I’m not going: This is the one amenity business travelers need their hotels to have
While travel can bring you joy and be incredibly enriching, it also comes with its share of frustrations and disappointments.
Despite what social media may portray, travel isn’t always smooth sailing. Flight delays and endless airport lines are annoying enough, but arriving at a hotel in a bad location with a cramped, windowless room can make your trip quickly go south. To find out what bothers travelers the most, Uber for Business asked over 1,000 full-time employees who travel for work their top airport and airplane pet peeves along with their accommodations deal breakers. The survey was conducted last year between Oct. 30 to Nov. 5.
"The future of business travel isn’t just about getting from point A to point B. The survey showed us that it’s often the small, seemingly insignificant moments that shape employees’ experiences – for better or worse," said Josh Butler, global head of Uber for Business, in a statement to USA TODAY.
"Travel can be stressful regardless of the purpose, but when you throw in the added pressure of navigating a new city, managing tight schedules, and making a good impression on a client … the last thing business travelers want to worry about is having working hotel Wi-Fi or where to grab a quick bite before the workday starts."
Here's what travelers said about their biggest pet peeves and deal breakers.
Top travel pet peeves
When travel days become stressful and chaotic, airports and flights are often the main sources of tension.
At the airport, travelers said their biggest pet peeves were:
Security lines
Airport traffic
A lack of personal space
Expensive food options
Dragging their luggage around
Once on the flight, the top annoyances were:
Cramped middle seats
Loud or disruptive passengers
No food service or snacks
Extreme temperatures
Malfunctioning Wi-Fi
Top accommodations deal breakers
Finding the right accommodations for a trip is a lot like house hunting — travelers have their nice-to-haves and then their absolute deal breakers. While every traveler’s wish list is unique, certain must-haves consistently rise to the top.
In Uber's survey, fast and free Wi-Fi was the top deal breaker for accommodations by a landslide, with 64% of travelers considering it a necessity. Following connectivity, 29% of travelers said they needed complimentary breakfast and 19% had to have early check-in or late check-out. Having the option to stay active is also important, with 15% of respondents saying they a fitness center at their hotel is a must.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Do you agree with business travelers’ top hotel deal breaker?