Letters

Among Road Warriors, Consultants Emerge as Tribal Leaders

A Breed Apart: The Best Places to Stay, 2003

When we began this survey in June, we weren't certain what to expect. We knew the business travel sector was smarting; we knew a number of consulting firms were smarting, and we knew the economy in general was smarting. But what impact would this have on the travel habits of consultants?
We suspected that consulting — like most industries — had quickly and ambitiously cut back the travel requirements of its people to better pursue cost-containment strategies. However, our survey revealed otherwise. And what we learned, and what hotel executives appear to be telling us, is that consultants are not just another segment of business travel.
Case in point: Executives from Hyatt and Marriott both stated to us that the consulting segment is growing while the rest of business travel, for them, is flat to shrinking.
Surprising? Hardly.
It's easy to believe, because 700 of you responded and told us that even in a down economy, you're still hitting the road. Twenty one percent of you spend more than 125 nights on the road in a typical year, and 41 percent take 8 or more airplane flights in a month.
Simply put, consultants have to be in front of the client — it's the nature of the profession you've chosen. To help the client with whatever problems they have, you need to be on-site at least some of the time.
And being on the client site means plenty of airplane flights and nights away from home. So, who better to survey about travel than you?
You told us where you stay and why. What are the hotels doing that you love? Or what aren't they doing? Who determines where you stay on the road? How large a factor is security in your decision? Which amenities matter most to you? But in a larger sense, you told us about how you're being catered to as a business traveler — and how many hotels still need to improve.
You took the time to write us some great stories about memorable trips on the road — many of them were funny, and some were just plain frightening.
What you say won't be falling on deaf ears, either. This particular issue is being sent to hotel executives all across the country at all the chains you spoke to us about. These executives will see, firsthand, what you — arguably the best-traveled professionals in the world — have to say. And if they don't heed your warnings, you'll have a chance to tell us next year!