More than 1 in 7 people in the UK spend over 5 nights a month away from home because of work. With such a high number of business travellers, the UK hotel industry has become very focused on the business community, making it easy for you to find good, affordable accommodation.

Price

The cost of staying in a hotel in the UK depends mainly on the location. Although central London still has a good number of cheap places to stay, you will find that being within easy reach of airports, train-stations and motorways comes at a higher price.

The average price of a hotel room for 1 night in the UK is about £60.00 per person, but you can find much cheaper than this if you look around and, crucially, book in advance.

One hotel chain, for example, start prices from just £26.00, although don’t expect luxury for this price! There are others that offer a very basic service and standard at cheap rates. The rooms are clean and comfortable and you can expect a good night's sleep, but don’t expect satellite TV, swimming pools and room service, which you would expect from more expensive chains.  

Facilities

Almost all good hotel chains in the UK are well-designed for business travellers. WI-FI access for fast internet connections is almost standard these days, and many hotels offer meeting rooms and conference facilities. It has become such big business that even small countryside inns have started building conference rooms to take advantage of the demand.

In cities a lot of new hotels are opening up to take advantage of the cheap flights that are bringing so many budget travellers to the UK. Some of these provide what it calls budget-luxury accommodation. They look like a fashionable boutique hotel, are right in the middle of the most fashionable parts of town one example in London is right next to the financial powerhouse of the City of London – and puts a limited number of rooms up for hire at just £1 a night!

Special deals

If you are flying over you should speak to your airline and see if they can make you any special offers, if not try shopping around on the internet. There are some good price comparison websites that will let you see what is available to you. Or you can buy a guidebook and contact the hotels directly.

Booking a hotel room in the UK is pretty easy, although they prefer people with credit-cards. Trying to pay in advance with cash always seems to raise suspicions, whilst they are happier if they have a valid credit card from you. Accessing things like telephones, room service and movie channels without one can be irritating because you would have to leave your room and pay in advance.

Check the hotel bookings option on OKinUK to see the vast selection of hotels available to you.

So there you have it, business travel, like all UK business activity, is easy, fast, and flexible and offers lots of choice. You might have a lot to think about, when on business in the UK, but finding a place to stay will not be a problem.

By John Hillman

USEFUL WORDS

check in = arrive and register at reception
check out = leave and pay your bill
single room = a room with one bed for one person
twin room = a room with two single beds
double room = a room with one bed for two people
en-suite room = a room with a bathroom inside
bed & breakfast (B&B)
half board = bed, breakfast and evening meal
full board = bed, breakfast, lunch and evening meal
star rating/classification = a quality grading system for hotels
air conditioning/climate control
mini-bar = a small fridge in a hotel room which contains drinks and snacks you can pay extra fee for
room service = a service provided in a hotel by which guests can order food and drink to be brought to their rooms
guest facilities
reception
lobby = a large area inside the entrance of a hotel where people can meet and wait
concierge = a person who helps guests by giving them information, arranging theatre tickets etc.
porter = a person who is in charge of the entrance to a hotel and for carrying luggage to guests’ rooms
business centre = a place where guests can access facilities such as Internet, fax and photocopying
meeting rooms
dining room
gym/health club

USEFUL PHRASES

Hotel Language

Could I have a wake-up call tomorrow, please?
Do you have any vacancies for 7th and 8th September?
What time is breakfast?
Could I book a meeting room for 9 o’clock on Thursday, please?
Could I have a dry towel, please?
Can I dial direct?
Could I arrange a taxi to the airport tomorrow?
I’d like to book a room for those dates, please?
Do you offer a translation service?
How much do you charge for Internet access?
Good morning, we have a reservation for three nights
Would it be possible to extend my stay by two nights?