Silicon Valley Hotels: Where to Stay and Relax on Business Travel

Hotel Managers Group (HMG) recognizes the importance of providing more attention to the needs of the business travelers that frequent the family of properties under their management. In the Silicon Valley area of Northern California, HMG manages the Camino Inn and Suites in Mountain View and the Hilton Newark/Fremont in Newark. Both are moderately priced hotels, but thanks to good management choices and the way the properties are run, guests enjoy great value and many of the best features that help them relax during their stay.
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A first time visitor to Silicon Valley will find the area to be unlike any other place they have ever seen. In one concentrated area, that stretches from a few miles south of the San Francisco Bay Area in San Jose, out across the Santa Clara Valley, and over to Palo Alto and Mountain View, billions of dollars are spent on research and hundreds of billions of dollars flow through the economy. Venture capitalists in Menlo Park, San Jose and Cupertino constantly search for new investments. Many of the top technology companies in the world are headquartered in Silicon Valley.

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• Apple – Cupertino
• eBay – San Jose
• FaceBook – Menlo Park
• Google – Mountain View
• Hewlett Packard – Palo Alto
• Intel – Santa Clara

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Hoteliers in the Silicon Valley recognize the importance of the business traveler. Entrepreneurs and innovators travelto the Silicon Valley to inject the new ideas and vibrant energy needed to create the next Apple or Google. Businessleaders travel from all 50 states and almost every country in the world to learn about the leading edge technology that sprouts from this region of Northern California.When a CEO or a salesman comes to Mountain View, or any other city in the region, to attend a conference, give a speech or sign a contract, they also want and need a nice hotel where they can relax and enjoy the area when they are not on duty.

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For a traveler who can afford the most luxurious of accommodations or whose company offers a generous corporate travel budget, there are many choices. A luxury hotel, like the Four Seasons in East Palo Alto or the Rosewood Sandhill in Menlo Park, offers a five-star experience that any business traveler would cherish.Of course, not everyone can afford to spend $500 or more per night for such upscale accommodations. That does not mean that they can not find very nice hotels like the Hilton Newark/Fremont that is located in Newark, about half way between Oakland and San Jose and on the East Bay side of San Francisco.
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You can relax just as well in lodging facilities that charge less than half the price of some of the higher-priced accommodations. The amount of money you spend does not always equal the level of service and enjoyment you get when you travel. The question is, what do business travelers really want and how can you meet their desires?If a businessman gets on a jet in Miami and spends five hours in the air until his flight lands in San Francisco or San Jose, he does not want to take any more time than absolutely necessary to get to the hotel and check-in to his room. HMG makes sure the front desk staff is extremely well-trained and able to expedite the check-in service as efficiently as possible.

Using a computerized reservation system and having all of the guest’s information available at the click of a mouse or touch of a keyboard is crucial. Technology, along with competent employees helps shorten the time it takes to get a guest to his or her room.

Make the simple wishes of your guest come true. All that a weary traveler wants to do is open the door to a cool, clean room, take off their shoes and lay back on a comfortable bed. They don’t want to hear about all of the fabulous features of the property at that moment. They can read about room service, restaurants, places to go and the fabulous gym after they have had a chance to relax. Fast and pleasant check-in service is expected and should be provided whether you charge $50 per night or $500.

It would be a little ironic and a bit embarrassing if a hotelier operating in Silicon Valley was way behind in offering the latest technology that business people expect and often demand before they will book a stay. Free WiFi is a must. If you must charge for the wireless service, it is better to add the $10 to the room rate than to nickel-and-dime the guest with all sorts of a-la-carte services.

Today, when people travel, they do so with at least one mobile device. If you want to please your guests, install a convenient charging station for their smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices. Costs are really minimal and it will leave a positive impression about your property when your guest checks-out.

A free breakfast is always appreciated. While you may not be able to offer 3-egg omelette or French pastries, try to do a little something more than just cold cereal and toast. Some fresh seasonal fruit and premium coffee can go a long way.

Hoteliers have to work within the confines of their property. If you do not have a big pool or a workout room filled with stair-steppers, treadmills and a weight machine, you might suggest a nearby park for a guest who wants to workout. If you do not have a formal office center on your property, you can offer to send faxes or mail letters from the front desk.

Showing concern, finding solutions to problems and just treating people with respect is more important than giving them things. Your facility is important, but it is not the focus of an account executive’s trip. You should make it easy for them to do what they need to do during the day and then be able to come home and relax for the evening.

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