Travel expenses can be pretty high to begin with, making the idea of luxury hotel stays for employees seem ludicrous. But that added bit of luxury can go a long way toward offsetting the bustle, headaches and hassle of corporate travel. Buying Business Travel says investing in the well-being of your regular business travelers can pay off handsomely.
Service and Perks
Luxury hotels typically come with a higher level of service and perks. A case in point comes from England’s Vineyard hotel, where the mobile network firm Ariesco JDSU always books rooms for their employees when in Newbury.
Vineyard staff gets to know the employees who stay there regularly, helping frequent travelers feel like they have a mini-home away from home. Sure, the rates are anywhere from $30 to $45 more per night than other hotels, but the homey vibe and added perks are worth it.
A location and facilities that match the corporate traveler’s needs are a big plus, as is a safe and secure environment. This applies to physical safety as well as digital security and confidentiality. Luxury hotels are known for meeting these demands, which generally comes complete with free Wi-Fi.
On-site parking and breakfasts are often included as part of the hotel benefits, as are smaller perks like complimentary snacks or minibar. Consistency is another advantage, as guests can expect the same premium standards during every stay.
Mutual Benefits
In some cases, luxury hotels are going out of their way to target corporate travelers – and many are open to negotiations. Hotel industry consultant Melvin Gold says to look for luxury hotels that cater to leisure travelers but would welcome business travelers as an additional source of revenue.
Here you may be able to find negotiated rates for off-peak times, such as booking a stay during the work week rather than weekends. A Saturday night at Vineyard, for instance, costs about $600, while a weekday night costs closer to $225.
Luxury hotels may also be open to negotiations with companies that bring them benefits other guests don’t. These can include a steady stream of repeat business, booking rooms during unpopular days or seasons, and renting out hotel meeting or conference spaces.
Keep track of your luxury hotel stays and other travel costs with expense management software from Chrome River.
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Our choice of Chrome River EXPENSE was made in part due to the very user-friendly interface, easy configurability, and the clear commitment to impactful customer service – all aspects in which Chrome River was the clear winner. While Chrome River is not as large as some of the other vendors we considered, we found that to be a benefit and our due diligence showed that it could support us as well as any large players in the space, along with a personalized level of customer care.
We are excited to be able to enforce much more stringent compliance to our expense guidelines and significantly enhance our expense reporting and analytics. By automating these processes, we will be able to free up AP time formerly spent on manual administrative tasks, and enhance the role by being much more strategic.