Business travel in the new economy

by Mike Barish on

I happen to love business travel. It’s allowed me to visit exotic locales such as Delhi, India and Schenectady, NY. It’s helped me accrue airline miles that I’ve used for personal trips. And it hasn’t cost me a cent since my corporate card handles all the dirty work. But recently companies have started to encourage their employees to find cheap alternatives to the normal perks of business travel.

In a recent piece in the New York Times, Joe Sharkey points out corporate travel managers are actually starting to recommend that traveling employees stay with friends or family rather than book hotel rooms. Or, if a hotel is absolutely necessary, they are suggesting that coworkers share rooms. Can you imagine waking up next to Fred from Accounting who loves telling you about his Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Well, you may have to get used to it.

I can completely understand companies attempting to rein in travel expenses. Maybe they’ll make adjustments to the list of preferred hotels and eliminate some of the pricier boutique accommodations. Perhaps they’ll ask employees to share rental cars. But asking people to crash at their friends’ houses or share hotel rooms? That’s tacky and inappropriate.

Look, these are tough economic times. People are losing their jobs. Companies are going out of business. By no means am I condoning a completely irresponsible abuse of business travel. But when you travel for business, you are inconveniencing yourself. You’re leaving the comforts of your home, as well as your family and friends, behind. For that you should be compensated and accommodated. So, while I’m willing to stay in the Holiday Inn Express instead of the Ritz Carlton, I’m not willing to share a bathroom with anyone with whom I will have to share a cubicle the next day. Because Fred’s IBS stories are bad enough experienced secondhand.

Drink up and stay the night at the old Catholic school in Bend, Oregon

by Meg Massie on

There’s something deliciously wrong about turning a Catholic schoolhouse into a pub and brewery, but in Bend, Oregon, the delicious far outweighs the wrong. When the St. Francis School relocated, Portland-based McMenamins bought up the original building, renovated it, and reopened the Old St. Francis School as a pub, theater, and hotel in 2004.

McMenamins brews are an Oregon staple, and the restaurant has some of the best pub fare there is. The School is also a great place to catch a show. This weekend, Old St. Francis is host to the BENDFilm Festival. Then there’s Monday Night Football, more movies, and live music. Coming up in November is the pub’s Fourth Anniversary Weekend Party, featuring performances from the Freak Mountain Ramblers.

The property has guest rooms starting at $114 per night and cottages that sleep up to ten people, starting at $185 per night. All reservations include free admission to the movie theater and use of the Turkish-style soaking pool on the property. You can also purchase special packages that include meals, drinks, shows, and activities in and around Bend.

Can there be a better place to party than an old Catholic school?

Enter to win free tickets to Amsterdam from Gadling!

Dispatches from around the world


In India, the Focus is on Mid-Market Hotels

by Josh Lew on

A combination of growing demand from business travelers and a souring economy have led hotel developer Accor to focus on mid-range hotels in the world’s largest countries. So far in India, the formula seems to be a good one. As the country grows economically, more people will be traveling there for business purposes. Smaller businesses or independent entrepreneurs who don’t want to spring for a 5-star room have few options. Accor’s budget brand, Ibis, has already opened one location in Gurgaon. The company also has two Novotels in Hyderabad. These hotels are focused on providing solid service with a few extras, but nothing in terms of the over-the-top luxury seen at a 4 or 5-star. The strategy is to be attractive both to domestic and international business travelers.

Currently, over half of Accor’s India bookings come directly from corporate buyers seeking bulk rates. However, the mid-range prices and services could be attractive to independent travelers seeking an economical alternative to India’s current hotel options.

Hip, Cheap Boutique Hotels Challenge the Mainstream in Asia

by Josh Lew on

Cities like Hong Kong are known for their 5-star hotels. They are so known for these monuments to luxury that visitors might think that there are no 4,3,2, or 1 star options in the city. They’d almost be right. Not only does Hong Kong have highest population density in the world, it probably has the highest density of 5-star inns. Of course there are cheaper places to lay your head. But a new trend in the hotel game means you won’t have to put up with the shifty characters of Tsim Sha Tsui’s Chungking Mansions if you want a cheap room. Plenty of boutique hotels and mid-range chains are offering rooms for between $50-$100 per night.

Holiday Inn Express and Courtyard by Marriott are getting in on the mid-range hotel boom in Honkers, aiming their service at businesspeople not on an expense account who don’t want to pay 5-star prices. Boutique hotels like Hotel Jen (HK Island), Panorama (Kowloon) and Cosmo (Wan Chai) are part of the new trend as well. These places are all clean, well-furnished and tech friendly. They are centrally located. Most have a pool, exercises facilities and a hip vibe. Sure, they are not equipped to handle any outlandish request like luxury hotels are, but you don’t really need to smoke your hand rolled cigar while sitting in a bath filled with rose petals. Do you?

Stay at a Leading Hotel of the World for $20!

by Abha Malpani on

To celebrate their 80th birthday, Leading Hotels of the World is running a promotion where you can stay in almost 100 of their properties around the world for US$19.28.

At 12 noon GMT (8 a.m. EST/Eastern Standard Time) on October 1, 2008, LHW will release a limited number of rooms in these properties for 80 minutes only, in which you can try to secure rooms for US$19.28. You can pre-register here.

It’s not clear what type of rooms will be up for grabs; rooms at LHW properties range from US$500-2000, so for $20, any room will do!

80 minutes is not long and I imagine tonnes of people trying to milk this offer, so let’s hope that LHW have their act together and their servers do not crash.

[Via globorati]