To provide companies with an up-to-date picture of what business travellers expect when it comes to accommodation, theAirPlus and HRS, recognised specialists in one of the payment solutions and the other of the hotel reservationhave joined forces to publish a new white paper. A study - available here - which illustrates the advantages of centralised payment for optimised management of hotel expenditure, but above all highlights the new aspirations and changing behaviour of mobile executives. "Business travellers no longer see their accommodation as simply an impersonal place to pass through. They want to enjoy personalised experiences and services, and even have the opportunitý to extend their stay over the weekend."These are the words of Julie Troussicot, Managing Director of AirPlus France, and Jérôme Fouque, Managing Director of HRS France.
While 93 % of professionals like to travel for business, the number of business trips is still very low, more than 15 % of them extend their trip with a leisure stay. Travellers are also sensitive to the attentions reserved for them. In order to take advantage of personal benefits such as a free breakfast or a gift voucher valid for a future booking, 66 % say that they belong to a "group". loyalty programme.
Technology also plays an important part in the travel experience. Ultra-connected, 85 % of travellers use one or more applications, whether to book or manage expenses, but above all to find information about the destinationFor 86 % of business travellers, customer reviews have an influence on their choice of establishment.
In this context, proximity to the meeting venue remains the top choice for 8 out of 10 business travellers, for reasons of comfort and security. Chain hotels remain the most popular choice for almost half of travellers, because of the guarantee they offer in terms of standards and service. However, independent hotels are favoured by 20 % of travellers. And alternative accommodation solutions such as aparthotels and rented rooms are also increasingly popular for their "home from home" feel. A trend reinforced by the fact that 22 % of business travellers are now inclined to share their accommodation with colleaguesBusiness travellers and their companies will find it in their interests to keep costs under control.
In terms of expense management, hotels, the second largest item in travel budgets, still leave plenty of room for improvement, with a large proportion of travellers - 6 out of 10 - still using their personal card to pay for accommodation. The study estimates that centralised payment is currently the most effective solution, not only for automating the expense claim management process, but also for limiting open booking by encouraging business travellers to book through the channels recommended by the company. All this, while providing travel managers with extensive and accurate data on employees' business travel.
