Free Wi-Fi, healthy dining options and onsite features that facilitate productivity are in demand as business travellers prioritise value for money, connectivity, comfort and wellbeing when travelling for work, according to a new survey.
Corporate Traveller’s latest survey found that small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are more discerning in their hotel selection as airfares and accommodation costs increased in 2023, prompting an estimated 27 per cent rise in business travel expenditure.
Amid increasing corporate travel costs and 91 per cent of SMEs continuing to travel for work, business travellers want hotels that provide remote working facilities and wellbeing amenities for balance.
Most respondents sought accommodation that offered office amenities and rooms equipped to serve as efficient workspaces within the hotel’s standard rate.
Almost three in four respondents (73%) want free, fast Wi-Fi; 41 per cent are after free printing facilities and 37 per cent sought rooms with additional power outlets and USB ports.
Just 21 per cent of respondents wanted onsite co-working spaces, demonstrating people value the ability to work individually in their hotel room.
A whopping 44 per cent of corporates deemed health-conscious breakfasts and dining options essential when selecting a hotel while one in four respondents (25%) preferred properties with large, well-equipped fitness facilities.
More than one-third (36%) of respondents also sought hotels that offered an area to unwind separately from their rooms.
Business travellers want a work-wellbeing balance
Corporate Traveller Global Managing Director Tom Walley said the findings show business travellers increasingly seek accommodation beyond the standard offering.
“There’s a discernible shift towards hotels serving as auxiliary workplaces, a trend fuelled by the growing demand for spaces where guests can focus and work in private,” he said.
“The survey also reveals a strong emphasis on wellness. Hotels that prioritise these amenities are likely to differentiate themselves in the market and attract business travellers who seek a productive yet balanced work trip.”
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Find out more at corporatetraveller.com.au
