Airport Hotels Are Capitalizing On Downtown Overflow

<B> Airport Hotels Are Capitalizing On Downtown Overflow</B>

By Maria P. Vallejo

The tight downtown hotel room inventory, combined with more reliable remote technology and improved airport facilities, is causing a rise in the number of group and transient travelers staying at airport hotels--and leading hoteliers to mold services and amenities to meet the needs of this growing population.

Both in the United States and in Europe, "It makes sense for business travelers to meet close to the airport, rather than renting a cab or taking a car," said travel industry consultant Ralph Brown, president of R.D. Brown in South Elgin, Ill. "You can have your travelers stay at out-of-town facilities, fly right out and not have to come downtown where it's tough to get space."

Agreed Paul Tribolet, senior vice president of marketing of the Sheraton European Division, "We see an increase in business traffic in almost every airport hotel. There are fewer people overnighting in cities in Europe than ever before. There are now three waves: early morning, lunch time and evening. For many people there is no need to stay over, but they want the business services."

Sheraton hotels in Europe are offering a "Day Break" program, "Body Clock Cuisine" menu, transit survival kits and smart board rooms to persuade travelers that there is no better place to meet than at the end of the runway.

The Day Break program is created for the on-the-go traveler who might be at an airport for less than a day. These guests can book rooms for half a day, and also get three-hour laundry turn-around, access to gym facilities and body clock cuisine service. Although these rooms are not part of corporate negotiated programs, Sheraton officials said travel buyers will be able to negotiate for them during the upcoming season.

Body Clock Cuisine comes with the Day Break room package or can be requested separately. It was created to meet the gastronomical needs of international travelers, who often do not want a European breakfast when their bodies are expecting an American dinner.

Six executive chefs, a nutritionist from Thames Valley University in the United Kingdom and several in-flight directors from United Airlines helped develop the meals, which are expected to rejuvenate, rehydrate and reduce bloating of long-haul travelers.

In the United States, meanwhile, occupancy levels may be beginning to decline, but insiders said that travelers in gateway cities--including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco--still are finding little or no availability for guest and meeting rooms during peak periods. As a result, travelers are shifting their business to alternative locations including airport hotels.

Hyatt, for instance, has found its greatest increase in corporate business in recent years at large airports like Chicago and Orlando, said vice president of rooms Norm Canfield. "The airport location is becoming more important to travelers who are doing more business at airports," he said. "It's been a steady growth commensurate with business that's increasing company-wide."

"The traveler is staying at the airport hotel because he can't find space in downtown locations," agreed Joe Khairallah, Hyatt's corporate rooms director. "It's become an overflow hotel."

"Most companies are finding it hard to book meeting space because they don't have internal meeting space in their offices," Brown said. "Why waste the time going to a downtown hotel when it doesn't cost that much to book a meeting facility right there?"

Trying to harness the increasing demand, some airport Hyatt hotels have installed mobile checkin, voicemail checkout, amphitheaters for large meetings and emergency toiletries kits.

For customers who are in a hurry, Hyatt has spent five months beta testing a van checkin service at the Harborside Hyatt near Logan Airport in Boston. Travelers can expedite their arrival by swiping their credit cards through a reader installed in the hotel's complimentary van service from the airport. The reader, linked to the hotel's inventory database, checks in the guest and alerts the front-desk staff to prepare an on-property room key to avoid long check-in lines.

Guests' reservations are confirmed during the ride from the airport to the hotel. Upon arrival, a staff member meets the guest at the entrance to deliver the preprogrammed key. The service may be rolled out to other airport properties with enough drive time between the airport and hotel to accommodate it.