Find The Perfect "Business-Friendly" Hotel

One of the biggest challenges for business travelers is finding hotels that offer the ideal guest room layout, as well as services and amenities that are truly designed for people who need to get work done in their hotel guest room.

What I've found is that many popular hotel chains that promote a business-friendly environment, or that offer special guest rooms designed for business travelers, have missed the mark and never bothered to ask business travelers what, in fact, they need within their guest room and from a hotel, to be productive.

Business-Friendly Hotel Checklist

As you're planning your next business trip, use the following checklist to help you find the best business-friendly hotel in order to insure your comfort and productivity, without having to overspend on extras:

• Free Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the hotel (including within the guest rooms) - Traditional (wired), high-speed Internet access in the guest rooms is fine too, but you should not be charged up to $20.00 per day for it. Look for hotels that offer free Internet access and free local calls. Or, find a hotel that offers a flat rate for unlimited Internet, local and long distance calls. If you travel for more than three or four days per month, seriously consider investing in a wireless Internet card for your laptop computer. (Contact AT&T Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc., and shop for the best wireless service plan that meets your needs). A wireless Internet card for your computer will insure you have high-speed Internet access virtually anywhere you travel within the U.S. (airports, hotels, on trains or buses, etc.).
• A good size desk and workspace with a comfortable chair.
• Ample lighting near the workspace.
• Multiple electrical outlets located near the desk. (Surprisingly, few hotels offer this). Many business travelers need to plug in their laptop computer, cell phone, PDA, iPod and other devices simultaneously. One quick fix is to travel with your own power strip. I have stayed at countless hotels that offer wired Internet service (with the cable attached to the desk), but the desk had no electrical outlets nearby, so guests could not plug in their laptop computer while it's connected to the Internet.
• Two phone lines.
• Free parking.
• Coffee machine in the room and/or a coffee shop (Starbucks) in the lobby.
• A business center that is open 24-hours-a-day, and that doesn't charge a fortune to use a printer, fax machine or copier.
• Complimentary daily newspaper.
• A concierge to offer restaurant suggestions and make your reservations, especially if you need to impress important business associates.
• Express check-in and check-out.
• 24-hour room service (since many business travelers prefer to dine in their guest room, as opposed to alone in a hotel's restaurant).
• A kiosk in the lobby or business center for airline travelers to check-in with their airline, obtain seat assignments, and print boarding passes 24 hours before a flight.
• In-room iron and on-site dry cleaning/laundry service (preferably that offers express service). It's common for a business traveler to unpack and find their business clothing has become too wrinkled to wear, or it somehow gets stained before an important meeting or presentation.
• The ability to earn and redeem airline frequent flier miles and hotel rewards for each stay.

If you can find an affordable business hotel offering some or all of these business services and amenities, your next business trip will be more productive, hassle-free and comfortable.

In terms of saving money when booking a business-friendly hotel, I strongly recommend using Hotels.com, Travelocity.com, Kayak.com, Orbitz.com or one of the other popular online travel sites. I am also a big fan of TravelZoo.com for finding travel discounts and special deals.

Make sure, however, that you understand the online service's hotel rating system. I have discovered that Priceline.com, for example, sometimes tends to over-rate some hotels it offers at a discount. For example, I booked what Priceline.com called a "four star" hotel in Los Angeles recently, but every other hotel rating service called it a "three star" hotel (and that was being generous).

Sometimes, visiting a hotel's website directly and looking for online specials, and/or utilizing a AAA or corporate discount will allow you to find the best possible rate for a hotel.

W Hotels Offers A New (Inexpensive) Alternative To Courtyard Marriotts

For many business and leisure travelers, Courtyard Marriott hotels have become known for offering excellent quality, clean and affordable accommodations in low-rise hotels that are typically found in suburban areas.

Meanwhile, in major cities, W Hotels have become known as ultra-trendy, high-end "boutique" hotels that offer ultra-modern decor, but for a price. What if these two concepts were combined? Well, they have been -- very successfully!

The folks at W Hotels are now attempting to compete head-on with Courtyard Marriott with the introduction of "aloft" Hotels. These new properties combine the affordability of a Courtyard Marriott with the boutique feel, ultra-modern decor and trendy atmosphere of the W Hotels. aloft Hotels, however, are found primarily in suburban locations.

There are currently 21 alof Hotels open throughout the U.S., including the one I visited in Plano, Texas. By the end of 2009, more than 70 aloft Hotels will be open. Compared to W Hotels, these are scaled-down and much more affordable accommodations designed to tap into all five of a guests senses. For example, the hotels have a signature scent which you'll smell in all public areas. There are also specialized music playlists that can be heard, while your eyes and sense of touch will experience the custom-designed, multi-textured furniture and decor.

aloft Hotels are all about attitude and will appeal to young business professionals and anyone who is stylish and trendy. The chain truly represents a new type of boutique lifestyle hotel. In addition to offering very affordable guest rooms (starting at $89.00 per night in Plano, Texas, for example), free WiFi Internet access is offered throughout each hotel.

