Hotel amenities can be a great marketing tool for your hotel, so you need to consider carefully which amenities to provide. You will be able to pique the interest of potential guests by offering the right amenities, based on your target segment.
Here are some of the best hotel amenities and facilities that you should consider including in your hotel in order to compete with chain hotels and win business travellers.
Work
Work Desk
Most independent business hotels have work desks as part of their hotel amenities, but they are mostly name-sake workstations with no access to power outlets, lamps, or even a proper ergonomic work chair. In business hotels, the work desk is just as important as the bed. People who travel for work have long nights preparing presentations, emails to respond to, and spreadsheets to analyse. When your workstation is not comfortable, it can be very frustrating.
Work Stations in Common Areas
Aside from having enough desk space in their room, business travellers can benefit greatly from staying in a hotel with alternative workspaces. Boutique hotel brands are increasingly providing co-working spaces within their walls to ensure business guests have a dedicated area to tackle tasks and network during their stay. However, even an onsite coffee shop or lounge with enough power outlets to hunker down and answer emails can provide much-needed relief. Getting away from client meetings and hotel rooms can help business travellers re-energize and feel more inspired to tackle their inbox or prepare for that big pitch.
Private Meetings Spaces
Chain hotels offer private meeting spaces that include all the amenities of a conference room. These spaces can be reserved for as little as an hour, and most hotels will waive the room fee if you order food or drinks from their restaurant or bar. This option is ideal for last-minute meetings, interviews, or client pitches when you don’t have access to a conference room. This is a great convenience for business travellers.
Allow Visitors
Many hotels do not allow visitors into guest rooms or public areas, citing security concerns. This is perfectly acceptable and at the discretion of management. However, from the perspective of a businessperson, meetings and networking are unavoidable. In such a case, denying visitors access to rooms will be a disappointment to your guests. When you have an entire room, it is inconvenient to go down to the lobby or the coffee shop to meet someone. Meeting privacy also irritates your guests. If the management is concerned about security, the solution is not to deny guests access to rooms, but rather to implement proper check procedures.
Technology
Free High-speed Wireless Internet
Wi-Fi is one of the most important among hotel amenities for business travellers. It is no longer sufficient to provide ‘good Wi-Fi.’ Wi-Fi today should be unmetered and unrestricted, with unlimited devices and features such as roaming. Invest in high-quality wireless internet technology as well as a high-bandwidth leased line. This is a significant investment, but it should never be subsidised or replaced with a cheaper alternative. Your business guests will not return if your internet is poor.
Wireless Printer at the Business Centre
Business travellers find it necessary to print documents while while travelling, it could be their travel documents or for a meeting. In this case, it might be helpful for your guests to know there’s a wireless printer they can use at the hotel business centre. Wireless printers are able to quickly connect to devices without installation of any software or cables. It can also help guests print directly from their mobile phones.
Bed Side Power Outlets with Latest USB Port
It is simply convenient to have power outlets close to the bed. At the design stage, some hotels prioritise aesthetics over functionality. It is critical for business people to charge their phones and iPads close to where they sleep. Their alarm is critical to them, and they can expect a call at any time of day. Some of them enjoy waking up and checking their emails on their phones while still in bed.
Mobile Phone Charger on Demand
Always keep one or two chargers for each phone type on hand at the front desk. It is quite common for people to leave their chargers at home.
Wireless Charges Built into the Side Table
This is merely a marketing ploy, but business travellers would appreciate it. Purchase high-quality wireless charging modules that can be built into bedside tables.
Bluetooth Speakers with a Clock
With the advent of mobile phones, alarm clocks are becoming obsolete in hotel rooms. In upscale hotels, the alarm clock has been replaced with a more feature-rich device that includes Bluetooth speakers, a mobile charging dock, and a clock. While working, business travellers would benefit from listening to light music or their favourite podcasts.
Laptop Compatible Safety Locker
A laptop safe box is similar to any other digital safety locker, except that it is large enough to accommodate a laptop. When the guest leaves for work, he would want his laptop, among other valuables, to be safe. An electronic safe locker is a common hotel amenities, if you are refurbishing your hotel, consider upgrading to laptop safe box.
Grooming
Shaving Kit
A standard among hotel amenities in most properties, whether they are business hotels or vacation resorts. However, in some properties, this is an on-demand item. If you own a business hotel, do not make this an on-demand item. Provide the guests with a shaving kit so they can shave their beards before their most important meeting.
Shaving Mirror
In order to save money, independent hotels forego the function of a shaving mirror in favour of a larger mirror in the bathroom. To get a closer shave, business travellers are accustomed to the luxury of shaving mirrors in chain hotels. To remain competitive, make sure you offer on in your restrooms as well. Some guests are very particular about these minor details.
Shaver Power Point
Some guests bring their own shavers. It is critical to have a shaver power point close to the shaving mirror. It is merely a functional feature.
