What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

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miamivice
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What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by miamivice »

I seem to be doing my fair share of business travel these days.

I'm wondering what kind of hotel do you normally get when you go on business travel? I think most of us expect to do better than Motel 6 / Super 8, but don't normally expect luxury hotels like 4 Seasons. Which ones do you normally get setup in?

My thoughts: I think I've become more particular over the years on hotels. Growing up I stayed at a lot of Motel 6s, but don't consider them to be my level anymore. I like places with nice lobbies, easy parking. I prefer hotels that are quiet so you don't hear the beds squeaking in the room next door or above you. I enjoy newer hotels with slightly posh interiors when possible.

Of course, my preferences don't factor in to where my company puts me up, and I stay where they want me to stay.
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LiveSimple
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by LiveSimple »

Westin, Marriott class of hotels.
Depends on your industry and company preferred hotel choices.
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lazydavid
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by lazydavid »

Typically it's Courtyard Marriott, Hilton Garden, Hampton class of hotels. However, there's a fairly high-end (not quite 4 seasons) spa hotel near our headquarters that we book 10,000+ paid nights per year at, so we get rates there that are similar to our typical hotels.
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Kosmo
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Kosmo »

lazydavid wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 5:33 am Typically it's Courtyard Marriott, Hilton Garden, Hampton class of hotels.
This. Although for most of the places I have to travel to that is the top end of hotels.
onourway
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by onourway »

Totally depends on where we are traveling to. For much of our domestic US travel, Hampton Inn is as good as it gets. Internationally we usually have a better budget and it's pretty much whatever we want within reason - Marriott, Hilton, Radisson Blu, etc. is most common, but I've stayed in plenty of 4 and 5 star places as well. Depends on what's locally available.
Jags4186
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Jags4186 »

Hampton Inn, Comfort Suites, that type of stuff. If I stay in a major city I can get into a more expensive hotel, but usually more expensive in a major city is pretty basic.
takeshi
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by takeshi »

miamivice wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 2:01 am I'm wondering what kind of hotel do you normally get when you go on business travel?
Courtyard, Marriott or JW. Sometimes better for conferences.
AdmiralSnackbar
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by AdmiralSnackbar »

I tend to use Hotwire for business travel, as I can usually get a much nicer hotel for much cheaper. The only downside is that not all hotels will give you credit for their rewards programs since you bought from a 3rd party. If I have the choice, I tend to go to Hilton properties, i.e., Hampton Inn, Embassy Suites, or Doubletree. Their "budget" properties seem to be the most consistent in cleanliness and service.
investingdad
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by investingdad »

lazydavid wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 5:33 am Typically it's Courtyard Marriott, Hilton Garden, Hampton class of hotels.
Same here, plus we use Concur which is the Big Brother of booking Travel.

I always look for a Embassy Suites if it's on the accepted list. I research my options because travel is an inconvenience and I've reached that point in my life where I choose to be comfortable.

That includes upgrading airline seats on my own dime if need be.
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

When I was travelling a couple weeks a month, I always stayed at Courtyard. I'd wake up in the morning to somewhat familiar surroundings and have at least a good level of accommodations. I do like their frequent stayer's program and have saved up for when we'd travel for fun, using the points in Residence Inns for the family. Most megacorps allow stays in a Courtyard while they might give me a problem with a higher level hotel....even just a Marriott.
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LarryAllen
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by LarryAllen »

Typically full service Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and occasionally Hilton family. I like to stay as close as possible to where I need to be which tends to be a conference at a hotel or an office in a downtown.

I don't mind the Courtyard level either but more typically it's the f/s properties.
Atilla
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Atilla »

Depends on the location and the job. Holiday Inn Express on the low end, and JW Marriott on the high end.

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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Gretchen »

I stick with Marriott for business and the Choice Hotel family for personal travel. If you pay and get reimbursed, be sure to get and use your hotel chain's branded credit card for your hotel stays. The points stack up fast!

I find that hotel points are more valuable than airline points. Hotels charge tax based on your bill, so there is typically no tax on a point-paid stay. Airlines always charge taxes and fees, even on a flight funded by points. And hotel points are usable on almost any day, whereas it can be difficult to find a slot to use airline points.
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mhc
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by mhc »

Had been staying in a Westin, but now I use a Hyatt Place when I travel to my headquarters. We have lots of options when we book travel.
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lthenderson
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by lthenderson »

Back when I traveled, I booked my motel more for it's location than how posh it was or amenities. I only really used my motel room for a bed while sleeping and a shower and spent most of my time at my project or seeing sights nearby.
mancich
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by mancich »

My company has a cost saving initiative for travel (hotel, airfare, meals). There is a hotel rate cap by city, so I'm limited by that. Usually Courtyard or Fairfield Inns work fine, and also earn me some Marriott points. They're usually fine.
njdealguy
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by njdealguy »

