When sending staff on business trips, it’s important to provide staff with quality accommodation. Rooms should be their own, and have enough space for them to work, chat and recuperate after a busy day.
However, poor business accommodation can lead to low staff morale, reduced performance and even worsening physical health.
Today, Don James from Berkshire Rooms, an ISAAP accredited serviced apartment provider looks at the importance of choosing the right business accommodation for your needs, and steps you can take to ensure that you’ve chosen the right accommodation for your business.
How does poor business accommodation affect people?
Ill-equipped or budget hotels can be hugely detrimental to the productivity and progress of those on business trips.
For someone visiting a new area, a budget hotel way out of where they need to be is not only more costly in terms of transport to desired locations, but also in terms of food and supplies. Similarly, if a hotel doesn’t provide catering services then the health of an employee could be affected. In fact, research shows that 70% of business travellers report detrimental symptoms such as stomach problems, mood swings, stress as well as overall unhealthy lifestyles.
Research also shows that “the odds of being obese were 92% higher for those who travelled 21 or more nights per month compared to those who travelled only one to six nights per month.”
With poor business accommodation affecting people for a plethora of reasons, how can travel managers overcome this?
Why using better business accommodation works
Better employee morale
Employees feel better after they’ve had the chance to switch off and relax in a comfortable room. It also makes them feel more valued when they see that their company is willing to invest in ensuring company travel and staff wellbeing is seen as important.
When an employee feels valued and seen as a priority by their company when conducting professional travel, they will be more likely to exhibit exemplary behaviours towards those they are visiting.
A good night’s sleep and a place to switch off from the day is always appreciated, especially when away from home comforts.
Serviced apartments are hugely beneficial here, as the separation of relaxation, work and sleep enables employees to assign different areas of the space for different purposes.
Healthier employees
If a hotel room has no cooking facilities or is far away from a selection of restaurants, employees on long haul business trips will struggle to find balanced meals after a few days. Takeaways are bad for health in the long term, and people will begin to crave more balanced meals.
This is where choosing aparthotels or serviced accommodation can be a much better option. The flexibility of being able to cook for yourself, or order in food when you want a night off from cooking. The additional storage space provided helps with having food around as well.
Boosted productivity
In a cramped room, additional work might have to be done from the bed, which is never good for productivity. Having the space to be able to work in your room, or in a designated working space in the hotel, can help to provide workers with an area to finalise the days notes, catch up with colleagues and report back to the office.
With this working environment should also come access to USB points, plugs and internet access, and easy to access information on how to do all these things. A good desk, with an ergonomic setup, is always an added bonus, and helps people to feel comfortable in what they do.
Stress reduction
Good sleep is a known factor in stress reduction. Similarly, being able to switch off at the end of the day is also an important factor. Decompressing after a busy day of meeting is easy in your home, but when in an unfamiliar environment, it can be harder to feel comfortable instantly.
Having good accommodation is key here, and this accommodation being equipped with a relaxation area is also important. Being able to unwind with some light television or a book is incredibly important for reducing stress, especially when travelling for business, as this can hugely affect the stress of a person.
Looking after your employees is absolutely essential for a successful business trip. They will experience better morale, feel healthier, be more productive and be able to manage stress levels much better. You will have an employee who feels like you value their wellbeing, and that is crucial in retaining top talent.