Hair Dryer
Both men and women use hair dryers to not just drying their hair, also to set their hair before their head for a meeting. It is mostly popular with women, so if you want to impress business women, this is a must-have. For most properties this is a part of on-request hotel amenities, but if you have them pre-installed in every room, you will have a definite advantage over your competitors among female business travellers.
Iron and Ironing Board
Business people are always concerned with their appearance and personality. They would never want to appear shabby in wrinkled clothes to a meeting. Don’t make them call housekeeping first thing in the morning to request an ironing board. And if your stock of ironing boards has already been distributed to rooms, guests will have to wait for someone to finish using it before they can use it. Waiting for the iron board is a complete waste of time for the guest. It is one of the standard hotel amenities provided by chain hotels. Don’t create a chaos for your guests, just put one of those in each of your rooms.
Shoe Shine Sponge
The sponges, which are usually about the size of a bar of soap, allow guests to quickly and easily polish their shoes without having to go out and find a shoe shine service.
Shoe Shine Machine in the Lobby
The shoe shine machine in the hotel lobby is a hotel amenity that offers a convenient and quick way for guests to have their shoes polished while they are staying at the hotel. The machine is easy to use – a rotating brush in the machine buffs the shoes to a high shine. This shoe shine machine is a great addition to the hotel lobby because it provides guests with a quick, easy, and affordable way to polish their shoes before their meeting.
Express Laundry Service
Business travellers can be a finicky bunch when it comes to laundry. They want their shirts and trousers looking pristine, and they want everything delivered on time. It’s difficult to do that without express laundry services. Whether you’re working out of the hotel for a week or just need your shirts pressed in a hurry before business meetings, there is an express laundry service for you.
Hygiene
Sanitary Disposal Bag
According to a recent study, the most important of hotel amenities for a business woman when choosing a hotel is hygiene and cleanliness. If you own a hotel and want to impress businesswomen, make sure to provide a sanitary disposal bag. Your female guests will appreciate the extra care taken with sanitation.
Coloured Bath Towels
It is quite common for business travellers to share rooms among colleagues. Provide different colour towel sets upon request for those who do not want their towels mixed up. Most of the time, the hotel front desk and housekeeping are already aware that the guest is travelling for business and that they are colleagues; in such cases, place coloured towels even before their check-in.
Twin Rooms
While sharing a room with colleagues, business travellers would prefer a twin room with two separate beds. Consider allocating a set of rooms with two separate beds or a convertible bedding option in which the twin bed can be converted to a full size bed.
Shoe Cover
Keep a shoe cover with your hotel logo imprinted in your guest closet. Everyone would want to keep their shoes separate from their clothes in their luggage. The best part is that you can be confident that your guest will use this shoe cover for a long time. Most hotels do not provide shoe covers in guest rooms because they consider them to be an unnecessary guest supply. However, separating a dirty shoe from other closes is unavoidable for anyone, so if a shoe cover is not found in the room, they will either use a plastic cover or one of your laundry bags to do the job. A laundry bag costs you much more than a shoe cover.
Coat Hanger
You could either provide proper coat hangers in the closet or a coat stand for your guests to hang their blazers and coats.
Food & Dining
Early Breakfast
The majority of business people are early risers. They must leave their cosy beds very early in the mornings to travel to the airport or to a meeting. As a result, for those who frequently travel for business, it is critical to stay in a hotel that can make their lives easier. Those who have an early flight or a meeting to attend should eat breakfast as soon as possible and get ready for their day. Chain hotels, such as ibis, offer an early breakfast option that begins at 4 a.m. The menu does not have to be a full breakfast spread; a simple breakfast menu will suffice.
Breakfast To-Go
When travelling for business, it’s not always possible to eat breakfast before heading out to a meeting or boarding a flight. You should be concerned about your guests’ health and provide a breakfast option that they can eat on the go.
Private Dining Rooms (PDR)
Many restaurants and hotels have private spaces within their restaurants that allow you to dine privately from the rest of the restaurant, with only the guests you have invited. This can be an interesting add-on for businessmen.
In-room Tea and Coffee
This is among the standard hotel amenities in any property, big or small. It is common for people in business to drink a lot of coffee, usually while working or attending meetings. For many, it is the caffeine that keeps them going energetically throughout the day or night. Make sure to provide the best brands of coffees and teas in the room, as well as a coffee maker or a tea kettle. You could also provide speciality teas such as green tea and Earl Grey.
Convenience
Hotel amenities can be a great marketing tool for your hotel, so you need to consider carefully which amenities to provide.
Wake Up Call Service
People have used this service less since the introduction of mobile phones. However, if your guests have a flight to catch or an important business meeting, they will choose it because they do not want to risk not waking up after hitting the snooz button on their mobile alarm. The service is provided either manually or automatically, with the wake-up call time being entered into the PBX system and the system automatically calling the guest room at the predetermined time. It can also be managed manually by front-desk staff. Whether or not the guest uses the service, it would be nice to check with them while they check-in.
