5 of the Best Hotel Chains for Business Stays and Events

When planning a business meeting or event, your chosen location is almost as important as the itinerary.

The venue can make or break how guests view your company at the event.

Employees, board members, clients, and those who attend with them already have an impression of your business before they come.

Those views and perspectives will likely shift positively or negatively by the gathering and how well it is put together.

Why Location Matters

A bad experience reflects on the host, no matter what kind of event was going on.

But a positive encounter can turn even the biggest skeptic into a supporter.

To ensure your business event is a resounding success, you must pick the right location and best hotel.

Certain hotel chains have a proven track record for hosting professional meetings. So, why reinvent the wheel and make extra work for yourself, especially when the outcome is so important?

Not All Hotels are Equal When it Comes to Business Events

Hotels that cater to the corporate clientele and large gatherings already have the major obstacles ironed out. They have a plan for meetings of any size, are conveniently located in their city, and offer essential amenities for the business traveler.

For your next professional meeting, stick with the pros who can help you iron out the details instead of worrying about the big picture.

Many hotels have mastered this; but, there are a few tried and true examples that stand out we’ll highlight. Depending on where you’re hosting your event, one of these seasoned hotel chains should be nearby.

An easy way to find which hotels at your chosen destination offer meeting and event spaces is to run a search through Engine’s search filter. We’ll give you detailed instructions for how to book those spaces, below.

The platform’s filter features make it a breeze to narrow down the right hotel with just a few clicks.

While you’re in there, you can choose the hotel, then book your guests’ rooms and manage travel plans straight from the dashboard. All the tools you need to handle the lodging plans are in one central location.

We could go on here, but we digress. Let’s get down to taking a look at some of the world’s best hotels and chains for business stays and events:

Related: Tips For Hosting a Group Business Lunch Meeting

Table of Contents

1. Drury
2. Hilton
3. Best Western
4. Choice Hotels
5. Wyndham
Bonus: IHG Hotels
Tips for Booking Guest Rooms for Your Event

1. Drury

The Drury Hotel chain has more than 150 locations spread out over 25 states. The hotel’s theme focuses on happiness — if the guest is happy, the employees are happy, and if your event attendees are happy, you’re happy. It’s a big circle of happiness!

To meet that goal, there are many “extras” offered onsite, including meeting rooms, amenities, and loyalty programs.

Business Meeting Room Details

Hosting your next gathering at a Drury Hotel is a much simpler affair with their expert team’s help. Before you book, look for the label “Meetings Collection” at the specific location you’re considering. Not all Drury’s are set up for hosting events; those with this label are the “meeting-centric” hotels — experts in planning and hosting events..

Multiple layouts hold small and midsize professional and personal meetings.

You can customize each package to fit your event’s needs and budget. Audio and video systems for training sessions and presentations, flexible catering solutions, and the hotel’s amenities are available.

Hotel Amenities

When a hotel earns the J.D. Power award of “Highest in Guest Satisfaction Among Upper Midscale Hotel Chains,” you know they’re doing something right. Drury Hotels have received this award not once but sixteen years in a row.

This record-setting designation is due to Drury’s travel and hospitality amenities and extras. Since the first hotel opened in 1973, the focus has been on creating affordable, friendly overnight stays.

Today, this includes regular free perks like:

• Hot breakfasts
• Dinnertime snacks and drinks
• WiFi
• Fitness center and pool access

For regular guests, the loyalty program provides even more rewards. As you stay, you collect points that you can use for a variety of benefits. Each $1 of room rate gives you ten loyalty points. You can redeem them on future nights, gift cards, and airline miles.

2. Hilton

One of the most well-known names in the hotel industry, Hilton Hotels have a wide array of lodging brands. From standard overnight stays at a Doubletree to all-inclusive at Conrad Hotels, there’s something for everyone.

Business Meeting Rooms and Planning

Streamline business event planning by narrowing down the location best for you. Hilton’s global hotel presence should make this easy.

Answer a few questions, like how many guest rooms you’ll need and the size of the meeting room you want. The results will give you the Hilton properties that match your needs, and you can explore each option.

Hotel Amenities

Because Hilton’s properties run the gamut from standard to luxury, the amenities you’ll see depend on the venue.

For example, complimentary breakfast comes with value-based brands like Canopy, Hampton, and Embassy Suites. However, it’s a perk of elite status at the more premium brand locations, such as the Hilton Garden Inn.

Consistent amenities regardless of the brand include:

• Baggage storage
• Digital keys
• Laundry and dry cleaning services
• Electric car charging stations
• Fitness centers
• Complimentary WiFi

The Hilton Honors loyalty program is designed with multiple member tiers. The rewards you’ll have access to depend on the tier, from Member to Diamond.