If you're traveling with kids, there's the unique "Camp aloft" program, which features special kid-oriented bedding, games and activities within the guest room. If you're traveling with your dog, the "Arf" program offered at the aloft Hotels welcomes your canine friends and provides a bog bed, treats and other amenities - all at no extra charge.

Other great services and amenities you'll find at aloft Hotels include optional, totally automated check-in kiosks (if you don't want to deal with the friendly front desk staff), as well as a trendy lobby bar, lobby games (including a pool table), a "grab and go" snack shop (offering breakfast, sandwiches, coffee, etc.), a nicely equipped workout facility and a swimming pool.

Within the guest rooms, you'll find ultra-modern, somewhat minimalist decor in a well-lit room that contains a 42-inch LCD TV, Bliss spa amenities, an oversize shower, and plenty of electrical outlets to plug in all of your favorite gadgets.

The concept behind the aloft Hotels is in a word brilliant! I'm currently spending the week exploring Plano, Texas, and in future entries will include full details about other great hotels, plus descriptions of fun things to see and do in this area - for business travelers and vacationers alike. However, no matter where you're traveling, if you're looking for a totally new experience when it comes to affordable hotel accommodations, check out one of the new aloft Hotels properties. 

The aloft Hotel in Plano, Texas, for example, features a total of 136 guest rooms, including 87 rooms equipped with one king-size bed and 49 guest rooms with two queen-size beds. This hotel is located just 20 minutes from downtown Dallas (about 30 minutes from the Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport). If you're headed to Dallas, but want to stay outside of the city, seriously consider the Plano, Texas area.

For more information about aloft Hotels, call (877) GO-ALOFT or visit www.alofthotels.com on the web.

Easy Internet Access For Travelers

Apple iPhone, Palm Treo and Blackberry users enjoy easy access to the Internet from virtually anywhere using their handheld wireless device. This is extremely appealing to travelers who know the importance of staying connected and require the ability to access their email and the web whenever and wherever they happen to be.

The drawback to accessing the web using a cell phone or wireless personal digital assistant (PDA) is the small screen, limited keyboard and dramatically scaled down web surfing capabilities these tiny devices offer. As a result, some travelers also travel with a laptop computer, allowing them to access the Internet from wireless (Wi-Fi) hotspots or from hotel rooms.

This solution also has its drawbacks. While most airports and hotels offer high-speed Internet access, it comes at a cost. Airports, Internet cafes, bookstores and coffee shops (including Starbucks) throughout the country often charge a daily fee of between $6.95 and $9.95 to connect to the Web via a wireless hotspot. Hotels typically charge between $9.95 and $19.95 per night to access the Internet from a guestroom. For a traveler constantly on the go, these charges add up quickly. If you opt to use the Business Center within a hotel or resort, you can expect to pay between $.20 and $.50 per minute for internet access, plus up to $2.00 per page to print something out.

For budget conscious web surfers, it is possible to seek out free, public Wi-Fi hotspots and utilize them during your travels. The www.jiwire.com website, for example, offers a listing of more than 150,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide. The www.wifi411.com website also lists public Wi-Fi hotspots that offer free and paid access in cities across America.

The CyberCafes website (www.cybercafes.com) provides an online directory listing thousands of Internet cafes worldwide that allow users to access the Web using supplied desktop computers for a low hourly fee, usually between $5.00 to $10.00 per hour. Most public libraries and Apple Stores across America also offer free Internet access to the public. Using this solution, there’s no need to travel with your own computer.

There is another alternative. For between $49.95 and $79.95 per month, notebook computer users can subscribe to a wireless Broadband service offered by Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon. By connecting an inexpensive wireless modem to a notebook computer, true wireless, high-speed (Broadband) access is available from almost anywhere, especially within major cities. No phone lines or extra cables are required, plus you’re not limited to Wi-Fi coverage areas.

When choosing which wireless Broadband Internet service provider to sign up for, don’t just compare the price of the monthly service. It’s also necessary to evaluate the service coverage map and connection speeds offered by each provider. Also, look at the duration of the required service agreement, the cost of the wireless modem, and whether or not unlimited Internet access is granted through the service plan.

For someone who stays in a hotel three to four nights per month, or who needs Internet access while on the go, wireless Broadband Internet is an extremely convenient tool for enhancing productivity and staying connected. For those not on a corporate expense account, utilizing free Wi-Fi- hotspots, Internet cafes and Web access through public libraries continues to be a low-cost option for surfing the Web while on the go.