In business travel, choosing a hotel is often reduced to price or availability. Meanwhile, the hotel’s location has a direct impact on costs, efficiency, and the overall comfort of the trip. A hotel located 30-40 minutes away from the meeting venue can generate losses you won’t see on the invoice – but that still add up to a major expense which can burden the company.
Why does the hotel location matter so much?
- lower risk of being late for meetings
- shorter commute time and less employee fatigue
- lower local transportation costs
- more flexibility when the schedule changes
How to calculate the cost of a hotel far from the meeting
When you run the numbers, it’s worth factoring in:
- commute time during peak hours,
- how many trips per day are required,
- transportation costs,
- employee billable hours,
- the risk of unexpected delays.
Very often, a more expensive hotel closer to the meeting turns out to be cheaper overall.
5 rules for choosing a business hotel
- look at real commute time, not distance in kilometers
- choose the location based on the meeting venue – not the city center
- early breakfast availability
- business-travel essentials (reliable internet connection, a desk etc.)
- align the hotel choice to flight times
How Trip Flow does it
Trip Flow selects hotels in the immediate vicinity of the meeting location, analyzing real commute times and the Total Cost of Business Travel (TCO approach). You receive 2-3 accommodation options along with a clear rationale for each recommendation.
