Business travel can’t always be held off until low season or when specials are available. It is often planned at the last minute, making shopping around difficult and exhausting especially for time-poor SMEs. These tips will help you keep Here are some tips to help you keep the costs to a minimum and take the work out of booking your business accommodation.
1. Get online – Corporate travellers all over the world are reaping the benefits of doing their own accommodation bookings online. Savvy bookers can save time, money and their sanity by finding a deal quickly with instant confirmation.
2. Be your own travel agent – Researching is quick and easy on the Internet. A wealth of information is available about hotels on sites like Wotif.com, where you can view a selection of rates in a region and easily compare them on one screen. Images and information on the hotel facilities and location is also available at the click of a mouse button.
3. Keep an open mind – While well-known hotel brands promise a level of quality with conventional services, a seasoned business traveller will not let this limit their search. You can often find great deals at boutique properties and serviced apartments which may even be closer to your business meetings.
4. Choose serviced apartments – Try serviced apartments and you will often have more space and separate living areas which you can use for meetings if necessary. You can also save money by eating-in rather than dining at restaurants every day.
5. Look for added extras – Many hotels add value-packed inclusions to their last-minute deals. Items such as complimentary breakfasts, free parking and broadband access can keep additional costs to a minimum.
6. Look for special promotions – The hottest deals for each region are often highlighted for consumers. Wotif.com uses flame images to indicate the best deals on a particular day and the ‘Wot Hotel’ feature (highlighted in black) has the best possible rates at a hotel if you are prepared to book without knowing the hotel name or specific location.
7. Act quickly – If you see a bargain – snap it up!
8. Don’t get caught out – Choose your website carefully and ensure that there is a customer service line you can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In cases of emergencies and changes to schedules, a friendly customer service representative can assist.
For great rates at a wide variety of hotels in 40+ countries around the world, instant confirmation, secure online transactions with no pre-registration required, check-out Wotif.com – we take the work out of booking business accommodation online.