Perks include, but aren’t limited to, discounted rates, free bottled water, rollover rates, upgrades, and Elite lounge access.

The amenities become more opulent when you stay at Hilton worldwide luxury hotels, like the Waldorf Astoria. In fact, Hilton’s high-class locations rival the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton. Guests can enjoy indulgences in the form of spas, room service, and high-class restaurants on-site.

As some of the highest-ranked hotel chains in the world, these locations are in bigger cities in the USA, including Las Vegas and New York.

Pro Tip: Engine’s HE Rewards program allows you to layer your Hilton Honors awards point on top of HE Rewards points for double the savings!

3. Best Western

When it comes to hotel brands, Best Western has held a reputation as friendly, affordable, and reliable for decades. As an upper-midscale brand, Best Western is often compared with brands like Hampton Inn and LaQuinta.

But what most people don’t realize is that the hotel also has upscale and luxury lines, as well as prestigious event facilities.

The hotel and resort brands include a network that expands to more than 100 countries and territories. Around the world, travelers turn to Best Western for their lodging, and event hosts trust the hotel for important meetings.

Business Meeting Rooms

To plan your event at a Best Western, you’ll first need to choose which location you’d like to host your event. Depending on what type of event you’re throwing (Best Western hosts every kind of event you can think of, from conferences to weddings!) you can search for what types of meeting rooms are available at that particular property.

Hotel Amenities

The brand and location of each Best Western determine the amenities you’ll get.

There are a few things that everyone gets, regardless of the hotel, like:

• Complimentary breakfast
• Mini-fridge in the room
• Work desk in the room
• Free WiFi
• Contemporary bath products
• Fitness center access

There are even more perks for rewards program guests, too. Elite members earn points with every stay and get early check-in and late check-out options. They can earn free nights with no blackout dates and redeem points for gift cards and adventures.

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4. Choice Hotels

Boasting more than 7,000 hotels around the world, Choice is a highly successful international lodging franchise. The name itself might not sound familiar to you, but you’ve undoubtedly heard of many of its brands.

Clarion, EconoLodge, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, MainStay Suites, and Comfort Inn are some of the most well-known names in the hotel industry. However, various other brands include both limited and full service in price ranges from economy to upscale.

The common thread between them is a focus on high quality and high value for their leisure and business guests. Yet, some of the hotels stand out from the rest when it comes to professional event accommodations.

Business Meeting Room Options

The venue options for your next event vary based on location. As a Meeting Planner, you can earn Choice Privilege points by hosting at one of the many professional conference rooms.

The online planner lets you narrow down your hotel choices based on the destination, event size, and guest rooms you’ll need. From there, an event planner will work with you to make sure the entire stay goes without a hitch.

Every meeting-ready hotel provides certain essentials to help you plan your event. You’ll have a choice of catering options, access to free WiFi, state-of-the-art audiovisual technology, and a variety of multi-functional meeting spaces.

Hotel Amenities

Choice hotels are renowned for their focus on business-oriented amenities. Guests enjoy lodging benefits like complimentary high-speed internet, premium bedding for restful sleep, and a 24-hour business center.

Each hotel includes an exercise room and/or swimming pool, ergonomic chairs in the room, and a complimentary breakfast bar. As you’re planning, you should note that, with the focus on health-conscious lodging, all Comfort Suite hotels are 100% smoke-free.

The Choice loyalty programs are mega rewarding for repeat guests, too. These include tiers that start with Member and increase to a Diamond level.

Everyone gets an exclusive member rate and a few extra perks. As your tier rises, you’ll also receive reserved parking, early check-in and late check-outs, rollover nights, and your own hotline to call.

You may also like: How to Find the Best Hotel for the Value

5. Wyndham

More than twenty brands comprise the title of Wyndham Hotels. From LaQuinta’s budget-friendly lodging to Alltra’s all-inclusive resorts, there’s something for everyone under the Wyndham umbrella.

With a reputation for offering touches of elegance at every location, even guests staying at the economy lines enjoy a high-quality atmosphere.

You’ll recognize hotel names like Days Inn and Ramada. They’re all part of the Wyndham group, with excellent rankings in the hospitality industry.

Within each of these hotels are certain lines that cater to business clientele with corporate rates and conference rooms.

Business Meeting Rooms

Whether your event needs a small boardroom or a massive ballroom, there’s a meeting room for it with Wyndham. The locations are spread out worldwide, with USA locations in major hotspots like Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

From small, dedicated meetings to large corporate gatherings, the chain has the flexible space you need. You can filter the hotels by location, amenities, and capacity, and then work with a team to help you plan your event.

Many La Quinta hotels, for example, have state-of-the-art technology and 24-hour business centers available.

