How Hotels Can Target “Bleisure” Travelers

Strategies that hotels can use to appeal to bleisure guests.

"Bleisure" is a term that combines the words business and leisure.  For hotels, bleisure travelers are those that book a room for business purposes but extend their stay or add leisure activities on top of their professional obligations.  As bleisure travelers tend to have a considerable amount of disposable income to spend on amenities and services, these travelers should be a high priority for all hotels.  Here are some of the suggestions that hotels should try to appeal to bleisure guests.

• Short-Stay Packages

According to Expedia, 50% of business trips that last two to three nights turn into bleisure trips.  Hotels can appeal to these guests by offering packages that include special perks and deals on amenities for travelers staying more than one night.  Additionally, hotels can encourage bleisure guests to extend their stays by offering discounts when they book additional nights.  These discounts are even more effective when they increase incrementally per night.  For instance, by offering a 10% discount for one extra night and 20% for two extra nights, you can incentivize bleisure travelers to remain at your hotel for as long as possible.

• Meet Their Professional Needs

It's important to remember that bleisure travelers are traveling for business first.  This means that your hotel must have certain features that businessmen and women look for.  For instance, your hotel should offer free high-speed internet, co-working spaces, meeting rooms, and lots of power outlets.  Your hotel will also have an easier time appealing to bleisure travelers if it is located near major business centers and offers easy travel options, such as business shuttles.  To further appeal to these travelers, you should consider offering additional business-specific services such as expedited check-in and out services, dry-cleaning and clothes ironing services, and so on. 

• Create Attractive Leisure Activities

To entice business travelers to extend their stays and make use of your hotel's leisure amenities, you need to know which services businessmen and women value the most.  Typically, business travelers are looking to unwind and blow off some steam.  To appeal to these desires, your hotel should highlight its various spa treatments, such as massage, acupuncture, and other relaxation-focused services.  For travelers looking to decompress, you can focus on the various fitness classes your hotel offers, or recommend local hotspots like bars and clubs.  By offering a wide range of leisure activities and amenities that travelers can take advantage of, you have a better chance of converting business travelers into bleisure ones. These are some of the strategies that hotels can use to appeal to bleisure travelers.  Want another way to appeal to your guests?  Then consider renovating or upgrading your property.  For assistance with your hotel remodeling needs, contact Nikki Fox at Parkwest General Contractors at Nikki@ParkwestGC.com.  Our experienced team is ready to bring your hotel's vision to life.