A business trip can be stressful: Flights are postponed, appointments are tightly timed and then even the credit card doesn’t work… Many people find the organization of the trip itself particularly exhausting: planning, booking a hotel for the business trip, booking a flight or train, accounting for travel expenses – all of this is perceived as exhausting and burdensome before the meetings and the actual work start at all.
These tips will make booking your hotel easier, faster and more effective. This will save you time, money and a lot of nerves – so you can concentrate on the essentials.
Book a hotel for your business trip? Clarify the general conditions… beforehand!
Many companies have clearly formulated travel guidelines with which you should be familiar before planning your trip. So if you are new to the company or are making your first business trip, you should know about it:
Approval: Unfortunately, there are still employees who wait weeks for the approval of your business trip because only the board of directors can sign it off. Hopefully, this does not affect you, but before you book a trip or hotel, make sure that you clarify whether you need to have your business trip approved.
Budget: Is there an overnight budget to be adhered to or is it up to you what you spend on your hotel room? If costs are only covered to a limited extent: does this include or exclude breakfast and other additional costs such as parking, WLAN, etc.? Often, given budgets are also depending on the travel destination
Location, location, location – so that you save money and time
One of the most important criteria for your hotel booking should always be the location! There’s nothing worse than driving halfway through town after a long day’s work or planning several hours to the train station or airport. Think carefully so that you have the shortest possible distances: Where is your appointment and from where do you travel to and from? How will you get around?
Often it is even worthwhile to dig deeper into your pocket for a well-situated hotel. Because: You should always keep an eye on the expenses for the entire stay. If you only pay 90 euros for your hotel room, but then have an additional 50 euros per day in taxi costs, the supposed hotel bargain is no longer a bargain.
But it may also be worth asking the boss for a higher budget for overnight accommodation – after all, you think along with and in the interests of the company if you are travelling cheaper and more rested!
What are your Must Haves? Take them seriously!
Your personal preferences should also play a role on a business trip. Make yourself clear in which environment you can work particularly well and be productive. Because also the equipment of the hotel or the room contributes to the success of your journey. Can you best prepare for the second long day at the fair if you can relax in a hotel with a wellness area?
Are you always travelling with a rental car and need a guaranteed parking space? Is it best to recharge your batteries with a good, hearty breakfast? Is a nearby park with a running track important? Or a good steak restaurant for an exchange with the important customer at dinner? Do you need a workplace in the Business Center to print documents in the evening?
If you know your personal must-have, take it seriously. If you know that you won’t be happy without a fitness area, then booking a hotel without one makes no sense. Booking a hotel for a business trip doesn’t mean putting your personal needs behind it – quite the opposite.
Extra tip: Your absolute dream hotel is a few euros above the budget of your company? Split the bill and simply pay the difference privately. It is best to inform the hotel staff at check-in, then the reception will prepare two bills for you.
Stay flexible: Use offers for business travellers
When booking a hotel for a business trip, you should attach particular importance to a flexible cancellation option. This allows you to make an uncomplicated rebooking in the event of a change of date. So make the most of our special offers for business travellers and stay flexible until the day of your arrival. With a free myHRS registration, you as a business traveller benefit from the following advantages, among others:
Business rate: Up to 30% savings on every hotel booking in over 40,000 hotels worldwide. Save with every booking and get more hotel for your budget!
Free cancellation until 18:59: A lot can happen until 17:59. In the Business Rate you cancel your room free of charge until 6 p.m. on the day of arrival.
Additional services: With many hotels we have negotiated free additional lines for you in the business rate. WLAN, parking or breakfast are already included and you retain control over your budget.
Manage your data cleverly – even on the move!
If you are frequently on the road for business, some processes repeat themselves again and again. Save precious time by managing your data sensibly. Create a myHRS account and store your booking templates including billing addresses and contact details here. You can also deposit your credit card data or customer numbers for bonus programs here once.
If you are frequently travelling in the same cities, save your favourite hotels in your favourites lists. One click will take you directly to the booking option, without a long search.
Your booking data and your booking history are also stored in your account – particularly practical if you use the HRS App on the move. Save yourself the trouble of printing out hotel information, booking confirmations and route descriptions: with your myHRS account in the HRS App, you always have all your booking data with you!
Minimize paperwork: Save time at check-in and check-out
Time can also be saved during check-in and check-out at the hotel reception desk: the so-called registration form is unfortunately necessary, but you do not have to re-enter your data manually every time. For automatic pre check-in, deposit your data once in the HRS App and you are only one signature away from your room. Register once and never fill out forms again.
It’s even faster at HRS Smarthotels: with express check-in and check-out, all you have to do is pick up your key at the reception and you’re ready to go to your hotel room.
Travel expense accounting quick and painless
If you are not self-employed or self-employed, you will usually have to submit a travel expense report to your employer on your return. A complete and correct hotel bill saves you extra work: If your company reimburses you for travel expenses, the bill must be issued to the employer’s name and address. Please note here that the full name of the company is used, i.e. including all “GmbH & Co. KGs”.
