Who says B&Bs aren't for business travelers? Free wi-fi and local phone calls, plus complimentary drinks and snacks and the hearty breakfasts served at B&Bs save business travelers over a hundred dollars on each trip. In early August, 2008 BedandBreakfast.com conducted a follow-up to the 2007 survey of 5000 innkeepers in the United States asking about amenities offered for business travelers. For consistency, the same survey was conducted in both 2007 and 2008. We heard back from nearly 1100 innkeepers in the recent survey, and learned that more B&Bs are offering amenities geared toward business travelers than ever before.
The annual BedandBreakfast.com survey of B&B business traveler amenities found that the majority of B&Bs offer amenities that not only make life on the road more comfortable for business travelers, but also save money. Here’s a look at the kinds of extras business travelers can expect from B&Bs:
Amenities Percentage of B&Bs offering
Corporate or single rates for business travelers 63.2%
Free Wi-Fi access 93%
Computer for guest use 44.6%
Late check ins 96.1%
Early breakfast or provisions for early risers 96.1%
Opportunity for guests to invite colleagues to breakfast 76.1%
(usually complimentary)
Desks in (at least some) rooms 75%
Flexible cancellation policies (comparable to hotels) 67.8%
Online reservations 70.0%
Use of copy machine (usually complimentary) 69.1%
Use of fax machine (usually complimentary) 70.1%
In-room land line phone 41.7% (most business travelers carry cell phones now)
Break out the breakfast and lodging charges for those 81.9%
traveling on per diem
Additionally, in another recent survey of innkeepers conducted in July, we learned from 1400 respondents that the following amenities are also offered:
Free afternoon refreshments, wine and cheese and/or evening dessert for two: 94% of B&Bs
Tip-free help with luggage and concierge services: 65%
Free local telephone calls: 75%
Free long distance calls: 25%
Free parking: 95%
Of course, all B&Bs offer a complimentary multi-course breakfast too.
Click here to read about how these extra amenities can save business travelers more than $175 when they choose B&Bs over hotels for a two night stay. For a list of BedandBreakfast.com's "editor's picks" for big-city inns featured last year in USA TODAY With pressure to save on travel for business travelers higher than ever, it simply makes sense to choose a B&B when traveling for business or pleasure.