If you want more business travellers’ business you need to be the hotel business travellers prefer.

It’s a billion-dollar slice of the hospitality pie and growing – between now and 2020 it’s expected to grow from five to seven percent, depending on who you read.

If you can attract business guests it’s a good idea to do so. “This clientele tends to spend more on additional services during their stay than leisure travelers: 50% to 75% more is spent on catering, dry cleaning, etc.” notes Fastbooking.  And with the growing millennial demographic, “37% of them spend more on room service when these costs are covered by the company, compared with 21% for 46-65 year olds.”

To even begin to attract business travellers you must have an early on-the-go breakfast, generous early departure and late check-in which are as fast as humanly possible. Wi-fi, shuttle and taxi services, fitness facilities and dry cleaning are considered givens for business travellers.

What attracts these road warriors is personalisation. They want you to remember them and their preferences and to be greeted by name. There are plenty of inexpensive computer systems to help, there’s little reason not to put systems in place for this reason.

Try negotiating special rates with local businesses. Remember, with business travel you’re not making your money on the room rate, but on all the extras business travellers spend money on at your property.

Many business travellers rely on mobile apps to make last-minute hotel changes or requests. If you don’t offer one yet, look into it. These also help boost direct bookings.

Basically, business travellers appreciate quickness. The quicker they’re checked in, checked out, served in the restaurant or getting transport, the more fondly they’ll remember your property in the future.