STAMFORD,
Conn. – Today’s business travellers are surprisingly
social on the road, according to a recent survey by Four Points by Sheraton,
the “best for business” brand of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide,
Inc. (NYSE: HOT).
Aside from sleeping, for instance, survey
respondents indicated that enjoying the hotel bar or restaurant with colleagues or business partners was their number one activity during free time,
outpacing time spent in the gym, spa, shopping or catching up with
local acquaintances.
In addition, business travellers are good
networkers, with nearly two-thirds of those surveyed reporting that that
they have kept in contact with someone they met on the plane or at the
hotel while traveling on the road. About that flight, though:
business travellers draw the line with their own colleagues, as more
than 60% indicate that they would prefer to fly alone rather than with a
business associate.
These
are among the results of a 2012 hotel business travel study
commissioned by Four Points that polled a total of 6,000 business
travellers globally – 1,000 each from the United States, the United
Kingdom, China, India, Germany and Brazil. Four Points is growing
rapidly across nearly 30 countries and carefully monitors the needs and
habits of business travellers. The first phase of the survey, released
in August, explored the use of mobile technology to stay in touch while
traveling, while the second phase focused on leisure activities.
“Business
travellers have a real need to connect on the road – both virtually and
in person,” said Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s senior vice president,
specialty select brands. “Our survey results reveal that road warriors
are social, preferring to network or to relax in the company of
colleagues rather than just enjoying solitary pursuits.” McGuinness
continued, “Four Points provides everything our guests need to be
productive and comfortable on the road and that includes creating
opportunities to connect socially through brand-wide programs like Best
Brews ™, which invites guests to gather over a great local craft beer
when the work day ends.”
Among key survey findings:
· During
their waking hours, business travellers frequent the hotel restaurant
or bar with colleagues more than other activities. Aside from
sleeping, which, not surprisingly, is the activity that occupies the
largest share of travellers’ time at a hotel, hanging out at the hotel
bar or restaurant with colleagues or business partners is the top ranked
activity on the road. The largest share of respondents (42.88%) named
this activity, outpacing other pursuits such as going to the gym
(38.97%) or spa (37.54%) or shopping (34.16%).
· By a wide margin, business travellers confirm they stay in touch with contacts whom they’ve met on a flight or at a hotel. 64.42%
of respondents indicated that they had stayed in touch with someone
they had met on a plane or at a hotel while traveling, vs. 35.58% who
said they had not.
· Business travellers prefer separate flights. They
may be happy to toss back a brew with a co-worker once they arrive at
their hotel, but the majority of business travellers (61.13%) report
that they would rather not share their flight with a colleague.
Differences by nationality:
· Americans are the most frequent business travellers. American
business travellers hit the road more often than their international
counterparts, with more than a third (36.36%) reporting that they
average more than 10 trips per year for business. Conversely,
Chinese travellers were the least likely to average more than 10 annual
trips with only 7.07% of respondents at that level.
· Chinese and Indian business travellers socialize more. Chinese
business travellers are the most receptive to sharing a flight with a
co-worker (49.5%), and a full 70% have stayed in touch with someone they
met on the road. Indian road warriors are the most likely to hang out
with colleagues at a bar or restaurant (61.05%) and the most likely to
catch up with friends who live in town (52.63%).
· Brazilians go it alone.
At 31%, Brazilians are the least open to traveling with a colleague,
with 53.62% reporting that they don’t want to have to worry about anyone
else. They are also the least likely to hang out with colleagues at a
bar or restaurant (30.93%).
About Four Points by Sheraton
Great Hotels. Great Rates: With over 160 Four Points by Sheraton hotels in nearly 30 countries,
travellers can find the timeless style and comfort they’re looking for
with genuine service and everything that matters most, all around the
world. From Santiago
to Shanghai and Milan to Milwaukee, Four Points hotels can be found in
big urban centers, by the airport, near the beach, and in the suburbs. A
recent $1 billion invested in renovations, conversions, and new-build
hotels has made the brand stronger than ever.
Four
Points by Sheraton, like all brands within Starwood’s portfolio, is
proud to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which offers a
breakthrough policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. To learn
more, visit www.spg.com. Stay connected to Four Points on Facebook at facebook.com/fourpoints.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood
Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and
leisure companies in the world with 1,134 properties in nearly 100
countries and 171,000 employees at its owned and managed properties.
Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels,
resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned
brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®,
Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company
boasts one of the industry’s leading loyalty programs, Starwood
Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for
room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood
also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of
world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and
privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit
www.starwoodhotels.com.
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