Due to stupid rigid corporate policies, I sometimes get forced to stay at basic hotels like Hilton Garden Inn/Courtyard/Doubletree even when hotels with caliber like Ritz/JW/Park Hyatt have cash rates for same amount or even cheaper than the basic hotels :o I'd much rather the latter even just for higher quality breakfasts and pool/gym facilities
open_circuit
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by open_circuit »

Whatever is within per-diem. In some places this is a local (non-chain), simple motel; in others, it is the Embassy suites.
123
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by 123 »

My work has been is in banking/insurance/financial services so any out-of-town travel is usually to downtown financial centers. Megacorp usually has negotiated rates with Hyatt, Hilton, Ritz Carlton, etc in downtown areas so I don't mind business travel when the opportunity comes along. I once did a Ritz Carlton for 7 weeks (Monday through Friday), it was nice but after so many weeks I was glad when the assignment was completed.

Edited to add:
My favorite chain to stay at is Embassy Suites. I have been willing to tolerate a lot of inconvenience (usually location) to stay with them. I'd rather be at an Embassy Suites then a Ritz Carlton if I was given a choice. They really fit my style (or lack of one).
Last edited by 123 on Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Afty
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Afty »

mancich wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 11:01 am My company has a cost saving initiative for travel (hotel, airfare, meals). There is a hotel rate cap by city, so I'm limited by that. Usually Courtyard or Fairfield Inns work fine, and also earn me some Marriott points. They're usually fine.
We also have a cap per city, and you get to bank 1/2 the difference between what you paid and the cap to use for future travel. So you can save up and then splurge on a first class flight, stay at the Ritz, whatever.
lazydavid
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by lazydavid »

investingdad wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 8:08 am I've reached that point in my life where I choose to be comfortable.

That includes upgrading airline seats on my own dime if need be.
Agreed. I just booked a trip to a convention through our Travel department, and immediately went on AA's website to buy Main Cabin Extra seats, along with enough 500-mile upgrades to cover a move to the front of the plane should seats still be available (looking good at just over a month out). My company will reimburse $25 of the upgrade cost, since it includes free luggage. But the rest is out of my pocket and I'm totally ok with that.
Rupert
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Rupert »

I have to stay in a hotel that offers a government rate, unless I'm traveling to a conference, where there's usually a conference rate. Hotels, even large ones, typically only offer a few rooms a night at the government rate. So it ends up being kind of random where I'll end up. I have stayed in a Ritz-Carlton for $80/night, which was the government rate at that time in that city. It would have cost me the exact same to stay in the less-convenient Residence Inn down the road. So who wouldn't pick the Ritz under those circumstances? But usually it's more Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, etc.
MathWizard
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by MathWizard »

Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Suites, Days Inn,
but usually the conference hotel which is typically more expensive.

If I don't otherwise need a car, I found that getting a cheap hotel and
renting a car to get to the conference (and paying to park) is typically
more expensive.
Nova1967
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Nova1967 »

Residence Inn, full breakfast and regular suite type room
Much more preferable to the large impersonal hotels
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by bungalow10 »

Hampton Inn.
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MP173
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by MP173 »

I pay my own for business travel and try to stay at Comfort Inn/Choice.

A close second is Drury Inns (Midwest), but those are about 30% higher.

Any suggestions for lowering rates? When it is your own dime, you pay attention.

Ed
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ResearchMed
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by ResearchMed »

MP173 wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 12:04 pm I pay my own for business travel and try to stay at Comfort Inn/Choice.

A close second is Drury Inns (Midwest), but those are about 30% higher.

Any suggestions for lowering rates? When it is your own dime, you pay attention.

Ed
If you return to the same hotel reasonably often (subjective call, obviously), you might call the hotel manager (sometimes the front desk manager, or maybe sales, but at the specific hotel) and see if they'll offer you a corporate rate or some other discount.
There was one time when I needed to keep flying back to the same full service hotel near a research site for about a year, and I asked... and basically, they matched the rate for a much less comfortable airport hotel/motel.
Worst case would have been a hopefully polite "no, can't do that".

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Lemonaid56
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Lemonaid56 »

Embassy suites. Sometimes Hampton Inn. We have reached that level, as someone stated earlier, that if we have to travel why be in discomfort?
Embassy there is an appetizer , usually open bar, after 5pm; sometimes dinner. Its not a five star meal but will get us through a long day of traveling when you can go no further. They usually have a restaurant if you want to upgrade to a much better meal. They also have the "free" ( I know,not free) breakfast! (If it saves us time from one more step out of the hotel to go somewhere else before a meeting or some place, its worth it to us!).
Service is always excellent and the staff accommodating to our requests.
Hampton is almost the same except for the bar.
j0nnyg1984
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by j0nnyg1984 »

Diamond with Hilton so they're my first, and usually only, pick. Sick corporate rate for Hilton garden inn, that's my go to.

