Home on the Road.

• Author: KRONEMYER, BOB
• Position: Hotel services for business travelers

How Indiana hotels cater to the business traveler

Whether the business traveler desires to work or simply feel at home while on the road, Hoosier hotels seek to meet or exceed expectations.

"The ease of making reservations online is certainly a plus," says Jim Mize, general manager at Don Hall's Guesthouse in Fort Wayne. The 130-room hotel offers complimentary high-speed Internet access in every room, and in its business king-bed rooms, larger desks and office swivel chairs.

"The business traveler is much more sophisticated today than even five or 10 years ago," observes Judy Bronowski, vice president of marketing at White Lodging Services in Merrillville. "These travelers are looking for things that make them more efficient on the road." The management company operates properties nationwide, with about 15 properties in Indiana alone, ranging from the Fairfield Inn by Marriott in Merrillville to the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, the state's largest hotel, which opened in February.

Two-line phones in the room are a popular feature. "A person can be online with his computer while still conducting phone calls," Bronowski says. High-speed Internet access is also available at some properties. And most of White Lodging Services' hotels have a business center that includes computers, printers and fax machines. Moreover, full-service Marriotts have an oversized desk with an ergonomic chair in the room.

For comfort, many rooms include an iron, ironing board, coffeemaker, hair dryer, lounge chair and larger TV screen. "We've created a comfortable area to sit in at night to relax," Bronowski says. Room service is also available 24 hours a day in select locations. "We also have placed pantries in some of our hotel lobbies, where a guest can purchase simply food items, including snacks or dinners that can be microwaved," she says. "If someone arrives late at night, they don't always want to go out to eat, even if there is something close by." A number of the hotels offer a small refrigerator and microwave in the guest room. Baked cookies nightly can also be a welcome sight.

"We in the hospitality sector also want to increase efficiency, without sacrificing the personal attention and service," says Tim Miller, Indianapolis market sales manager for Marriott International, which operates Courtyard, Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites properties, among others. Some of the larger full-service hotels have dedicated business floors, with fax machines or copy...