Skip to content

Search

Latest Stories

Survey: Business travelers will hit the road with purpose … eventually

Respondents said they miss real life interactions, cultural experiences and even hotel beds

Survey: Business travelers will hit the road with purpose … eventually

WHILE BUSINESS TRAVEL may be less frequent in the immediate future, it will make a comeback in time, according to a report from Hilton. After nearly two years of isolations, businesses will have a lot of making up to do once they hit the road.

Post-pandemic business travel is likely to be more strategic and purposeful overall as travelers have missed building in-person professional relationships during the pandemic, according to a recent survey by Hilton and Morning Brew of more than 7,000 respondents. Though some have returned to traveling for work, 87 percent of respondents have said that they miss hopping from city to city to pursue their work.


According to the survey, 66 percent of surveyed business travelers miss visiting new places, 41 percent miss discovering local culture, 37 percent would prefer discussing projects in person and 36 percent look forward to attending in-person conferences.

Sleeping in a comfortable hotel bed is a top goal for 45 percent of respondents and 62 percent said they needed some alone time.

Based on the survey, Mark Weinstein, Hilton’s senior vice president and global head, marketing and loyalty, listed five key takeaways on the future of business travel.

In-person connections

More than half (54 percent) of those surveyed mentioned that the importance of building “in real life” relationships is more apparent than ever.

“Humans have an innate need to connect with each other, and the inability to do so during the pandemic highlighted the fact that there’s no replacement for the value of in-person connections,” said Weinstein. “We know people miss business travel, but even more they miss connecting on a real level with clients, seeing a project up close, networking with colleagues and experiencing a new city.”

Innovations make trips more productive

As many as 47 percent of respondents said that amenities were of utmost importance on the road, and many think hotels will offer more contactless experiences and feature automated and efficient check-in and check-out processes in the future, if they haven’t already.

Another innovation- work from hotel-which offers working spaces with inviting scenery and access to amenities, personalized service and food and beverages would also likely re-emerge. Several hotels promoted workcation packages to allow business professionals to stay, work and play for an extended period of time.

Digital meetings the new normal

The survey has revealed that many think business travel will be a mixture of in-person and digital. Travelers would expect more online meetings and trainings and increased use of hybrid modalities for business events. Event planners are now looking for spaces that allow a combination of on-site and expanded on-screen attendees, as well as seeking expert support to help them execute the events.

“Bleisure” travel to increase

“Bleisure” travel, which is an economical way to explore a new city or locale, especially when an employer has already paid for transportation, would increase once business travel picks up. Many travelers like to extend their stay into the weekend and invite a friend or partner to join them for the leisure portion of the trip, or taking advantage of alone time and explore a city solo. According to the survey, this includes things like eating at local restaurants (63 percent) and exploring the city (61 percent).

As many as 78 percent of respondents said that the points and rewards earned from business travel are a huge selling point of taking those trips. They also look forward to taking advantage of loyalty program benefits and perks including room upgrades (68 percent), free Wi-Fi (51 percent) and earning free night rewards (47 percent).

Wellness top priority

Now more than ever, wellness is top of mind, and business travelers will be more cognizant of it on the go. The survey stated that 42 percent of the respondents can’t wait to partake in some much-needed alone time and 31 percent look for hotels with spas and wellness centers to maintain their wellness routines.

“The pandemic has pushed companies to constantly evolve and innovate to meet both the functional and emotional needs of people today and the future,” Weinstein said.

A recent report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and Kalibri Labs has said that U.S. hotels might incur more than $59 billion loss in business travel revenue in 2021 compared to two years ago.

More for you

ESA Launches Client Connect: All-in-One Business Travel Hub

ESA launches ‘Client Connect’ for business travel

Summary:

  • Extended Stay America launched “Client Connect”, a business travel program for extended-stay travelers.
  • The program includes account management, long-stay savings, flexible policies, streamlined booking and a Direct Bill Program.
  • Client Connect leverages ESA’s 700+ locations offering amenities for extended stays.

EXTENDED STAY AMERICA launched "Client Connect", a business travel program for extended-stay travelers. The platform was developed for business travelers needing stays of weeks or months, with solutions for construction crews, traveling nurses, military personnel and others with long-term needs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump’s Proposed Visa Fee Threatens Seasonal Hospitality Workforce

Report: Trump visa fee sparks summer staffing fears

Summary:

  • Trump’s proposed $250 Visa Integrity Fee faces pushback from groups relying on seasonal J-1 workers from Latin America and Asia.
  • J-1 visa holders often work as housekeepers, amusement park staff, and lifeguards from pre-season through Labor Day; more than 300,000 use the visa annually.
  • DHS and the State Department have not clarified how the fee will be implemented or who qualifies for a refund.

A $250 VISA Integrity Fee in President Donald Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill is drawing criticism from groups that rely on seasonal workers from Latin America and Asia on J-1 and other visas, Newsweek reported. The organizations warn the cost, though sometimes refundable, could reduce the summer workforce that supports U.S. beach towns and resorts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Wyndham & Grubhub Offer Free Delivery to Guests & Staff

Wyndham, Grubhub offer free delivery to guests, staff

Summary:

  • Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is partnering with Grubhub to offer free product delivery to guests and staff at nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels across 20 brands.
  • A Grubhub account is required to activate the complimentary Grubhub+ membership; no credit card is needed and the membership does not auto-renew.
  • Wyndham recently deployed Elavon’s cloud payments interface to more than 6,000 U.S. and Canadian franchisees.

WYNDHAM HOTELS & RESORTS and Grubhub, an online ordering and delivery platform, will offer item delivery to guests and staff with no delivery fees and other benefits. The service is available at nearly 6,000 U.S. hotels across 20 brands, with orders placed through the Grubhub app on-site or by scanning a hotel QR code.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Hotel Construction Hits 20-Quarter Low in June

CoStar: Hotel construction drops in June

Summary:

  • U.S. hotel rooms under construction fell year over year for the sixth straight month in June, hitting a 20-quarter low, CoStar reported.
  • About 138,922 rooms were under construction, down 11.9 percent from June 2024; the luxury segment had 6,443 rooms, up 4.1 percent year over year.
  • Lodging Econometrics recently said Dallas led all U.S. markets in hotel construction pipelines at the end of the first quarter, with 203 projects and 24,496 rooms.

THE NUMBER OF U.S. hotel rooms under construction declined year over year for the sixth straight month in June, reaching a 20-quarter low, according to CoStar. Additionally, more than half of all rooms under development are in the South, mostly outside the top 25 markets.

Keep ReadingShow less
G6 Hospitality Launches 24/7 Guest Support From August 1
Photo credit: G6 Hospitality

G6 launching 24x7 guest support on Aug. 1

Summary:

  • G6 Hospitality will launch 24x7 guest support on Aug. 1, expanding the current 18-hour window.
  • Escalations from phone, email and social media will be handled promptly by trained staff.
  • The service supports G6’s tech and service investments, including the AI-powered My6 app.

G6 HOSPITALITY, PARENT of Motel 6 and Studio 6, will launch a 24x7 customer support service for guests starting Aug. 1. The service extends the previous 18-hour window to full-day availability via phone, email and social media.

Keep ReadingShow less