No points, no booking: What makes today’s business traveller tick

La Quinta by Wyndham, along with Robert Herjavec, entrepreneur and investor on the TV series Shark Tank, unveiled the behaviours, quirks and realities that business travellers face.

For travel agents and hospitality professionals to truly capitalise on the corporate travel world, one must know what makes business travellers tick. So, what does it take for today’s business traveller to make the most of their time on the road and experience successful trips?

“To better understand what motivates them”

“La Quinta is a longtime champion of business travellers, and hearing directly from this group allows us to better understand what motivates them and makes them tick so we can support them in the ways they need it most,” says Lisa Checchio, chief marketing officer of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

Home away from home

• 64% of business travellers think it would be harder to go without high-speed Wi-Fi than clean underwear on a business trip.
• Only 40% of business travellers unpack their suitcases and put things in the closet or dresser.
• 43% of business travellers married or in a relationship prefer to sleep in a hotel bed they have all to themselves the night before a big meeting.

Road fuel

• 34% of business travellers say drinking coffee or tea is one of the most important ways to prepare for work while travelling.
• Nearly four in five (79%) business travellers have stocked up on food from the hotel breakfast bar to eat later in the day.
• More than a third (35%) of business travellers have had their stomachs grumble during a meeting or presentation.
• More than 1/4 of male business travellers (28%) have been hungover during a meeting or presentation while on a business trip compared to 14% of female business travellers.

Points and priorities

• 30% of business travellers think that finding care for their pet(s) is among the biggest hassles to deal with when preparing to travel for business, while 23% think that finding care for their child(ren) is among the biggest hassles.
• 81% of business travellers say they’ve missed a special event, such as birthdays or holidays, due to business travel.
• The majority of business travellers (59%) say they’d never stay in a hotel when travelling for work where they could not earn rewards points.

Travelling more than 100 days a year and spending nearly 300 hours in the air annually, Herjavec is the definition of a road warrior with unique insight on the idiosyncrasies of business travel.

“My most valuable resource: time”

“I’m constantly travelling for business, so it’s important that every facet of my travel experience, especially my hotel, helps me make the most of my most valuable resource: time,” said Herjavec. “I’m thrilled to work with La Quinta by Wyndham, a brand that understands the unique challenges business travellers face and offers the essentials we need to succeed.”