How to mix work and pleasure on your next business trip

• Research shows that employees are more productive when they have flexibility in their work hours.
• This is for business travelers who want to combine work and leisure travel.
• Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts reimagined its hotel spaces, amenities, and service culture to help travelers flex between work and leisure.

Social change and work-from anywhere technology have changed the way people see their jobs and their leisure time in a post-pandemic environment. A collaborative study by the University of California, Berkeley found that a majority of respondents were satisfied with their work. survey conducted by Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Stylus — a global trends and business insight service — 75% of respondents said remote work has finally made work-life balance achievable.

This allows people to explore new places while still working, and 66% say it makes them more productive.

Modern travelers are increasingly looking for flexible amenities and hybrid accommodations because of this new outlook on the benefits of combined work and leisure travel. No business or enterprise has had to meet these new standards more than the global hotel and resorts industry.

“Our guests are looking for more flexibility to rebalance their lives, and we’re continuing to evolve and invest in the blended travel space to provide the lives that they now want to live as they travel,” said Ginger Taggart, vice president of brand management at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

The rise in blended travel

Blended travel is a result of how the global pandemic affected people’s lives and ways of doing work.

Now that most of the global workforce has returned to the road, businesses and people realize that working, connecting, exploring and sharing in unison is a great opportunity to increase productivity and improve business relationships. This flexibility can also lead to improved lifestyle satisfaction, self-care and lower burnout. This trend is supported by statistics.

Seventy-two percent of the 3,000 respondents from the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Stylus survey said they enjoy working from different locations, and 60% of US respondents plan to add leisure days to upcoming business trips. Additionally, 80% of current business travelers fear that their professional careers will suffer if the don’t travel enough.

A workforce-led trend

Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts has acted on the wants and expectations of today’s travelers by introducing flexible new spaces and upgraded amenities to fulfill specific guest needs, such as fostering in-person connections with clients and colleagues, increasing on-the-road productivity, and supporting the addition of personal leisure days to business trips.

Crowne Plaza’s exclusive hybrid options include Plaza WorkspacesThis allows travelers to choose between solo projects or collaborative networking and team-building meetings. It also offers customized nooks, pods and workstations for focused productivity.

And whether this new era of travel means a guest is tacking on a few personal days to a business trip in London, meeting a prospective client while on a personal bucket-list excursion in Budapest, or making Washington DC their new home-away-from-home for weeks or months at a time — what’s ultimately important is combining work and leisure into an organic, seamless and empowering travel experience.

“A new, agile generation doesn’t want two opposing ideas — work and leisure — awkwardly put together: They want flexible, fit-for-the-future spaces and services from a brand that understands them,” Taggart said. “Many other hospitality brands put the blend into bleisure, but at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, we know the future is about flexibility.”

What does blended travel look like?

Businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry need to incorporate interconnected features and amenities that allow guests to find a stress-free equilibrium between professional commitments as well as personal activities.

For example, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts’ WorkLife Rooms, exclusively outfitted with distraction-less desk workspaces, provide all the resources needed for laser-focused productivity, plus the comforts of cozy sofa nooks and Sleep Advantage® kits that help travelers of all types relax and recharge.

Taggart stated, “It’s crucial to provide these transital moments for the New Breed of Connected Traveler.” “That’s the reason we’ve created new, convivial, flexible spaces that allow you to create your own experience, and make the most your journey.”

This is what makes blended traveling a transformative trend. More than half the workers agree that working from anywhere makes them happier, more productive. It empowers every traveler to switch between work and leisure at a moment’s notice.

Blended travel can be a possibility NotThe future of travel. It is now. Among travelers of all types and around the globe, there is now a keen expectation that travel and hospitality providers understand — and offer — what guests need to be truly productive and satisfied on the road. That goes for seniors working a retirement side hustle to Gen-Zers who are committed to accelerating their careers without sacrificing their quality of life — and every flex-minded traveler in between.

Taggert stated that “developing an ever-evolving blended travelers strategy has been part our DNA for many years.” He added, “And therefore, we have created an offer that allows our guest to switch between business or leisure modes at will.”

Crowne Plaza’s commitment to guest-centered spaces, technology, amenities and services is a hallmark of its brand – and one it will continue to pioneer as the blended travel leader.

Book your blended travel experience at Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.

This post was created and edited by Insider Studios with Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts.