If you travel frequently for business, you probably already know how important it is to have a hotel room that's perfectly situated on the premises. Rooms near noisy areas like parking garages or in proximity to strange smells from kitchen vents can be distracting and impact your amount of sleep, leaving you groggy and unfocused in meetings.
Last week, CNN's JIll Becker, an award-winning contributor to the publication, told business travelers how to get the most comfortable room. With her advice and our expertise, we compiled this list of four essential travel tips that can help business travelers secure the best room at their next hotel:
Before booking, Becker suggests that you should always:
1. Ask if there is a convention or special event. "Groups that take up a large portion of the hotel typically overwhelm the facilities and reduce the quality and levels of service for the individual traveler," Becker writes. If there is, she says you should consider staying somewhere else or ask that your room be far from the convention rooms. Another tip: make sure that your room is far from the hotel's ballrooms so that late-night events don't keep you up. The article advises against booking the second or top floors for this reason.
2. Ask if there are business-friendly rooms. Some hotels now have rooms that come with special business arrangements like fax machines or secure internet. Having a room outfitted for your business needs will help with your productivity.
3. Book your car in advance too. Price-gouging taxi drivers and complicated public transit systems can also be a real hassle. Consider booking luxury transport not just from the airport, but also from the hotel to any meetings or scheduled activities. For the most comfort, select a luxury transportation provider with a history of first-rate, punctual service.
4.Take allergies into account. Since no one wants to spend the whole night sneezing, if you are easily irritated or are allergic to pets, you should take this into account when booking. If you have a pet allergy, be sure to avoid pet-friendly hotels. Smoking rooms and rooms near the pool can also be irritating to the allergy-prone.
