Business Travelers Don’t Like Your Hotel. Here’s Why

After flying all day (or night), the last thing a business traveler wants is to check in to a sub-par hotel. This vocal group is looking for a comfortable place to hang their hats so that they can wake up rested and ready crush that big meeting.

But do you really know your business travelers? If given the proper service, they are a lucrative group that is likely to bring repeat business, but their needs are different than leisure travelers. An analysis of a sample of 1.57 million verified reviews from TrustYou tells all. And, I am sorry to say, what you are doing just isn’t always working. Business travelers write more negative reviews than any other traveler type. 20% of their reviews are negative (compared to around 17% for leisure travelers).

Want to win these travelers back? Here are five things you’re doing wrong.

5.  Your furniture is old and/or uncomfortable

A business traveler’s home away from home needs to be a comfortable place to finish up last-minute meeting preparations and rehearsals. But not all business travelers are feeling comfortable. In fact, this group of travelers mentions the furniture in their hotel room 17% more than leisure travelers, and they tend to give it 5% lower scores than their leisure counterparts.

4. Your bathrooms are small or poorly equipped

Business travelers want show up to their meetings dressed for success. This starts in the bathroom with a nice shower and some space to blow dry hair, apply makeup, shave, etc. If you don’t give these travelers adequate bathrooms, they will talk. Business travelers talk about the bathroom more than leisure travelers (14% more than, say, those who travel with their families), and they tend to give the bathroom 3% lower scores than their leisure counterparts.

3. Your minibar needs restocking

Business travel can be stressful, and sometimes the perfect way to calm the nerves at the end of a long workday is by curling up in a robe with a cold adult beverage and a bag of peanuts (or chocolate), am I right? Well guess what? Your minibar isn’t stocked well enough for business travelers. The minibar is the second lowest rated amenity with business travelers, with a sentiment score of 38% (compared to 46% among leisure travelers).

2. You’re making them sweat

A proper room temperature is a very key ingredient to a good night’s sleep. It is, therefore, no surprise that business travelers demand decent air conditioning. Unfortunately, they aren’t getting it. Air conditioning is the lowest rated amenity with business travelers, with a sentiment score of just 29% (compared to 35% among leisure travelers).

1. You aren’t keeping them connected

It’s not news that business travelers must stay connected while on the road. Not only do business travelers give hotel Internet/Wi-Fi lower scores than leisure travelers, but did you know that they mention hotel Internet/Wi-Fi more than twice as often as other leisure traveler segments (couples, those traveling with friends, those traveling alone)?

For more info on business travelers and their habits, check out our handy cheat sheet of social stats for business travelers vs. leisure travelers.

 

**Note: All statistics mentioned in this article are based on an analysis of a sample of 1.57 million verified reviews from TrustYou's database

Catalina Brinza

Catalina is a social media and data enthusiast. At TrustYou, she's on a mission to bring the most out of travel and hospitality data. One day, she hopes to experience Japan's culture to its fullest.

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