Business travel is back . OR IS IT ?
EITHER WAY , STRATEGIES FOR LURING BACK TRANSIENT BUSINESS TRAVELERS AND GROUPS START WITH FLEXIBILITY AND CUSTOMIZATION .
Contributed by MEGAN ROWE
spin classes on the beachfront terrace and group surf classes .
CUSTOMIZED , FLEXIBLE When it comes to customization , loyalty programs remain a potent tool . “ We regularly offer promotions and incentives , including status fast-tracking , reward point multipliers and more , to incentivize travelers to stay with our hotels ,” Accor ’ s Gavin said .
“ We ’ re constantly offering business travelers special offers and perks ,” said Brendan Abraham , general manager at Atlanta ’ s Bellyard Hotel . A Bellyard Means Business package includes valueadded such as dry cleaning for two garments , a breakfast credit and two items from the grab-and-go F & B station . The hotel also hosts regular lobby social events and activities that have been popular with hotel guests and locals alike .
Meeting planners crave customized solutions , too . In response to this , Hyatt Hotels Corp . developed Together by Hyatt , which provides meeting organizers resources , capabilities and hybrid solutions tailored to their individual needs . The tool is meant to personalize and streamline event planning and execution . The company also launched Work from Hyatt : Offsite , which provides a flexible way for groups to engage with a destination and foster team building . The concept facilitates client bookings with local attractions , restaurants , fitness studios and other businesses .
“ We are seeing strong interest in this type of concept as these reimagined corporate retreat experiences continue to grow in popularity and business travel continues to return to pre-pandemic levels ,” said Trina Camacho-London , Hyatt ’ s vice president of group sales .
The Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Honolulu has partnered with local organizations and cultural leaders to schedule group activities such as working in a taro patch or doing a spiritual cleansing in the ocean “ so they ’ re coming for more than just an ocean view or a hula show ,” said Alvin Wong , director of sales . The hotel has been working with meeting planners on an extendedstay rate for attendees who want to stay longer and bring family or partners along . In response to inquiries from meeting planners , the hotel also recently added a new outdoor meeting space as part of a major renovation .
“ The first half of 2023 is looking very strong for group business as we have been proactively pursuing opportunities since the beginning of 2022 ,” Wong said . “ There is a lot of pent-up demand for group travel post-pandemic , so we were able to start conversations early when restrictions started lifting .”
For meeting planners , transparency and flexibility are key to winning the business back , said Mitchell Hochberg , president of Lightstone in New York City , which among others owns multiple Marriott-branded Moxy hotels in New York City . “ Companies across the spectrum have undergone an immense amount of change over the last few years and are eager to bring their employees back together for real face-to-face interactions despite potential headwinds ,” he said . “ It ’ s our job to create the environment to make that happen .”
Flexibility takes a variety of forms . At the Four Seasons New Orleans , which opened in July 2021 , it means accommodating group bookings closer to the date . “ It ’ s about being creative with our space ,” said General Manager Mali Caro .
Messaging has evolved to address the changing needs of business travelers as well . The Four Seasons in New Orleans , for example ,
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