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A recent study by American Express shows that the number of international business trips will increase this year by 29%. Airlines and hotels that serve business centres will all compete for these travellers' patronage. So what services will hotels provide to win customers' loyalty? And whom are they ultimately aiming to please, the traveller, or his budget controller?
Technology is an important factor in the service industry, and hotels and airlines consistently add to the services they offer. The Westin St Francis in San Francisco has installed wireless phones in all the rooms. The guest can carry the phone anywhere in the hotel, including the business centre and the health club, and still receive calls.
Guests at the Shangri-La in Hong Kong can use the video and satellite conferencing facilities in all the rooms. At the Four Seasons in New York all of the rooms are soundproof. The Oriental in Singapore offers translation services for business travellers. Yet as hotels continually add amenities, it could be something more basic that appeals to the guests.
The location of the hotel appears to be as important as the features within. Numerous hotels contacted cite location as one of the key reasons that business travellers choose one hotel over another. Additionally, Heather Hovey of the Westin St Francis claims the boutique style of the hotel distinguishes it from its competitors. "Business travellers look for a personal touch," she says.
Airlines operate on the same premise. Singapore Airlines for instance aims to address the individual needs of its passengers, particularly in first and Raffles class - its version of business class. The mini-suites in first class are equipped with lay-flat beds and give total privacy. In keeping with business travellers' needs to stay in touch, there is now a laptop power supply at every seat.
However, many of these business travellers may be employees who have little choice which hotels or airlines they use. Catherine Conroy, senior vice-president and director of corporate communications at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette in New York, says that investment banks are heavy users of travel services and travel decisions are managed carefully by each company. DLJ has contractual agreements and price arrangements with hotels and airlines all over the world.
"We think about the right balance between the economy of the company and the efficiency of the employee in business travel," says Conroy. For instance, there are guidelines for travelling in first class, business, and economy class on the airlines. The length of the journey and who is travelling are some factors used to determine the type of seat purchased. Other influential factors include the flexibility of the service and, in the case of hotels, the location.
This year over 160 business executives were asked about their travel preferences. Hotels and airlines jumped up and down the charts compared with last year's results. The most notable battle came in the category of best airline. British Airways and Singapore Airlines contended for the top spot while other airlines were left in their wake.
In the hotel categories, the Westin and Sheration hotels both fall under the Starwood chain, boosting it to the top spot overall. Other old favorites such as the Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong and the Okura in Tokyo fared well among their competition.
Points for the poll were awarded on a sliding scale of 4:3:2. All respondents were entered for our prize draw for a weekend away for two in Istanbul
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