Crowne Plaza Uses Study to Target Upgrades
<B> Crowne Plaza Uses Study to Target Upgrades</B>
By Maria Vallejo
<I>Atlanta</I> - Who says no one is listening to customers? Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts is using results from a frequent traveler survey to direct an upgrade of its programs, amenities and services to better meet the needs of the typical business traveler.
"We wanted to stay ahead of trends with the business travel segments because the upscale customer is constantly looking for new services and products," said vice president of marketing Robert Mayer.
After completing the survey in May, Crowne Plaza immediately began working on plans to upgrade its in-room technology and business center services, improve its frequent guest program and focus more on female travelers. Most of the initiatives, which were not yet announced at press time, will take place within the next few months, Mayer said.
Conducted by International Communications Research of Media, Pa., the telephone survey contacted 500 frequent travelers who use upscale hotel properties. Participants traveled at least twice within 12 months of the survey date. Travelers answered a 12-minute telephone survey on why business travel increased; what the top cities for business travel were; how much they work on business outside the office, the differences between male and female business travelers and the top things travelers want in a hotel.
As many insiders suspected, technology will not soon replace travel, according to the survey. In fact, communications technology created an even stronger tie between travelers and their offices. According to the survey, 39 percent of travelers carry mobile phones or pagers, 27 percent check their e-mail and 21 percent bring laptop computers along on business trips, giving business travelers access to their offices virtually 24 hours a day.
As a result, Crowne Plaza plans to upgrade its business centers with the latest equipment and maintain onsite support staff. In-room amenities also are under consideration.
"Travelers today are more technologically driven than their predecessors," Mayer said. "People are so technologically tied, they are working a lot in their room today. In today's market, you are never out of touch. It's truly a mobile business market."
When asked what they look for in a hotel, business travelers said that clean and comfortable rooms are more important than convenient location, the industry's standard answer. Additionally, respondents listed previous stay experience, healthy food/onsite gyms and frequent travel points as their top priorities in choosing a property (see chart below).