Business travel isn’t as easy-breezy as travelling for leisure. Even if you’re staying in a posh hotel in Waterford Ireland, your mind and body are set on work mode. Your travel decisions aren’t just grounded on comfort and relaxation, but also on productivity and efficiency. On top of that, you could also face other stressful, travel-related situations during your trip that could give you headaches.
Thankfully, we’ve got a couple of tips and lifehacks that can improve your business trip.
1. Create a detailed itinerary
Next to listing down the places you’ll visit, the next step is to organise them into a neat itinerary. Lay out your travel reservations, and hotel address, and research how to get around from place to place. Don’t forget to allow yourself extra time on your hectic schedule for relaxing, busy traffic, and delays.
2. Check-in using the business hotel app
Most business travellers are pressed for time, which means they can’t afford to waste a couple of minutes in the lobby for a room that’s yet to be prepared. Seamless hotel booking is key. The good news is the major hotel brands now offer technology and automation that streamlines the guest experience.
If you’re booking with a large hotel chain, see if they have an app you can use for checking in directly and managing your reservations. Aside from direct, contactless in-app check-ins, the hotel app may also have other features that can improve your overall guest experience. In many cases, you can book a restaurant table, spa treatment, hotel activities, and other forms of hotel service from your smartphone.
Looking to turn your business trip into a workcation? You can also find hotels with apps that offer recommendations on amazing local places to visit, things to do, and how to get around
3. Check the hotel’s wi-fi and amenities for business travellers
Finding a hotel that’s near your meeting place or office is just one step. When deciding whether or not the hotel is the best choice, check its amenities and inclusions to see if they’ll cater to your needs for convenience, technology, and efficiency.
Some of the amenities business travellers want from hotels include:
- Free and fast Wi-fi
- Ample power outlets
- Accessible meeting rooms
- Business centres
- Transportation services
- Complimentary coffee
4. Stay organised using travel planning apps
Staying organised during your business travel doesn’t limit to using packing cubes and compartmentalised cases. Instead, you should also use digital tools that’ll help you sort out multiple travel documents and itineraries.
TripIt, for instance, is an app that allows you to check one place for your travel details. Start by creating a separate email account for booking trips. Then, the app will scan your inbox for flight details, hotel bookings, itineraries, car rentals, and other forms of reservation. After gathering these details, the app will compile them and create a neat and comprehensive timeline.
Here are other travel planning apps that may help you when planning your business trip:
- The Freeform App
- Wanderlog
- Skratch
- Hopper – Flight & Hotel Deals
- Sygic Travel Maps Trip Planner
- Packing Pro
- Skyscanner
- Roadtripper
5. Get digital copies of crucial travel documents
Thought business travel is stressful as it is? The last thing you want is to make it worse by losing some of your most important documents.
With this, it’s a wise move to secure a digital backup of your physical documents including your driver’s license, tickets, boarding passes, passports, and other IDs. Use your smartphone’s scanning features and save them to the cloud or store them in your flash drive. You can even print photocopies and stash them in your luggage.
Sure, obtaining digital copies of your travel documents might sound like a tedious task but you’ll thank yourself for it should unfortunate situations take place.
6. Invest in digital trackers
Gone are the days when losing an important item was a dead-end case. Thanks to technological advancements, it’s now possible to track the location of your missing belongings and get some peace of mind.
Wireless digital trackers, like Apple’s AirTag and Tile, are miniature beacons that can be slipped into a piece of luggage. In cases of loss or theft, you can use the Find My and Tile app on your smartphone and pull up the approximate location of the tracker on the maps.
7. Prioritise rest and convenience
There are two things you’d want from your business trip: one, to get things done and two, to be able to relax. Look for hotels that promote both, balancing productivity and wellness.
A good business-friendly hotel not only includes work-related amenities but also offers a quiet and comfortable stay. Depending on your needs, you’d want a king or queen-sized bed with quality bedding, healthy restaurant menus, and access to fitness centres, spas, and jogging areas.
Looking for enjoyable things to do during your downtime? It’s also nice to find a hotel that’s close to amazing restaurants, cafes, and attractions like parks, museums, and cultural centres.
Author Bio: Carmina Natividad is a free-spirited damsel who loves documenting her adventures. To know more about hotels and travel blogs, you may visit Viking Hotel Waterford.
