Travelling is often a great experience especially for people who don’t like to stay still. However, not everything on our trip is always under our control, there are many factors which affect the overall quality of our trip. One factor which can greatly affect our overall well-being and satisfaction during our solo business trip is our choice of the hotel.

The important thing is that this factor of hotel choice is usually in our control and the major factor which affects this decision is usually the cost. We have a list of tips to help you make the right choice when you stay in a hotel on your next solo business trip.

Location

As opposed to leisure trips, business trips are characterised by some special purpose. The purpose could be to meet a client or to finalise the details of a new business partnership with a foreign business partner. No matter what the final details are, any meeting with a foreign partner or client would require a suitable location. The location is not just important from the meeting’s point of view; a good location can actually help mitigate some travel costs too. Often people go for a cheaper hotel in a foreign location and they realise that it’s too away from the airport and the city centre and they’re going to spend large amounts as taxi fare.

Research

Many hotels spend a large amount of money to make attractive websites which present them in the best way possible and many of us fall prey to this trap of effective marketing. We should be thankful for the internet as it has opened up a wide range of options for us to conduct a thorough research before we part ways with our hard-earned money. There are a number of websites which list hotels from different parts of the world and are ranked by the feedback they receive from the general public. These reviews on travel websites can save you a lot of time and effort when you’re deciding a hotel to stay at on your next business trip.

Service

The quality of service matters a lot when you’re traveling to a new country. You won’t be able to get anything done if the staff at the reception doesn’t speak your language or you would be left hopeless if there is no staff at the reception if you’re coming close to midnight. It’s important to check the internet to see that the staff is present and attentive to your needs. Also, the other services such as laundry etc. need to be timely and up to the par.

Business Facilities

Your entire reason for traveling is a business so it stands to reason that the hotel should provide some of the basic business facilities to ensure that your work doesn’t stay in a limbo all because you didn’t have access to the internet or a printer. Before you confirm your reservation, check that the hotel provides free unlimited access to the internet – it is important that the internet is unlimited otherwise you’ll be large amounts of money for sending or receiving those large attachments. This would also be the time to ask about other business facilities like fax and scanners etc.

Food

Not all countries place too much emphasis on the hygiene of the staff which prepares food so you need to be extra careful in this regard. It is also heartening to know that quality meal can be ordered at a decent price once you’re done with the work for the day. You should also look for hotels where meals are covered in the price of the stay. It is also a good thing if you can get room service for the same price after all it would be nice to have your dinner in peace once you’ve completed your work for the day and are completely tired now.

Leisure

Traveling alone can be tiresome, combine that with the work you’re required to do on our trip and you have a recipe for burnout on your hands. It is often a great thing to be able to relax in a pool at the end of a tiring day or hit the gym to recharge yourself if the gym is the place that makes you reenergised. Check for the leisure options when confirming your stay at the hotel.

This guest post is written by Frank Lee and you can follow him on Twitter at @franklee84.

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