After two long years of on-and-off lockdowns, economic uncertainty, and international travel bans, it’s fair to say corporate travel has taken a massive hit. Some industry experts have questioned if business travel in the U.S. will ever reach pre-pandemic levels again. Fortunately, studies show that it will—just not until 2024. In the meantime, hosts can expect domestic business travel spending to reach at least 76% of 2019 levels. This means that corporate travel is back, but not in the way you might have expected.

After coming to an abrupt stop in 2020 and adapting to new protocols in 2021, business travel has entered its newest chapter. Changes in daily routines and workplace dynamics have prompted corporate travelers to look for personalized accommodations that meet their *new freedoms* as corporate workers.

In an effort to retain and attract talent, companies are encouraging corporate travelers to weave PTO into their business trips and even bring their families along for either pre or post stays.

Combine these extended stays with the fact that many companies are now ‘remote-first,’ allowing their employees to work from anywhere, and you’ve got the perfect opportunity to capitalize on an emerging travel trend—the remote worker.

Why Corporate Travel is Worth Targeting

In order to take advantage of this new segment of the population, you must first understand their needs. While traditional business travelers book stays to attend a meeting or a conference, remote workers book stays to enjoy a new, yet comfortable work environment.

According to Lodgify, increased flexibility in the calendars of remote workers will result in much longer stays in 2022. Now more than ever before, corporate travelers are combining travel for work and travel for leisure, giving way to ‘workcations,’ vacations in which employees or entrepreneurs can work remotely while integrating leisurely activities into their schedules.

Concur reports that corporate travelers tend to prefer short-term rentals over hotels. This is largely due to the home comforts offered by Airbnbs that hotels are often unable to provide. Private balconies and home-cooked meals go a long way for business travelers who are away from home for extended periods of time. Most hotels are simply not designed to cater to business travelers in this way.

If you’ve been looking for a way to secure repeat business during off-peak periods or hone in on a profitable type of traveler, catering to the new corporate traveler is the way to go.

List Your Property on Business Travel Platforms

Both Airbnb and Booking.com have updated their booking platforms to attract corporate travelers. Airbnb for Work focuses on providing remote workers with all the tools and resources they need to work comfortably. Booking for Business caters more so towards companies looking to manage trips for an entire team.

Several online travel agencies (OTA’s) have corporate travel management channels integrated onto their platforms. This makes it easy for hosts to promote their ‘business-ready’ listing to platform users and highlight key features of their rental property. It also helps users sort through business rentals by comparing reviews from previous corporate travelers.

Offer Business-Friendly Amenities

In order to be considered a ‘business-ready’ stay on either platform mentioned above, you want to make sure your amenities are, of course, business-friendly! While pools and easy access to attractions are must-haves for leisure guests, business travelers have another set of priorities which typically include:

Reliable, high-speed WiFi allows them to work efficiently, communicate seamlessly, and respond to work-related tasks in real-time. This is arguably the most important feature to have in a business rental.
An ergonomic workstation offering natural lighting, a nice view, and a quiet work environment.
A Smart TV or HDMI cable allowing for workers to sync their laptop screens onto a larger screen. This is especially important for workers who will need to work on presentations, or will be working in groups of 4 or more.
A coffee maker and tea kettle allowing for remote workers to start the day off with a healthy dose of caffeine. An assortment of quality coffee and tea would enhance the guest experience that much more.
Plenty of hangers, an iron, and an ironing board to keep work clothes wrinkle-free.
Free dedicated parking. Employers often provide workers with a transportation stipend which they allocate towards a car rental. Having a place to park that rental would be essential in this case.

Write Your Listing with Business Travelers in Mind

Aside from including pictures of the business amenities listed above, you also want to reiterate them in your listing. Business travelers will likely be looking for specific perks so you don’t want to miss the opportunity to highlight them in your description.

We suggest writing about how these business amenities will positively impact their stay as corporate travelers/remote workers. Hosts should describe:

Where the workstation is situated and any other places on the property that are conducive to holding video meetings.
What specific features will make the workday easier such as WiFi speed, an ergonomic desk chair, or number of outlets.
How close your property is to the business district, convention centers, or cafes.
When would be the best time to catch a Lyft or an Uber into the city depending on traffic times and/or local events.

Market to Business Travelers Year-Round

Don’t make the mistake of assuming business travelers are only active during busy seasons. Although Fall and Winter are known for being the busier seasons of the year, the truth is, remote work has flipped this on its head. Employers are starting to schedule corporate events around the schedules of their employees, which means business activity can take place at any time of the year.

Hosts should be willing to accommodate remote workers’ needs year-round. Beef up the exposure to your vacation rental by implementing the following marketing tactics:

Curate unique work-from-home content at your property such as working by the pool or outdoor deck, overlooking a beautiful view.
Share 5-star guest reviews from previous business travelers on your social media and marketing emails.
Stay on top of local business events in your city such as conventions and trade shows. Tailor your listing description to fit the needs of business travelers in the weeks leading up to these events.
Create blogs or social media posts targeting corporate travelers by providing advice on how to stay productive while working remotely, or what to pack on business trips.

Need help attracting corporate travelers to your STR?

Following the tips mentioned above will help you attract corporate travelers to your vacation rental, but this can be difficult to do when managing multiple properties at once.

At MB Experiences we handle all of your needs as a host, including diversifying your clientele to include business travelers and remote workers. Call or email us today to learn more about our vacation rental management services. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to Attract Corporate Travelers to Your Short Term Rental