To better understand today's business traveler, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts recently  conducted a national survey of 'road warriors' -- those executives who take at least two business trips per year, and as many as 21 or more. However, the goal of the Crowne Plaza Hotels Travel Index was not only to find out the frequency with which business travelers hit the road, but to gain insight into who these 'warriors of the road' are, their habits, where they stay most often and why.

"Recently, there seems to be a return to a more personal way of doing business," said Thomas Arasi, president, Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts. "This is driving executives out of town more than ever before, and leading them to turn the hotel room into the 'office away from the office' while making full use of today's technologies to enhance, rather than replace, traditional forms of communication."

According to the Crowne Plaza Hotels Travel Index, the average business traveler takes 11 trips per year, stays an average of four nights per trip, spending a total of 44 nights a year away from home. Why is business travel up? In most instances, increased travel is due to a combination of factors, as 48% said they have more job responsibilities, 34% percent said they do more out-of-town business, 31% attend more industry events, 31% changed to a job that requires more travel and 21% cited a need for more face-to-face interaction with clients.

Where They Stay And Why

Because the hotel room has become a place to conduct business and get work done when on the road, an overwhelming majority of business travelers are more particular about their accommodations.  In fact, 52% of 'road warriors' surveyed stay at upscale hotels most often, with another 15% staying at luxury hotels.  Clearly, these business travelers are not strictly budget-minded, as only 24% say they stay at either midscale or economy hotels.

In addition, business travelers who stay at upscale hotels most often have specific reasons for choosing one over another. Clean and comfortable rooms and reasonable rates are a top priority for business travelers. Convenient location, reputation for good service, gym facilities and rewards programs are also important considerations for business travelers when choosing a hotel.

How Male And Female Business Travelers Differ

The survey also revealed noteworthy differences between male and female business travelers. For instance, 40% of men who travel on business say they take more than 11 trips per year, and 19% take more than 21 trips per year. In contrast, only 14% of female 'road warriors' take more than 11 trips per year. The highest percentage (43%), of women business travelers take between 3 and 5 trips per year. Although men travel more frequently, women stay an average of four days per trip, whereas men stay an average of three. This may be largely due to the fact that women are twice as likely as men to extend their stay over the weekend to enjoy leisure activities, and three times as likely to bring a friend or spouse.

Doing Business On The Road

Although some travelers try to sneak in some down-time during a long trip, many do not have much time to relax.  Fifty-six percent of those surveyed said they always call the home office, and another 27% regularly check their e-mail as well.  Thirty-nine percent of business travelers routinely bring a cell phone or pager on the road, and 31% routinely work late in their hotel rooms. Twenty-one percent of business travelers always take along a laptop computer. In contrast, only 4% of all business travelers say they watch in-room movies.

In addition, while many business travelers do not have time to exercise on business trips, those who take 11 or more trips per year are almost twice as likely to use hotel gym facilities on a routine basis.

Favorite Cities For Business Travelers

Some cities are more popular than others among business travelers, and some cities, like New York, are both liked and disliked by many.  San Francisco was picked by an overwhelming majority of 'road warriors' as their favorite city to visit on business.  New York and Washington D.C. were next, while Chicago and Boston rounded out the top five choices.  Oddly, New York was also picked as a least favorite city to visit on business among all travelers, but especially by men.  Women, on the other hand, chose Miami and Los Angeles as their least favorite cities to visit on business.

Said Thomas Arasi, "Doing business on the road may be a challenge, but the savvy traveler seems to have figured out how to get the job done in today's fast-paced corporate environment. The challenge for those of us in the hotel industry will be to continue to anticipate their needs to help make their job on the road easier."

Survey Methodology

The Crowne Plaza Hotels Travel Index is based on a random national survey of 500 business travelers who have traveled on business at least twice within the past 12 months, and have stayed at upscale hotels at least one time or another.  The survey was conducted in May by International Communications Research, an independent research firm based in Media, PA.  The purpose of the custom study was to gain insight into current trends among business travelers.

Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, a member of the Bass Hotels Resorts(R) family of brands, operates or franchises more than 140 hotels and 40,000 guest rooms in more than 40 countries. The following service mark is owned by Bass Hotels Resorts Inc.: Crowne Plaza(R). Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts offers information and reservations capability on its pages on the World Wide Web of the Internet -- http://www.crowneplaza.com or by calling 1-800-2-CROWNE.