Research from BCD travel shows room for improvement
While 7 in 10 business travelers are satisfied with their company’s hotel policy and preferred suppliers, there’s still room for improvement, according to a BCD Travel survey of 1,035 business travelers worldwide. Common issues include slow WiFi, breakfast not being included in the rate, outdated rooms and uncomfortable beds.
Among the findings:
- Most travelers opt for midscale (3-star) or upscale (4-star) hotels when traveling for business. Hotel location (77%) plays a major role in selecting a hotel, along with employer policy (56%) and cost (53%). Travelers who occasionally stay in apartments say this type of accommodation is more convenient for longer stays, providing more space and the option to prepare meals and do laundry.
- Over three-quarters of business travelers use their company’s online booking tool (OBT) to search for accommodations, while a third turn to hotel websites or apps. When booking, 84% use their company’s OBT and 1 in 5 book directly via supplier websites, while 1 in 10 call the hotel. Three-quarters pay with a corporate credit card. Virtual cards are used rarely. Three-quarters of travelers say their employer sets hotel rate limits, 1 in 10 report no limits and 18% don’t know whether their employer sets rate limits.
- Personal preferences strongly influence hotel choices: 77% prefer chain hotels with familiar service standards, and 73% stay at the same hotel when visiting a destination repeatedly. WiFi and breakfast are the most frequently used hotel services. Other popular amenities include onsite restaurants and bars, parking facilities, fitness centers and flexible check-in/check-out. Travelers also value wellbeing-related features such as complimentary bottled water, gyms, pools, spas and healthy food options.
* Travelers favor hotels that help them earn and maximize loyalty points, especially in North America, where as many as 99% are members of a hotel loyalty program. Overall, 8 in 10 participate in at least one program, and many are enrolled in two or more. Two-thirds often or always choose hotels aligned with their loyalty programs. Three-quarters say their employer allows them to keep points earned from business stays, while 21% are unsure.
* A third of respondents report no challenges during the booking process. Among those who do, the biggest challenge is insufficient rate limits set by employers.
Safety remains a concern. Three in 10 say they didn’t feel safe in their hotel location, and 7 in 10 double-lock their doors when in their rooms.
* Half of travelers rarely or never consider environmental factors when booking hotels. Four in 10 don’t take any sustainability elements into account at all. Only 1 in 5 look for features like eco-certification, reduced single-use plastics, low carbon emissions, water-saving measures or limited housekeeping.
Teri Miller, executive vice president, global client team, said, “A high-performing hotel program is never static.” She continued, “It’s a dynamic strategy shaped by continuous rate monitoring, traveler insights and agile adjustments.” By embracing dynamic sourcing, she said, “travel managers can respond in real time to shifting needs and market conditions, creating programs that deliver savings, earn traveler trust and drive adoption.”
April Bridgeman, senior vice president of hotel solutions, said travelers often don’t consider sustainability when shopping for hotels because most booking tools lack strong sustainability guidance in that category. BCD Travel, she said, advises clients “to embed sustainability into their annual hotel sourcing exercise and then clearly communicate expectations and targets back to travelers to help them make better choices.”
