Make your next business trip fun and productive with the following tips:
Be cognizant of your location. More often than not, business travel entails sticking close to Metropolitan financial districts. However, as the Young Entrepreneurs Council (YEC) points out, financial/business districts aren’t always the best place for after-hours activities. Pick a hotel that’s close to restaurants, sports venues, and nightlife so you won’t be facing empty streets after dark.
Take a day to yourself. While your primary focus should be business, you’ll enjoy your trip more if you take at least one afternoon to do non-work-related activities, such as taking a sightseeing tour or visiting a local museum. As an added benefit, you will have more to talk about with your clients or local colleagues during follow-up conversations.
Have things in place to work while you’re not. You don’t have to be glued to your computer to be productive. Over the last decade, advancements in technology have made it easy for business professionals and entrepreneurs with little to no information technology experience to create a functional business website. Mobile apps and scheduled social media posts are also excellent ways to engage with customers when you can’t be face to face. Consider outsourcing nonessential (but time-consuming) administrative duties to a virtual assistant who can keep you organized no matter where you are.
Find a hotel with high-speed internet and other business-friendly amenities. Most major hotel chains have redesigned their business model to cater to business travelers. US News reports that many hotels have invested quite a bit of money in recent years to ensure that each room has access to high-speed internet, which in many surveys, rates as the number-one factor in overall guest satisfaction. Another thing to look for is ample meeting space and on-site dining. This is especially important if your business travel takes you to an unfamiliar or remote area. Ask for a room with a desk, and inquire about cell phone reception inside the building before you book.
Stick with a single brand, and use the points for yourself. Most mid- to high-level hotels offer some sort of rewards program for frequent travelers. Points earned for stays can add up quickly. For instance, Hilton Honors often offers double points or free nights with membership. You can use your point for personal vacations later on or cash them in for valuable goods and services. Most major brands are a parent company for multiple hotel groups, so you will always have access to options even if your accommodations of choice are not available.
Check reviews and maps before you book. TripAdvisor is a valuable resource on information relating to all things travel and tourism. Check it before you go for photos and reviews submitted by real visitors. Sort your reviews by date so you’re not stuck reading about experiences from three years ago when the hotel may have been managed by an entirely different people. Google Maps is a great way to determine your hotel’s proximity to points of interest, including where you’ll be doing business. Make sure to utilize Google’s Street View feature to get a better feel of the area.
Avoid certain types of room, even in the right hotel. Even in a good hotel, there are still rooms that business travelers should avoid to ensure their personal comfort and professional productivity. She says rooms near pools, atriums, and elevators are a poor choice if you plan to work from the hotel. Between corridor traffic and noise from common areas, these rooms aren’t conducive to quiet time or a good night’s sleep, which is also vital to the success and enjoyment of your business trip. Inquire about how many other guests will be at the hotel during your stay and if you can get a room away from large groups that may create excess noise and distraction.
It takes some strategizing, but with these ideas in mind, you’ll be able to find the right hotel no matter where your business takes you.