’t mean that business travel will cease, however. Nearly three-quarters of respondents agree that traveling for work is the most effective way to do business, and one-third have made what they would call an “important business connection” while socializing at a hotel.“Corporate travelers are emphasizing both how to maximize value for their travel expenditures and their productivity while traveling,” said Bjorn Hanson, Dean, New York University Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management in a release. “Business travelers are indicating increased willingness to try new brands this year, so extended-stay hotels, for example, will help extend their travel budgets and meet their business needs.”



Most Important Amenities


Most travelers work an hour or more a day in their hotel rooms, choosing the desk or the living room for their workspace. Internet (88%) is the most used amenity, but a number of factors play a role in the booking decision.



Travelers prefer healthier food options versus enhanced fitness facilities (69%) but also place a heavy emphasis on value and location (34% each) as well as a “large, comfortable room” (63%).



“In 2012 the hotel industry has seen a rebound in business travel, but returning guests are now demanding more than just a fiscal value,” said a Hilton representative in a release. “Less impressed by bells and whistles, they want amenities and services that deliver both comfort and productivity.”



The study profiled nearly 600 business travelers.

How To Turn Your Daypack Into A Traveling Office

by Laurel Miller on

No one is ever going to accuse me of being a tech junkie. But as a journalist, I’ve had to temper my Luddite proclivities so that I can earn a living while on the road.

Compounding the issue is my essential frugality and innate dirtbag tendencies. I only travel with a backpack, using a daypack in lieu of a purse. For low-maintenance or business/pleasure-combo travelers such as myself (although I recognize that not everyone has the luxury of ditching business attire and trappings; I’ve been known to stuff a nice computer bag and dress-to-impress items into my backpack), a daypack easily transforms into a portable office.

Because I also keep my passport, money, credit cards, camera, cellphone, adaptor, and other essential documents and items on my person at all times, it also means my netbook is never left behind. This serves the dual function of ensuring I have access to a computer should I need to edit a story or file a deadline, as well as alleviates theft concerns due to entrusting my valuables to my room or hotel safe. If you’re a budget traveler, I firmly believe it’s better to risk carrying anything of value on your person than entrusting them to the vagaries of youth hostels, dodgy guesthouses, or cheap hotels.

The key to creating a user-friendly portable office lies in choosing the right daypack. I’ve written before about my preference for using hydration packs, because if you remove the bladder, it creates a space to safely store documents. I’m 5’2′, so I also require a woman’s pack, and because most of my trips include some form of outdoor activity, I like having a hip belt (the zip pockets of which double as holders for my mouse and cellphone cord), and multiple exterior and interior pockets.

I highly recommend the hydration daypacks made by Osprey and Gregory. They’re incredibly durable, and have useful bells and whistles. I’m not a fan of CamelBak, as I’ve found they don’t hold up well. The brand and style are up to you, but do check to see if the pack you’re contemplating comes with a raincover. If not, it’s a wise investment, and will spare you the anguish of waterlogged gear and devices.

[Photo credit: Flickr user incase]

New Study Reveals Cities With The Highest And Lowest Taxes For Travelers

by Dave Seminara on

On a recent road trip, I stopped for the night in suburban Indianapolis and was happy to find a nice hotel room for just $91 per night. But in the morning, when I saw the receipt that was slipped under the door and noticed a total bill of $106.47, I thought that there was some mistake.

In huge cities like New York and Chicago you expect punitive taxes on travel related expenses, but could the hotel tax rate really be 17% in the Hoosier State? A stroll down to the front desk confirmed that there was no mistake and according to a newly released report from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), Indy has one of the highest hotel tax rates in the country.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m planning a trip, I don’t think much about taxes, but I probably should because in some places they can really drive up the cost. I tend to look at the room rate or the rental car rate itself, and by the time I get to the confirm page where you see the taxes, I’ve more or less already made my decision and somehow I think I’m paying $91 for the room in Indy, rather than the $106.47 it will come to with taxes.Since the start of the Global Recession, politicians in cash strapped municipalities all over the country have been looking for ways to make up for budget shortfalls and hitting out-of-towners is a convenient way to escape the wrath of local voters. According to the GBTA’s fifth annual report, “discriminatory travel taxes and fees enacted on travel-related services impose an average increased cost on visitors of 57% over general sales tax.”

