Traditional business travel is simple. Your travel manager books a hotel, you have a cab waiting at the airport with your name tag and that’s how you get into the hotel. The hotel room has not changed much over the last 100 years. There will be a decently made bed, a TV set, a towel and a bathroom plus a bottle of water for the night. Food choice will depend on what’s available and where lucky you get room service. That’s as far as your experience goes. Airbnb has changed all that.
Living in a home environment
The modern business traveller wants to work and relax at the same time. The chance to live in a home setting evokes the feeling home away from home. The setting is usually different from what hotels offer and thus more authentic and welcoming. The space is usually bigger than a hotel room would provide and you always have extra space where you can host other team members to discuss progress. Living in a home also means that you can have a team sharing but with different rooms keeping the team together for moral support and ease of coordination.
Leisure time
Airbnb accommodation enables business travellers to enjoy even as they conduct business. The ample space availed in a home is a great place to relax and wind down after a long day’s work unlike a hotel where you can only rest on the bed. Many Airbnb homes have lounges and open spaces mainly available for families. A business traveller who normally leaves his family back home can carry them along and have them live in the home while he is at work and have family time every evening and weekends. They could also enjoy life in the city together or even take a vacation after official duty.
More affordable
Cost is a major concern for most business travellers. Airbnb accommodation is federally cheaper than hotels making it more attractive to businesses. Corporates are making significant savings on accommodation enabling longer stays to ensure completion of tasks. The benefits are even more when you are moving a large group. There are always large homes available or homes in the same neighbourhood which helps to lower the cost of logistics and coordination.
With more and more people businesses opting for the Airbnb lodgings for their staff, the future of business travel is just changing for the better.