Finally. Hotels are listening to their customers and providing the types of amenities business travelers want. Forbes.com recently reviewed hotels that cater to the business traveler, meaning 24-hour business centers, free computer access, ability to plug laptops into in-room HDTVs (you won’t believe what Powerpoint looks like in HD. Amazing.), universal cellular coverage, or even complimentary laptops and power cords (which would have been a blessing to me last time I was in Dallas).
Below is part of the article but read the rest at Forbes:
“Hotel Indigo – If you’re working late to meet a deadline, you can hit a few bumps if you stay at a hotel with a business center that shuts down early. Hotel Indigo, a boutique hotel that’s part of the Intercontinental Hotel Group, eliminates this problem by offering 24-hour business centers with free computer access in each of its 10 properties, which include Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas.
Mandarin Oriental New York – Thanks to an Innerwireless Distributed Antenna System, a setup installed in the core of the hotel that allows for uninterrupted and universal cellular coverage, guests here needn’t worry about missed calls. And if you forget your phone or computer charger, the hotel concierge can supply replacements.
Hyatt Place Hotels – You’ll find oversized desks with ergonomic chairs in each of the rooms at this 9-month-old boutique hotel chain, a branch of Global Hyatt. Guests in any of the 28 properties nationwide can also take advantage of the Hyatt Plug Panel that lets them plug electronics like laptops and MP3 players directly into the rooms’ high-definition TVs. The company plans to open 120 more locations by the end of 2007.
St. Regis – Sometimes it’s more efficient to e-mail service requests than to call the concierge. At the St. Regis, butlers are equipped with wireless devices. If you’re stuck in a meeting and need to change a dinner reservation or retrieve a faxed document, simply e-mail your assigned butler. He’ll take care of whatever you need and reply with an e-mail confirmation.
W Hotels – When you stay at a W Hotel or Resort in New York City or New Orleans, there’s no need to bring your computer since the chain offers a “Wired2Go” service. Guests can borrow laptop computers that come in a bag equipped with any accessories a business traveler would need, such as a power cord. The program will make its national debut this fall.”