You’ll see that every meeting space has a few choice amenities, like:

• Ergonomically friendly chairs
• Impressive views
• Audiovisual equipment
• Catering options
• A team of experts to help you plan

The venue will impress your attendees, and if they stay on as guests, they’ll enjoy the amenities, too.

Hotel Amenities

Hotels in the Wyndham network strive to offer competitive amenities for travelers. However, the things you’ll see and enjoy will depend on the brand and collection you book.

For instance, Ramada hotels always have a best-rate guarantee. Children under 18 stay free with their parents. Baymont and Days Inn, as well as a few other brands, provide complimentary breakfast to guests.

The more premium and luxury brands, such as Silverado Resort and Spa hotels, have on-site restaurants, room service, large-screen HDTVs, and surround sound.

Wyndham loyalty programs offer four times the points when you book “projects” with them. Every employee or crew member who stays with the hotel because of your event counts toward this boosted point rate. And as a planner, you earn one point per dollar on qualifying revenue.

Bonus: IHG Hotels

Sixteen brands comprise the title of IHG Hotels.

The Intercontinental Hotels Group line breaks down into four collections:

• Luxury & Lifestyle
• Premium
• Essentials
• Suites

With a reputation for offering touches of elegance at every location, even guests staying at the “Essentials” lines enjoy a high-quality atmosphere.

You’ll recognize hotel names like Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites, Regent, and Crowne Plaza. They’re all part of the IHG group, with excellent rankings in the hospitality industry.

Within these collections are certain lines that cater to business clientele with corporate rates and conference rooms.

Business Meeting Rooms

Whether your event needs a small boardroom or a massive ballroom, there’s a meeting room for it with IHG. The locations are spread out worldwide, with USA locations in major hotspots like Las Vegas, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

If you’re not headed to a big city, don’t worry! IHG hotel brands are in Fairfield and other less-traveled places, too.

Browsing through the options allows you to view the galleries and floorplans. If you feel stuck between two or three prime spaces, use the “Compare Venue” feature to help you decide.

You’ll see that every meeting space has a few choice amenities, like:

• Ergonomically friendly chairs
• Impressive views
• Audiovisual equipment
• Catering options
• A team of experts to help you plan

The venue will impress your attendees, and if they stay on as guests, they’ll enjoy the amenities, too.

Hotel Amenities

Hotels in the IHG network strive to offer competitive amenities for travelers. However, the things you’ll see and enjoy will depend on the brand and collection you book.

For instance, Holiday Inn Hotels always let kids stay and eat free. It’s what they’re known for. Avid, Holiday Inn, and Staybridge provide complimentary breakfast to guests.

The more premium and luxury brands, such as Kimpton and Crowne Plaza hotels, have on-site restaurants, room service, large-screen HDTVs, and surround sound.

IHG loyalty programs entice guests to stay and earn points by giving members free WiFi and complimentary nights without blackout dates. You can use points toward stays, shopping, concerts, and more.

How to Book

Choosing an IHG hotel for your next event means you can’t go wrong. Your guests will enjoy the ambiance and amenities, even if they don’t stay at the hotel.

To book, use the filter tools to find the ideal hotel company for your needs. Compare the choices within the destination, and request a rate. A representative will give you personalized recommendations to help your meeting and your guests’ stays flow smoothly.

Tips for Booking Guest Rooms for Your Event

No matter what hotel company you pick to be your venue, your next step is making sure your guests have lodging accommodations.

But this can be a tricky endeavor when you’ve never been to the area before, especially if it’s out of the USA. You want to make sure your guests feel safe and comfortable in a new, unusual environment.

Booking with the hotel company may help you to directly negotiate rates; but, you don’t always get the whole picture. It helps to have a professional team to intercede on your behalf, which is precisely what Engine does for you!

Benefits of Working With Engine

Engine focuses on “corporate lodging without the catch.” Every associate on our team is an expert on all things related to business travel.

Our lodging platform makes it simple to book and plan your next event by taking the planning, negotiation and booking completely off your hands!

As a member, you’ll have access to benefits like:

• Negotiated rates without the hassle
• Ease of booking large groups and checking on the status of their plans (stays of 9 or more travelers or 30+ days can be completely outsourced to our in-house project services team!)
• Monitoring travel details in real-time
• Support to help you make changes to your reservations or answer questions
• Streamlined business travel trends, analytics and reports
• And more…

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Conclusion

You have enough on your plate without having to haggle with hotels for better rates or walk each guest through their reservation process. Engine saves you time, money, and stress.

Why spend hours reviewing hotels through TripAdvisor and Google?

Let Engine’s experts take the worry and headache out of the planning process.

Join for free to take advantage of all the benefits before you book your next meeting. No contract required!

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