Booking Engine

How Can Hospitality Tech Attract Business Travelers?

Leema Rosali — Senior VP – Engineering, AxisRooms
Leema Rosali — Senior VP – Engineering, AxisRooms

Table of Contents

Hospitality technology plays a crucial role in attracting business travelers by offering them the convenience, efficiency, and seamless experiences they expect. From direct booking engines and mobile check-ins to virtual reality tours, modern tech solutions enable hotels to meet the specific needs of corporate guests, making them more likely to choose your property over competitors. By adopting a Hotel Marketing Strategy that leverages these technologies, hotels can differentiate themselves and capture a larger share of the growing business travel market. With the right Hotel Revenue Strategy, hoteliers can not only attract business travelers but also maximize their revenue from this valuable segment.

The Growing Importance of Business Travel

The business travel market has seen significant growth in recent years. According to a report by Rockport Analytics, the market grew from $1.3 trillion in 2016 to $1.7 trillion in 2021. This increase represents a massive opportunity for hoteliers to tap into a lucrative segment.

However, despite the rise in corporate travel, many hotels are still not leveraging technology effectively to attract business travelers. Physical bookings are a thing of the past; today’s guests demand convenience, efficiency, and technology-driven solutions for their travel needs.

So, how can hotels implement the right technologies to appeal to business travelers? Let’s explore the top tech upgrades and strategies that are making a real difference.

Key Technology Upgrades to Attract Business Travelers

To appeal to business travelers, hotels need to understand their needs and leverage technology that delivers what they value the most: convenience, efficiency, and productivity. Below are some of the top tech upgrades every hotel should consider:

Technology

Benefit for Business Travelers

Why It’s Crucial for Hoteliers

Direct Booking Engine

Simplifies the booking process and offers exclusive rates.

Increases profit margins by bypassing OTAs and creating direct connections with guests.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Allows guests to take virtual tours of the hotel’s amenities and meeting spaces.

Enhances guest experience by offering a 360-degree view before booking.

Mobile Check-In

Speeds up the check-in process, saving time for busy travelers.

Reduces wait times at the front desk and improves operational efficiency.

1. Embrace the Direct Booking Engine

Business travelers are looking for efficiency. One of the best ways to cater to them is by offering a seamless direct booking experience through your hotel’s official website. While Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) can help your hotel gain visibility, they often fail to highlight your unique offerings.

A direct booking engine enables you to:

  • Showcase special offers: Promote corporate discounts that are only available on your website.
  • Automate the booking process: The engine works 24/7 to take reservations even when your staff is offline.
  • Retain more profit: Avoid commission fees paid to OTAs, allowing you to retain more of the booking revenue.

By leveraging your Hotel Marketing Strategy, you can increase the visibility of your direct booking engine and tailor it to attract corporate clients with specific promotions. Integrating this approach into your marketing strategy will encourage business travelers to book directly with your hotel.

2. Try Virtual Reality (VR)

Business travelers often need to ensure that the hotel they’re choosing has the necessary amenities such as conference rooms, meeting halls, and quiet workspaces. To help them make an informed decision, provide them with a virtual tour of your hotel through VR technology.

Benefits of VR for Business Travelers:

  • Interactive hotel tours: Allow guests to explore rooms, meeting spaces, and facilities from anywhere.
  • Remote decision-making: Let corporate guests make bookings based on their virtual experience.
  • Engagement through social media: Share your VR link on social platforms to reach a larger audience of potential business guests.

Incorporating VR tours into your booking engine allows guests to view your property and immediately book their stay after completing the tour, all while increasing their trust in your offerings.

3. Mobile Check-In

Business travelers are always on the go and may not have time to wait at the front desk. By offering a mobile check-in feature, you allow them to skip the line and get straight to their room. This technology integrates seamlessly with your Property Management System (PMS) and booking engine, ensuring a smooth guest experience.

Key Benefits:

  • No waiting at check-in: Guests can complete check-in procedures before they even arrive.
  • Pre-arrival room preparation: Hotels can prepare rooms ahead of time, improving guest satisfaction.
  • Flexibility: Allows guests to check in at their convenience, especially for late-night arrivals.

With PMS integrations, you can synchronize your booking system with mobile check-ins, ensuring that all guest information is up-to-date and accessible in real time, further streamlining the guest experience.

AxisRooms Offers Advanced Technology to Enhance Your Hotel’s Operations

At AxisRooms, we understand the unique needs of business travelers and offer a sophisticated booking engine that can help hotels attract and retain this lucrative segment. Our cloud-based solution integrates seamlessly with your existing systems and includes a variety of features designed to make your hotel operations more efficient:

Feature

Benefit

Automated Tax Setup

Automatically calculate taxes for business trips to ensure compliance.

In-depth Reporting

Access detailed insights into bookings, cancellations, and revenue.

Multiple Payment Options

Offer guests the option to pay online or at check-in, improving convenience.

Promotions and Deals

Easily highlight corporate offers to increase direct bookings.

Centralized Dashboard

Manage bookings, payments, and reports from a single dashboard.

By incorporating Hotel Revenue Strategy into your operations, AxisRooms helps you optimize pricing, maximize occupancy, and increase profitability—ensuring your hotel meets the needs of the growing business travel market.

Summing Up: The Importance of Technology in Attracting Business Travelers

In an era where business travelers prioritize convenience and efficiency, integrating modern technology into your hotel operations is crucial. From direct booking engines to mobile check-ins and VR tours, there are numerous ways technology can help your hotel stand out in the competitive corporate travel market.

At AxisRooms, we offer state-of-the-art tools to help you attract and retain business travelers. Our booking engine, along with other advanced features, makes it easy for you to streamline your operations, save time, and improve your bottom line.

If you haven’t yet integrated these technologies into your hotel operations, now is the time to get started. Visit our website today to learn more about how AxisRooms can help your hotel business grow.

FAQs

Q1-How does a direct booking engine help hotels save money?

A- A direct booking engine eliminates the need for OTAs, allowing hotels to retain more of the revenue generated from bookings.

Q2- How can VR tours improve guest engagement?

A-VR tours allow potential guests to explore the property virtually, making it easier for them to make booking decisions.

Q3-What are the benefits of mobile check-in for business travelers?

A-Mobile check-in allows business travelers to skip the check-in desk, saving time and improving their overall hotel experience.