Business travelers can get homesick too
November 2, 2011
More business travelers are choosing to stay in rented vacation homes, inns and other alternatives to hotels. While room service can be nice, people who spend a lot of time on the road might get sick of the hotel environment and crave a more 'homey' environment.
"Living in hotels can be very depressing," Mark Mule, a traveling orchestra musician, told CNN. "Corporate and vacation rentals are homes. This is good for your head."
Another thing that can help ease the stress of spending time away from home is the sound of a loved one's voice, which is why many business travelers choose to bring along a long distance calling card.
Smith Travel Research reports that hotel occupancy rates have been declining in recent years. In 2005, the occupancy rate was found to be about 63 percent, but in 2010 this number was lower at 57.6 percent. However, this rate is an improvement from the 54.6 percent in 2009 and the news source suggests that more business travelers are returning to hotels to save money. It also tends to be the most convenient option as a majority of corporate meetings and events tend to be held in hotels.