Business Travel Freebies – R.I.P?
Is it the end of an era for business travel freebies from hotels?
The next time you take a business trip, the amenities may not be quite what you are used to. A couple years ago, when times were good, business travelers could expect to take their pick of freebies, such as toiletries, free breakfast, WiFi, cable, fitness centers and much more. But that may be in the past at some hotels. With the economic slump beginning to take hold, and forecasts that show unprecedented vacancy levels in the coming year, many hotels are cutting back on the freebies they offer guests, as well as resorting to innovative ways to get some people through the door.
Bye Bye Bathroom Freebies
Florida Today reported that with a reduction of up to 10 per cent in hotel occupancy already, two hotels in the Marriott chain have stopped having lotions and shower caps in the rooms – guests have to ask for them now. Coffee is no longer available 24/7 but only in the morning and afternoon. A Holiday Inn hotel in the Space Coast area has stopped handing out free newspapers and the breakfast is no longer a buffet to prevent food wastage. Hotels in other areas are cutting back on additional services such as gyms, reducing the amount of room service available and closing business centers.
Discounts, Anyone?
Other hotels are taking a different approach and offering discounts (some of them very discreetly) to get people into the hotels. With way more hotel rooms than demand for occupancy, this is working well for some. Reducing room rates and offering free nights for extended stays are just two of the strategies being used.
The crisis isn’t just in the US, but worldwide and some luxury Caribbean hotels have taken the visitor attraction concept one step further, by allowing cash strapped hotel guests to pay for their stay in stocks. (Let’s hope they’ve picked a good one.
So business travel freebies haven’t totally disappeared; they’re just looking a bit different – and that could be good news for those planning a trip within the next year. Hotel rates are likely to fall, so it’s a good time for Stateside travel deals.
(Photo: Kevin Rosseel)
Tags: business travel, hotels, perks
February 4th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Great Blog! Unfortunately, a lot of the airlines have subpar amenities. Since the financial melt-down, I haven’t been traveling as much on business. I had to find alternatives to help save me money that I would like to share; companies are now using toll free conferencing and web conferencing to connect with clients and employees across the U.S. and abroad through a service I found on 24conference.com