Writing Pen and Notepad
It may seem like a small thing, but when need to take down a phone number or make a reservation, or scribble some notes while you work, it’s really nice to have those items available. It is one of the most basic hotel amenities.
Laptop on Demand
Keep one good laptop with the most recent operating system and office applications installed at the front desk for guests to use if their laptop malfunctions or breaks down. This is a once-in-a-lifetime possibility, and your guests will be grateful. You may not need to keep a spare laptop on hand, but even offering one of the manager’s laptops for the time being will be greatly appreciated by your guests.
AMEX Card Acceptance
Many corporations now have an American Express Business Travel Account (BTA), which makes managing business travel expenses simpler and more cost-effective. The system assists corporate companies with simple reconciliation, comprehensive travel data, consolidating business travel expense data, and providing a single bill and payment for all corporate travel costs, thereby streamlining and centralising operations. As a result, accepting AMEX cards is a must if you want top-tier business travellers to consider staying at your hotel. Executives of companies that use BTA have no other way to pay you, so if you don’t have the facility, you simply do not get their business.
Complimentary Airport and Railway Station Transfers
One of the most frequently asked questions on tripadvisor.com is, “Do you do airport pickup and drop off?” Business travellers will appreciate the hotel’s airport or railway station pickup and drop-off service. This saves the hotel guest from having to wait for a taxi or go through the time-consuming process of renting a car. Furthermore, guests prefer a hotel-arranged transfer to a rented cab because it is more comfortable and secure. They also don’t have to deal with directing cab drivers to the hotel, who are mostly fluent in the local language.
Business Suite
If you are constructing a new hotel or renovating an existing one, consider allocating a few rooms in the category of Business Suites, which include a separate living room where your guest can conduct meetings, a better work desk, and other hotel amenities that a business traveller would prefer.
Flexible Check-in and Check-out
Business travellers’ schedules are dictated by their flight times, and because they are busy people, they have no intention of wasting their valuable time at your hotel unless they are on vacation. Provide your corporate travellers with convenient early check-ins and late check-outs. Furthermore, you will have an advantage over your competitors if you can provide 24-hour check-in and check-out exclusively for guests travelling on official business trips.
Car Wash on Demand
Offer a service that allows business travellers to get their car washed without having to leave the hotel premises. You can partner with any nearby door-step car wash company and all you need to do is call or book the service, and a team of professionals will come to the hotel and take care of everything. You can also get one of your drivers or housekeeping employees clean the car for your guest. If the guest brings in a car, check with the guest if the’d like their car washed in the morning. It is up to the hotel to provide it free or chargeable. If the service is done by one of your employees on duty, try and offer it free of cost as a gesture to the guest.
Daily Newspaper and Business Magazines
Business people are the ones who want to be kept up to date on what is going on. Provide daily newspapers to rooms and a large selection of current business magazines in the lobby.
Free Water Bottles and Newspaper To-Go
Allow your front desk to offer a compact bottle of water to keep your guest hydrated before his meeting and a newspaper to read while travelling, when he is leaving for a meeting or checking out. If they are on their way to a meeting, wish them good luck.
Coffee Table with Comfy Couches
If you own a business hotel, coffee tables are among the essential hotel amenities for your guests. There is more to it than just having coffee. This is where guests would like to unwind after a long day. If you have a coffee table, your guests can have small discussions with visitors. They would use it to loosen up and read the newspaper in the morning. They could also use it as an alternative place to sit if they get tired of sitting at their work desk for long periods of time.
Flexible Cancellation Policy
Last-minute cancellations are common in business travel. Provide your corporate travellers with an exclusive free last-minute cancellation service. This will only increase your customer’s loyalty.
Dedicated Account Manager
People in business generally dislike wasting time opening a website to book a flight or sending an email to make a hotel reservation. Ensure that whenever your hotel receives a corporate booking, it is assigned to an account manager and that the account manager meets the guest. The guest should then be able to book your hotel through a phone call or a simple WhatsApp message. The account manager should handle the rest. This convenience will ensure that the guest returns to your hotel on every trip to the city. Unless you make a mistake, he will never look for another hotel.
Hotel amenities are important to many people, especially those who like their creature comforts. A hotel’s amenities can make or break a stay. Hotels that offer amazing amenities have the potential to stand out from the rest of the competition.
We attempted to include as many hotel amenities as business travellers requested. If you have any creative hotel amenities a business hotel could offer , please leave them in the comments section below.
Zarnik is India’s leading luxury hotel amenities suppliers; contact us to learn how we can assist you in sourcing the luxury hotel amenities list your hotel requires to meet the needs of business travellers.