Gone are the days when companies are happy to provide employees with unlimited funds to visit the country’s most exclusive hotels. Nowadays, everything is done to a strict budget and while UK business travellers will be able to take advantage on some expenses, they certainly can’t go overboard with their accounts team stringently looking at every receipt that is posted into their office.
This means that the typical business break has changed tremendously. Hotels have had to adapt and while you still may get some, perhaps in the heart of London, happy to charge £20 per day for Wi-Fi access, others realize that this is the exact way to raise a red flag in a company’s accounts department and get them blacklisted for future trips. Therefore, the power really does lie in the business visitor and if one establishment doesn’t provide adequate corporate facilities, another most certainly will. We’ll now take a look at four features that guests should take for granted if they are staying at a hotel for business purposes.
Wi-Fi
As we started the article with the Wi-Fi example, we may as well continue it here. Some hotels will charge astronomic rates for accessing the internet, even though this is essential for most business guests. Fortunately, many are starting to turn away from this approach and will provide free Wi-Fi access throughout the building – not just in the bar area or in your room.
Parking
If you’re a real high-flyer, I suppose you could demand that a facility provides a valet service – but most guests are going to be more than satisfied that the establishment provides free parking. Unfortunately, there are countless hotels that don’t do this and even if they are situated in the middle of nowhere, some will still feel the need to add a whopping parking charge onto the stay. Suffice to say, you don’t need to stand for this anymore. There are more than enough hotels that will not charge you for parking and this doesn’t mean they are a budget and non-business option – they are just being reasonable.
Meeting Facilities
There’s a reason why the budget hotels receive very few business guests; they just aren’t suitable for meetings. Many guests will use a hotel’s own facilities to stage meetings, with their swanky bars and restaurants usually being sufficient. Of course, if you really are looking to impress that business associate, perhaps take a look at this Suffolk hotel and suggest a round of golf. It adds an extra dimension onto the meeting and you can maximise the full use of the establishment you are staying at.
Flexible Dining Times
That meeting in the city has overstretched by a couple of hours, and you’re desperate for a bite to eat before crawling into bed. While your typical family might accept the last orders at 8pm, this just isn’t feasible for a lot of business guests. Therefore, make sure you check the dining arrangements before you book and ensure that they are going to suit your hectic schedule.