I’ll let you in on a secret—part of the reason why I manage to get around so much is that I often travel on business. This can be fun too and I always try to make sure I get time to do some exploring, but the key to good business travel is good organization, and you can’t get that right without a good hotel.
My business travel often takes me between time zones so I like a hotel that’s flexible about check-in times and that can look after my bags if I’m rushing straight to a meeting. Hotels often don’t like to advertise having the space to let people check in early, so it’s always worth phoning to ask. If I’m catching the red-eye, a good breakfast I can eat on arrival is also a big selling point. The number one thing for me though, is a high-speed Internet facility.
In my experience, a business trip is rarely limited to formal meetings; conversations tend to spill over and I must have access to my email so I can keep up with developments and answer queries. I also want to know that I can access documents in my home office in case there’s something I forgot to bring or didn’t realize I would need. There are other occasions when I need to do research and that isn’t much fun on a tiny phone screen. Good Wi-Fi Internet access to me means something that can cope with file downloads that doesn’t fall over all the time. I also want to be able to use it in places like the lobby and the breakfast room, not just my room. I check customer reviews to find out about this, as hotels themselves aren’t likely to say if there are problems. Kimpton and Fairmont hotels are consistently good, though.
The best hotels for me are those that have dedicated business centers with handy office facilities right there—things like photocopiers, printers and scanners. Westin are currently leaders in this but more and more places are doing it. I also like it when they have their own good quality conference facilities so I can stay right where I’m going to be working. If this isn’t possible, I ask the concierge about connections to transport links. Good parking in a hotel is nice but if I’m in a strange city I’d rather not have to worry about finding somewhere to park near my destination when I’m in a rush. Of course, best of all is a hotel within easy walking distance—and the weather to go with it!