Traveling for Work? Book a Business Hotel With These 6 Amenities

You’ve got your work travel routine down to a science, from the best times to fly to the exact minute you need to leave for the airport. And when it comes to deciding where to stay, the stakes are just as high. The wrong pick can mean waiting until 3 or 4 p.m. to check in, having nothing to eat or drink after a late night in the office or scrambling to find a place to call in to your next meeting. Instead of choosing a hotel based on its proximity to the office, get more from your next stay by booking based on the amenities. When done right, the benefits below will be the unexpected champion of your work trip, saving you during a laundry fiasco or printing emergency or simply ensuring you’re well rested for the workday.

24-Hour Room Service

Whether you have an early start or end the workday after every restaurant in the area has already closed, a 24/7 room service menu can help you power through an especially hectic schedule. In addition to offering a reprieve from socializing after interacting with coworkers all day, a full menu means you won’t need to order the same dishes more than once. At ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, for example, room service runs all day, from breakfast to late-night dinner, and can be ordered directly through your in-room tablet. Pro tip: Make sure to schedule your room service order ahead of time, so your food is ready as soon as you are.

Premium Amenities and Services

Whether you forgot your toothbrush (again) or want to save on luggage space, being able to depend on your hotel for high-end amenities and services can help level up your next work trip. From dental kits to professional-level appliances like blow-dryers, clothing steamers or even a yoga mat, some hotels are going out of their way to anticipate every possible guest need. At some properties, such as The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City, this extends past physical amenities, with complimentary services like overnight shoeshining and garment pressing just a concierge call away.

Early Check-In and Late Checkout

After coming into a business trip straight off of a red-eye, early check-in can be a lifeline. Getting access to your room earlier than the standard 3 or even 4 p.m. check-in time can make the difference between having to head into the office fresh off a plane and sneaking in a quick nap before the workday even begins. On the flip side, late checkout can offer a rare opportunity to actually explore the city you’re staying in or get extra work done before returning home. The Standard Spa, Miami Beach, has perfected the art of anytime arrival and departure with its Standard Time program, which allows you to choose when you want to check in and check out. No matter when you arrive, always let the hotel know your anticipated check-in time. They may be able to prioritize you for an early check-in, if available, and if you’re arriving very late, you won’t be marked as a no-show.

A Gym That’s Open 24/7

Jetting off on a work trip can mean falling off your consistent workout routine. To help remedy this, many hotels are rethinking the traditional hotel gym. Instead of stuffy basement gyms, some hotels have outfitted their fitness centers with new equipment, extras like scented towels and infused water, and even ocean or skyscraper views. This includes Dubai’s SIRO One Za’abeel, a high-tech hotel specially designed with business travelers in mind. The property’s fitness offerings are extensive, with four specialized fitness studios, boxing and Pilates classes and Dubai skyline views. The hotel’s 24-hour fitness center access also means you can schedule your gains at whatever time is most convenient. Outside of SIRO, many hotels offer complimentary workout classes like yoga and weightlifting, so be sure to inquire about these at check-in to snag your spot.

Dedicated Workspaces

Many work trips will include a late-night work session or two, and there’s nothing more inconvenient than attempting to prep a deck from your bed the morning before it’s due. In busy cities, square footage is the first thing to go, so ensure any room you’re staying in has a designated work area, including a desk and comfortable seating. (Just remember to put your "do not disturb" sign up before meetings to avoid interruptions.) If you don’t want to spend all day in your room, remote work has ushered in a new era of cozy workspaces, including coworking booths or lobbies outfitted with plenty of seating. You’ll find more than enough workspace in the spacious lobby of CitizenM London Shoreditch, which has multiple couches, work tables and bar seating. In a pinch, you can even transform nontypical spaces—like a hotel bar closed until evening—into a temporary office for a quiet, noise-free setting.

Free Breakfast and Coffee

At select properties, breakfast and coffee are included in the nightly rate, meaning you can enjoy the buffet or take advantage of quick grab-and-go breakfast items. Some hotels extend these benefits even further with daily snack or coffee hours, where light snacks and beverages are served as a midday pick-me-up. Complimentary breakfast also means saving your per diem for the meals that really matter: dinner and happy hour, of course. When you book a stay at select Marriott hotels, including the Residence Inn Washington, D.C. Downtown, for example, you’ll receive complimentary breakfast as a benefit.