Consider what business Travelers want most in a hotel stay when booking their next trip or planning for your 2026 hotel partnerships.
There are some things that business Travelers want from a hotel when on the road for work that’ll likely never change. They need a place to do work that doesn’t require them to sit in bed with their laptop. Along with fast, preferably free WiFi. They need flexibility that can account for travel delays and disruptions.
But what are some of the things that business Travelers want in a hotel stay that you might be overlooking? Here are some of the most recent trends in business Traveler demand as specifically related to the hospitality industry.
Key Takeaways:
- Travelers want to see proof of hotels’ sustainability and examples that go beyond more commonplace eco-friendly practices.
- Harness the latest tech to make Traveler experiences as personalized as possible.
- Look for hotels that offer high-tech solutions, particularly for Millennial and Gen Z business Travelers.
- More business Travelers want their business trips to be a cultural experience as well.
1. Sustainability
Business Travelers care about sustainability now more than they possibly ever have. It remains one of the top trends among Travelers across the board. When looking at business travel in particular, though, a few things stick out, according to an article published earlier this year on Hospitality Net.
Most importantly, it’s not just enough to say that a hotel is sustainable. Travelers want the proof. They’re tired of greenwashing and they want the facts and data that back up a hotel brand’s sustainability claims. They need to see a hotel’s sustainability initiatives in action and in ways that go above and beyond what they’re accustomed to.
For example, many major hotel chains have adopted low-waste or no-waste toiletries, forgone plastic water bottles in guestrooms or implemented housekeeping-services-by-request-only policies. Meanwhile, though, some hotels are ahead of the curve. They’re taking actions such as reducing the environmental impact of their Food and Beverage (F&B) operations by relying on local products, installing low-energy elevators or prioritizing in-room recycling. These hotels are your better option.
2. Personalized Experiences
Across the travel industry, Hospitality Net reported, Travelers are looking for not just personalization, but hyper-personalization. New tech tools, AI algorithms, NDC content and similar make that possible, harnessing your Travelers’ data to ensure they get the deals, content and personal touches they want the most.
If you’ve yet to do so, consider incorporating both NDC content and Traveler profiles into your travel program. This will ensure that, when Travelers are booking travel on their own, not only do they see travel deals and offerings directly related to their specific wants and needs, but those deals and offerings are travel policy compliant.
While you’re at it, dig into your Traveler profiles and get as specific as possible to meet Travelers’ unique hotel needs.
For example, do some Travelers prefer certain hotel chains? Certain room locations within a property? This is also a spot where you can acknowledge the diverse needs your Travelers may have while on the road, such as women Travelers preferring not to stay in ground-floor guestrooms or neurodivergent Travelers preferring rooms in quieter portions of a hotel (such as away from elevator banks).
3. High-Tech Solutions
As Millennials account for an ever-increasing portion of the workforce and Gen Z follows suit, these new generations of business Travelers want high-tech hotel solutions that appeal to their unique lifestyles.
A Skift report that looked at these generations of Travelers noted that business Travelers specifically appreciate tech-savvy hotel amenities that can make the “leisure” part of “bleisure” more enjoyable. This might look like modern entertainment displays, Instagrammable information displays or even service robots.
Meanwhile, hotels that focus on providing more high-tech solutions and amenities can likewise tap into business Travelers’ desire for sustainability by installing electric vehicle charging stations and energy-efficient digital displays throughout properties.
One tech area, though, where it might be more difficult to appeal to both the tech aficionado Traveler and the sustainability-minded businessperson, simultaneously?
Some travel industry professionals are grappling with the best ways to use AI to increase their sustainability while also avoiding AI’s environmental consequences. It’s a fine line to walk but one that may become crucial in the years ahead.
4. Cultural Experiences
We’ve seen this trend pop up in various fashions over the last decade or so. It’s gone by a handful of names. Deep travel. Immersive travel. At its core, though, these trends all focus on one key thing: cultural experiences.
Business Travelers want not only to enjoy various cultural experiences during their downtime, but they also want hotels to make accessing those cultural experiences easier.
In a recent article published on Business Traveller, Hyatt reported seeing an increase in requests for cultural experiences on behalf of business Travelers, particularly business Travelers traveling for MICE reasons. These cultural experiences range from engaging in the local agriculture to experiencing local cuisine to discovering the regional heritage.
In the article, Gareth Cummings, Regional Vice President EAME, Hyatt Sales Force, said, “We only see this trend growing as demand for business travel continues on its upwards path, and [Travelers] seek out the types of experiences that transform a business trip into a truly memorable experience.”
How Will You Give Business Travelers What They Want This Year and Next?
Much of what business Travelers want at the moment, at least when it comes to their hotel stays, is just an extension of what they’ve wanted for years—the latest tech, more convenience and flexibility, sustainability and an enjoyable and personalized experience. However, ensuring that their hotel stays continue to deliver on all these fronts requires keeping an eye on how trends like those surrounding hospitality tech and sustainability continue to evolve.
Let JTB Business Travel help you better serve your traveling teams. Check out our full range of services and tools for Travel Managers.
To optimize business travel in accordance with the culture of the company, one should invest in a travel management system which will help in aligning the travel policies and corporate culture effectively. It is also important to make the travel policies easier for the employees so that they do not have to contact the HR for every trip. Employees should also understand their company’s values, missions and goals. At International Travel House, business travelers are offered several services along with ensuring that the travelers remain safe, secure and feel comfortable.