Survey Says: Young Business Travelers Prefer Solo Sightseeing and Social Workspaces

MCLEAN, Va. - As Hilton Hotels & Resorts continues to innovate its offerings for the next generation of business travelers, the flagship brand is releasing new survey findings uncovering the travel highs and lows for young professionals, ages 23-35, who attend meetings while on the road. The survey revealed that, while young business travelers prefer a buzzing social environment and in-person interactions during regular work hours, they would rather spend their evenings on their own.

Hilton previously conducted research unveiling that business travel is a major work perk among this group. This year, the findings focused on what truly influences and shapes young professionals’ experience on the road, including their preferences in dining, workspaces and how they blend personal interests with professional requirements.

The research identified that 84% of young business travelers say that they cherish their alone time during business trips, and nearly three-fourths (73%) report that they have a better experience when they spend downtime on their own. When asked how this group prefers to spend their free time, results included:

• Eating at local restaurants (69%)
• Exploring the city and/or neighborhood (59%)
• Sleeping or relaxing (56%)
• Working out (35%)
• Attending a Happy Hour (38%) or unwinding at the lobby/hotel bar (32%) 

“We’ve all had over-scheduled business trips – with meetings from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and social obligations the rest of the evening – and the result is pure exhaustion. We applaud this next generation of travelers for highlighting a tension point many of us have dealt with for years,” said Vera Manoukian, senior vice president and global head, Hilton Hotels & Resorts. “At Hilton, we are ready to welcome these travelers into our more than 585 hotels around the world with all the amenities and services they need to work hard during the day and relax and recharge in the evening.”

Hilton offers a variety of amenities and services that help guests recharge, whether they are fitness enthusiasts or TV binge-watchers:

• Five Feet to Fitness^™: Part traditional hotel room, part miniature fitness center, Five Feet to Fitness guest rooms are designed from the ground up with wellness in mind, with 11 different pieces of fitness equipment and on-demand classes just five feet from the bed.
• Connected Room: As a high-tech hotel room, Connected Room lets guests control and personalize most aspects of their stay from one central device. This includes Hilton’s first-of-its-kind collaboration with SHOWTIME, offering guests complimentary access to the SHOWTIME library of shows and movies, without requiring credentials or a subscription. In addition, the new Netflix offering enables guests to seamlessly access their Netflix account by logging in by entering their credentials with either the remote control or the keyboard on the Hilton Honors app.
• Herb N’ Kitchen: Herb N’ Kitchen was launched to provide guests with quicker food options when traveling. Hotel teams are also able to customize this grab-and-go concept to offer a range of fresh and convenient food options that also embrace the destination. 

In looking at preferred work styles while traveling for business, findings were consistent with Hilton Hotels & Resorts’ 2018 survey results with 81% of respondents believing that they can get more done in-person. Findings also underscore how their workspace – whether that’s a formal meeting room or multi-functional common space – plays a key role in spurring creativity, encouraging collaboration and ultimately contributing to positive outcomes. Key findings include:

• Bustling Environment: Two-thirds of respondents (63%) are more inspired in a busy, social environment when they are working alone/independently
• Natural Light: 92% prefer natural light/windows in a meeting space
• Colorful Spaces: 80% prefer a colorful meeting space with elements inspired by their surroundings
• Intuitive Technology: 82% prefer a meeting space with advanced, intuitive technology beyond Wi-Fi

This summer, Hilton is implementing a series of design concepts and technology packages at select hotels across its global portfolio reflecting these emerging trends and preferences. These include:

• Meeting space design concepts including dynamic, social work areas that feature all of the amenities needed by remote workers – whether a guest or local; destination inspired meeting spaces that take influence from the locale or multi-zoned meeting spaces that offer flexibility to encourage increased creativity and productivity.
• Technology upgrade packages designed to enhance meeting spaces with innovative products that can personalize the look and feel of meeting rooms for each guest, maximize collaboration and enhance efficiency. These offerings include wireless charging stations, digital whiteboards and customized lighting and are currently available at select hotels, including Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, Hilton McLean Tyson’s Corner, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Hilton Mexico City Reforma.

To learn more about Hilton Hotels & Resorts’ newly released survey findings, please visit newsroom.hilton.com/newbusinesstraveler.

*Hilton commissioned a 15-minute, online survey among a nationally-representative sample of over 1,200 U.S. travelers, ages 23-35, who stayed in a hotel (domestic or international) for business purpose in the past 12 months. The margin of error for this sample is +/- 2.8% at the 95% confidence level. The survey was fielded by Edelman Intelligence between June 4-7, 2019.