Posted from an HGI :beer
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by jlawrence01 »

BUSINESS - LaQuinta, Hampton Inn, Choice, Holiday inn Express, Drury.

PLEASURE - Wyndham and Choice brands
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market timer
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by market timer »

If I'm traveling alone, I'll usually book a 4-star hotel in the business district, but don't focus on amenities.

If I'm with family, I'll upgrade a bit, look for amenities like a pool, and pick a location better suited to tourists. These hotels are usually in the Grand Hyatt / InterContinental range.
Last edited by market timer on Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
AZAttorney11
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by AZAttorney11 »

I'm fortunate, it's usually a very nice Hyatt, Starwood, or Marriott property. We get discounted rates through our travel agency and the typical hotel stay costs between $200 and $350 per night (billed to the client, of course).
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by silvercertificate »

I do 75ish overnights per year for business and am loyal to Hilton and Marriott for business travel. For personal travel my wife has gotten very comfortable booking using points at those brands.

Generally I think the Marriott rewards program is more valuable, but I find myself in a lot of Hampton Inns due to convenience.
multiham
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by multiham »

Travel enough to be Platinum with Marriott. Usually stay at Residence Inn or Springhill Suites.
tim1999
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by tim1999 »

I usually stay at the IHG chain, meaning Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express/Crowne Plaza/Hotel Indigo/Candlewood. Seems most people I work with either stick with the IHG or Hilton chains exclusively, or stay at the place closest to the destination facility no matter what brand it is. We do have some people that are Drury fans when traveling in the Midwest simply because of the hot breakfast and free booze at happy hour.

Our company has no set limit on hotel rooms per night, unless you start spending over $300 in a night in an area with far cheaper safe/clean/convenient options, nobody will say anything to you. The only time I stay at a "fancy" place like this is when I travel to a particular company location where the expensive hotel is literally next door to the office and I can walk back and forth vs. dealing with renting/driving a car.

We do have a guy who insists on staying at Super 8's, despite the fact that our company is paying 100%, saying "he wants to be careful with company money" and that they "are as nice as his home" but he generally gets laughed at for that line of thinking.
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by student »

I usually stay at Embassy Suite if possible. I like the free breakfast and the free alcohol at the manager reception.
41Fin
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by 41Fin »

tim1999 wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 7:58 pm We do have a guy who insists on staying at Super 8's, despite the fact that our company is paying 100%, saying "he wants to be careful with company money" and that they "are as nice as his home" but he generally gets laughed at for that line of thinking.
I have a cousin who does similar. He swears that it looks good for management and that they will remember during raise/budget cut time.

I just tell him to enjoy the free HBO
TIAX
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by TIAX »

miamivice wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 2:01 am Of course, my preferences don't factor in to where my company puts me up, and I stay where they want me to stay.
You don't pick your hotel?
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Soul.in.Progress
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Soul.in.Progress »

I get put up in Starwood, Marriott, Westins, Intercontinental, and occasionally Hilton family. Company travel policy is pretty generous, or in other words, our company has not yet tried to cut costs in that area. 8-)
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miamivice
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by miamivice »

TIAX wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:27 pm
miamivice wrote: Tue Aug 15, 2017 2:01 am Of course, my preferences don't factor in to where my company puts me up, and I stay where they want me to stay.
You don't pick your hotel?
Nope.
Rick Rock
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Rick Rock »

Westin usually. Usually working late when on the road and generally their room service schedule runs late, thankfully.

Had my best run in 2015 with back to back Ritz stays for client stuff. Wasn't so bad to work on my balcony in my robe!
poker27
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by poker27 »

I'm currently staying in a Hyatt place. I don't think I have a hotel max budget, however I am given an annual budget for my entire team so that comes into play.
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Will do good
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Will do good »

It was the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton, than our budgets got cut and than W and Shuttler on the beach.
But those decision are made for us by client budgets.
Capsu78
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Capsu78 »

I've done everything from Motel 6 (and even no name motels) to the Royal Hawaiian on Oahu, the Clevelander on Miami Beach or even Disney properties- depending on the business needs.
As I did a bunch of conferences, I always tried to stay in a conference hotel, due to the possibility to meet clients and prospects at off times. When I was a consultant and submitted expenses, I would try to stay in Courtyard level properties. If international with a different language, US chains.
I have done enough nights over my career that I accept the "law of averages" and can be happy most anywhere.
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Re: What kind of hotel do you get on business travel?

Post by Easy Rhino »

My travel is often to smaller or medium towns, our company is somewhat frugal on travel policy, and our hotels are billed to our clients, who may or may not be frugal.

Typically Hilton or Marriott Brands. In the Hilton family for instance, it would range from Hampton Inns to something like a Garden Inn or Embassy Suites.... only rarely a full service Hilton.

It's largely dependent on client location.
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