If you are a frequent traveller, then you will have in mind what to expect from your stay. You may even visit somewhere so often that you have opened up a corporate account with them. If not, you should at least consider doing so because there are a number of hotels (including the Park Grand Kensington) that offer premium amenities for account holders.
London is currently experiencing a boom in foreign travel. New routes from the US, especially from the region of Silicon Valley, are allowing a greater number of tech giants to ferry their workers back and forth, almost on a daily basis. What’s more, next year, Delta and Virgin will offer increased services between Boston, New York City and London, Gatwick. That will spell an even greater influx of key players to the UK from the US and beyond.
Most corporate travellers will have had their accommodation already booked. But if you are not a seasoned, regular visitor, what would you expect from your stay in London? Do you have any specific requests or expectations? Do you know where in London you should stay in order to be close to your place of work? What luxuries do you require in order to get a good night’s sleep?
Here are just 5 of the things we think matter most to the business traveller.
1. High-speed wireless
Business travellers need to stay connected on the go. Thus a fast and readily accessible internet connection is one of the essentials of the corporate stay-over, especially if business is frequently done online. Most hotels these days offer a good Wi-Fi service, although some have limited connectivity. Rooms at the Park Grand Restaurant Kensington include a complimentary handy smartphone service, unlimited local and international calls (selected countries) and 3G data for internet access.
It would help matters if your hotel’s Wi-Fi connection was free, but in many hotels, it isn’t. It is best to check prior to your stay whether or not the hotel charges for time blocks of Wi-Fi usage. Some hotels also will have their Wi-Fi access restricted to public areas. However, in this case, the hotel also provides adequate amenities for private working.
Finally, most corporate travellers prefer to seek out a corporate stay package that includes facilities for sending faxes, printing and photocopying.
2. Loyalty rewards
If you are a frequent visitor you may expect some sort of loyalty for your repeated use of a corporate stay package. To a business traveller, it makes sense to sign up to as many rewards programs as possible with hotels, airlines, restaurants and rental car companies. Your registering with a loyalty reward program then becomes an incentive to retrace your steps when the time comes. Most loyalty reward programs offer various levels of membership. The higher up the ladder you step the more benefits and amenities are offered to you.
Don’t forget that there are rewards in other quarters of your travel manifest. Free flights, premium upgrades on flights, queue-busting and late checkouts are just some of the perks available to the frequent traveller.
3. Great location
Arguably, one of the most important aspects of a business traveller’s stay is their location to their place of work. It will not do to be located somewhere that is miles from your place of work after all. Travel may be easy in London but it is expensive and if you are to travel a considerable distance you may find yourself hours late for a meeting or seminar. The Kensington Hotel London is within easy reach of tube stations and bus links to the City but it is also within just a few minutes of the West End and the museum quarter (for when the meetings are over and you have time to spare).
To be located not too far and within easy reach of your work destination is essential. But the convenience of a place is also on the hit list. For the busy business traveller, the conveniences of the surrounding area are also much-needed: most corporate stay packages in London are centred on the City where there are a whole host of amenities within easy reach. Most shops and bars are open 24 hours a day.
4 Comfortable accommodation
The Park Grand London Kensington offers a range of comfortable, quiet and relaxing accommodation for the weary business traveller. Bedrooms are bedecked in modern amenities and cater for the needs of the on-the-go guest. Comfort and convenience at the end of the day are as important as they are during it. A good night’s sleep and a sense of being looked after and pampered can be the difference between a good business trip and a memorable business trip. A comfortable, quiet and dark room may seem like a luxury in the middle of the world’s greatest city but for those travellers who are jet lagged those kinds of things are a must.
A complimentary breakfast is often on the bucket list of the corporate traveller. After all, where’s the fun in arriving at a meeting hungry? Hunger affects our concentration and our ability to complete tasks effectively and accurately!
5 Meeting rooms
The Park Grand London Kensington’s meeting room perfectly caters for the intercontinental traveller. The room hosts the latest in tech communications and is fitted with state-of-the-art equipment. The hotel even has its own dedicated conference suite team that arranges dates and times of meetings and ensures the room is configured appropriately to your needs.
Most corporate travellers will expect to attend meetings at their place of work. However, when it becomes apparent that a meeting of minds in a place other than work is called for, a well-equipped meeting room is just the place.
The meeting rooms in Kensington represent the most professional of settings. The facilities of these rooms include free and unlimited Wi-Fi access, projection equipment, and a fax and photocopying service. Delegates may also choose to blackout the rooms or have them air conditioned.
