With ultra-luxury suites, hotels cannot afford to omit


anything a guest might expect to find in the room. In order to offer a suite at a good price point, Chan says there were some features the hotel did away with because they are not strictly necessary. “We could quite easily have included an in-room minibar,” he says. “But we don’t really see the point of that. Our in-room dining is offered 24 hours a day, around the clock."


MADE FOR MEETINGS The priority of business travellers is to get work done in the most efficient manner possible – whether that be hunkering over spreadsheets, brainstorming new ideas with a group of colleagues, or entertaining clients and business associates. “I often hold meetings in hotels, and prefer the


privacy of a suite in which to hold them. So, for me, it’s essential the suite can be divided with a closing door. I don’t want guests looking into my bedroom, especially if housekeeping hasn’t got round to cleaning it when I have a very early morning meeting,” says “LuganoPirate”, a user of Business Traveller’s online forum. Business travellers may also be keen to take advantage


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of the “bleisure” trend – the fine art of mixing business and leisure when travelling – and its increasing acceptance amongst employers. Jean-Philippe Jacopin, general manager of Orchard


Hotel Singapore, understands that trend well. He says it’s important for business travellers to have separation between sleeping and the living areas in their accommodation. “Business travellers staying in our Premier suite with their families can host business meetings in the comfort of the suite’s living room, while their families relax in private in the fully partitioned bedroom. The two separate entrances are also useful for this function,” he says. However, mixing kids with business does carry some


risk and guests may wish to warn their children in advance not to enter the working area of the suite and interrupt mummy or daddy’s meeting or phone call. You may remember that in 2017, professor Robert Kelly was explaining South Korean politics live on the BBC over video link when his two young children barged in – instantly making him a viral social media sensation. Another area that business travellers like to keep


separate in their suites is their own personal bathroom. Fortunately, many suites – though not all – offer a guest washroom. However, guest bathroom etiquette seems to be lost on some people. “I remember staying at the Lanesborough in London


once, where I had three meetings but only the one bathroom,” says LuganoPirate. “On each occasion my guests nicked some of the toiletries, and the last one to leave took the whole lot. I was quite embarrassed having to ask housekeeping each time to come back and replenish them.” Once your formal business meetings are over, that same


suite space can also be used for a more personal kind of entertaining, suggests one hot-blooded Business Traveller


DE C EMB E R 20 19


reader. “A separate dining area, with a nice table and service entrance, along with mood lighting and built-in speakers, could turn a heavy day’s business into a ‘Barry White evening’ – of course with the right company,” says UK-based BT Forum user “MartynSinclair”, who works as an aviation and property consultant.


PERSONAL TOUCHES In-room amenities and room design can only do so much. A hotel without service would not be a hotel – you may as well rent out a large Airbnb apartment instead (indeed, the home-sharing site now has a box you can tick to find business travel friendly properties). Aleksandar Vucic, the executive assistant manager for


rooms at the 2018-opened St Regis Zhuhai, says that offering a tailored service helps personalise the experience (the St Regis brand is famous for its butler service). His


bus ine s s tr a v el ler .c om


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