Hotels work to identify and attract business travelers in a changing market
Business travel has always been a staple of the hotel industry, but in recent years the business traveler has become harder to define and a lot more demanding than in the past.
Just after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, hotels saw a sharp drop in business travel. That has changed: people are traveling on business more and more, but the way that they travel and the things that they want have vexed hotel managers.
"It’s really hard for us to quantify these days who among our guests are actually traveling on business," said Shane Wilcox, general manager for the Red Lion Inn at the Quay. Wilcox is talking about online trip booking agencies such as Travelocity and Hotels.com. These sites let travelers book trips without talking to the hotel, essentially blinding the marketing department in terms of what type of traveler is favoring the hotel.
"It’s made it really interesting in the last two years to figure out who’s who," Wilcox said.
Some hotels have made it very simple to figure out who’s who. The new Marriot Springhill Suites Hotel under construction at 164th Avenue and 15th Street will cater only to business travelers. Hotels such as this one represent a new standard – an emphasis on Internet connection, meeting rooms and business centers with printing capabilities. This "office-away-from-the-office, with a suite attached" model has become standard in the last two years, as the new business traveler values functionality over luxury – to a point.
"A lot of people are steering more toward the suite-style rooms and away from the room in a box style," said Jocelyn Goodman, general manager for the Springhill Suites hotel at Portland International Airport. Her hotel is identical to the one going up in Vancouver. It features a business center with printer and scanner, two meeting rooms and WiFi Internet in the lobby.
"All the rooms are wired for Internet also," said Goodman.
This standard has become the market-driven aspiration of older hotels as they approach their five-year renovation marks. The Residence Inn near Westfield Shopping Center, for example, recently completed renovations and now offers amenities to rival those of other business-minded hotels.
The new climate for business travel has also changed – if slightly – the look and feel of the giants in the industry. The Hilton Vancouver Hotel and Conference Center sports the tried-and-true brand but projects an updated image.
"Travelers want a sleek look these days, rather than the mahogany-walled, traditional look," said Hilton Vancouver Business Travel Manager Christie Rust. "I think there’s a type of traveler that wants what we have to offer but still looks for the modern conveniences."
Regardless, hotels with the brand and scope of the Hilton tend to look at other market factors, like supply and demand. Rust said a lot of business travelers are coming to Vancouver simply because the rates and occupancy are increasing at Portland hotels. Nonetheless, once they come, they want their needs met.
"It definitely still is about service," she said.
