Business travellers reducing length of hotel stays

Business travellers are staying at hotels for shorter periods, with the average length of corporate stays dropping from 1.9 to 1.5 nights during 2008, according to the Hogg Robinson Group (HRG).

HRG’s global hotel relations director, Margaret Bowler, said: “Businesses are still travelling, but they are changing their travel patterns, opting for shorter business trips and in some cases opting for lower star ratings than previously to minimise expenditure and ensure maximum value for their spend.”

She added: “While average hotel rates rose across the board in 2008, rates noticeably levelled off and even fell in some cities towards the latter part of the year.

Bowler noted that in some of the key markets demand continues to be strong and rates are expected to increase through this year, although the growth rate will likely be slower. In the areas where hotel rates are flat or declining, many hotels are not significantly reducing prices, contrary to what has been anticipated.

“Instead, the majority of hotels are adopting a sensible long-term strategy to offer value rather than significant price cuts to customers in order to maintain their share of the market,” Bowler explained.

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.hrgworldwide.com