So what are the most and least taxing cities for travelers? It should come as no surprise to see New York and Chicago on the taxing list, but why are Portland, Oregon, and a few places in California in the least taxing column? Portland actually shows up in the top ten least taxing list because Oregon has no sales tax, but it also shows up in the top most discriminatory taxes list (which doesn’t count taxes that apply to everyone, just those that apply to travelers) because it has a very high rental car tax rate.

A number of municipalities in California lowered their sales tax rate in 2011 and made the least taxing list based on that. The biggest surprise for me is the fact that Honolulu made the least taxing list.

Highest Overall Tax Burden for Travelers

The following figures reveal how much a traveler would pay in taxes for one day of travel, including a $103.45 hotel room, a $55.99 rental car and $91.22 in meals at restaurants. Chicago hits the trifecta with crippling taxes on hotels and rental cars plus a high sales tax rate, giving it the overall tax crown.

Chicago- $40.33
New York- $37.98
Boston- $34.83
Kansas City- $34.58
Seattle- $34.43
Minneapolis- $34.32
Cleveland- $34.22
Indianapolis- $34.19
Nashville- $34.13
Houston- $33.51

Lowest Overall Tax Burden for Travelers

Ft. Lauderdale, FL- $22.21
Ft. Myers, FL- $22.21
West Palm Beach, FL- $22.21
Detroit, MI- $22.37
Portland, OR- $22.45
Orange County, CA- 22.79
Burbank, CA- $23.74
Ontario, CA- $24.08
Honolulu, HI- $24.38
Orlando, FL- $24.50

New York City has the highest hotel tax rate, followed by Nashville, Indianapolis and Houston. Chicago has the highest rental car tax rate, followed by Boston, Las Vegas, and Minneapolis.

One might ask what these cities are doing with the tax revenues they collect from travelers. Are they using the money to promote their destination or to enhance the tourism infrastructure? The answer varies from place to place, but looking at Chicago, for example, just 1% of the 16% hotel tax goes toward tourism promotion, according to the study.

In most European countries, prices for hotels, rental cars, meals and almost everything else already include the applicable taxes. As a consumer, I find this very straightforward in that you know exactly what you’ll pay, but it also masks where your money is going. You might think that 100€ you’re paying for a hotel room is pricey, but you may not be aware that the hotel is losing a large chunk of that revenue to the tax collector.

Do you pay attention to the tax rates when planning travel, or are they just an afterthought? If the city has a high hotel tax rate, will you choose a less expensive hotel or go to a different city altogether? Would you like to see hotels and rental car companies display or explain the tax rates in a more transparent way when you book through the Internet or over the phone?

[Photo by 401K 2012 on Flickr]

Hampton Inn Touts Clean Bedspreads

by Dave Seminara on

When I checked into a Hampton Inn in Michigan last week and saw post it notes stuck on the headboards of the beds, I assumed that housekeeping had done a shoddy job of cleaning the room. But a closer inspection revealed just the opposite. The notes read: “Duvet covers and sheets are clean for your arrival.”

My wife’s first response was, “Well, they had better be.” But the truth is that very few large hotels wash the duvet covers or bedspreads for each newly arriving guest. Hampton Inn has been doing so for some time now, but based on my experience, it looks like they’re making another push to try to promote it. We also saw signs advertising the clean duvets in the elevators.

I typically take the bedspread off the bed completely, but at this particular hotel, it felt great to leave it on, safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t cuddling up with Lord knows what kind of disgusting stains.