Over the past year, more than a third of North American business travelers mixed work with play by extending a work trip for leisure. According to a new study by GBTA Foundation (the research arm of Global Business Travel Association), millennials led the way in so-called bleisure travel.

Bleisure is the current buzzword for combining a business trip with extra leisure days.

Forty-eight percent of millennials who participated in the study said they had been bleisure travelers, while only 33 percent of Gen-X and 23 percent of Baby Boomer travelers did so.

Business travelers who take bleisure trips, said the study, typically extend them a couple of days. While 90 percent do so for more than one day, only one-quarter (23 percent) do so for more than three days. On average, travelers extend their trips for three days.

Bleisure trips often cost more in transport. The study found 39 percent of business travelers paid the difference in air/train travel costs for extending a business trip. It noted this issue “presents several challenges for managed travel programs, including how to estimate the additional costs stemming from bleisure travel, distinguishing between business and leisure costs and how to address these issues in company travel policy.”

Another travel policy issue is duty of care. In other words, when does a company’s liability and obligation to help their traveler begin and end? More than one in ten business travelers said they needed help from their company or the person who arranged the travel on their last bleisure trip.

Changing hotels is yet another issue. An overwhelming majority of business travelers (82 percent) stay at the same venue for both the business and leisure travel portions of their stay, according to the study. Yet those who switch hotels “generally search for accommodations through a third-party site or a hotel’s website or mobile app, meaning it is possible that bleisure travel may incentivize travelers to book outside of their company’s channels.” The study concluded: “To encourage travelers to stay within the program, companies might make a greater effort to help travelers receive the corporate discount for the leisure portion of their trip.”

Monica Sanchez, GBTA Foundation director of research, said, “This study highlights a variety of ways in which companies can improve the bleisure travel experience for their employees, while also aligning bleisure travel with their own goals. Some of these ways include establishing clear rules for reimbursing expenses incurred by non-employees, helping travelers understand the resources available to them on the leisure portion of their trip, and developing a policy regarding preferred suppliers and booking channels.”

Hilton partnered with GBTA for the study. Kelly Phillips, senior vice president of global engagement and strategic accounts for Hilton, added, “Business travel is a lifestyle for many of our guests and we’re seeing a growing desire by these travelers to add a leisure component to their trip and experience the destination beyond the meeting room.”

Great news, meeting professional: Your career is safe. That’s a takeaway from a recent poll conducted in the United States by event technology platform Eventbrite. The poll results overwhelmingly indicated most Americans believe events and in-person meetings are more effective than online experiences—and that positive change requires connecting with one another in person.

“As the largest living generation, millennials are at the forefront of this movement as they look to live experiences for solidarity and as a form of expression,” said a summary of the survey, conducted in partnership with Ipsos and Crowd DNA.

In general, Americans are attending more live events than ever before. In the past year, nearly four out of five (78 percent) of Americans attended a live event, from music concerts to cause-related events such as marches and rallies to corporate events.

“Our increased preference for live experiences is being driven by a strong desire to connect with people, the community and the world, and there’s no doubt the current political climate is contributing to this uptick,” Eventbrite concluded.

Other survey findings:

  • Seventy percent of American men and women (74 percent of millennials) agree that attending a live event has been more successful at expanding their perspective than reading about a topic online.
  • An event doesn’t have to be “political” to inspire positive change: 84 percent of Americans believe all types of live events can inspire positive change.
  • Forty-eight percent of millennials say they attend live events to have something to share on social channels and 78 percent enjoy seeing other people’s unique experiences on social media. Nearly three-quarters believe attending a live event is the best way to show other people what they are interested in.
  • Among Americans age 35 or older, however, 48 percent don’t look to live events as the primary way to express themselves.
  • Three out of four millennials would choose to spend their money on an experience rather than buy something desirable.

When health and wellness expert Dr. Deepak Chopra addressed the opening session at Meeting Planners International World Education Congress (WEC) in Las Vegas in June, he offered a list of things that influence the activity of the genes to create health.

In addition to staples such as sleep, meditation, exercise and eating right, he suggests grounding. Earthing—going outside and touching the grass and dirt with your bare feet—not only feels good: It also has major benefits for your health, he says.

“Think about the environment as your extended body,” he told the 2,500 attendees. Touching the earth allows the negative ions from the ground to flow into each person’s electromagnetic biofield, discharging free radicals and relieving stress and inflammation, he explained.

For the same reason, he hailed the new amenities being developed in MGM Grand Las Vegas’ Stay Well meeting rooms. These facilities include advanced air purification systems and healthy food options designed by Chopra. “What you are seeing is the pioneering of a new way to experience corporate well-being,” he says. “Our brain is changed by the experiences we have. Now you can bring your well-being to Las Vegas in the Stay Well rooms and meeting rooms.”

Meeting Room of the Outdoors

That message about the benefits of taking meetings outside is echoed in IACC’s Meeting Room of the Future report. It finds that in 2016, meeting planners were faced with an increased demand for outside learning spaces and suggested “shaking up the monotony at meetings to increase delegate productivity.”

Jeu Bressers, owner of Kapellerput Conference Centre and Hotel in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, finds that relaxation recharges the brain and fresh air can speed up that process. “You might think that holding a meeting outside, the attendees will be distracted,” Bressers says. “Brain science shows that learning in an unexpected environment, like outside in nature, triggers the release of dopamine to the hippocampus, the part of the brain that creates memories.”

IACC CEO Mark Cooper, who was presenting his paper at the WEC, is an advocate of using the outdoors for refreshment breaks or creating outdoor activities, linked to individual health and well-being. “If you can incorporate the outdoors in evening receptions, barbecues and team building, that is better for everyone,” he says.

marriott master class dwayne wade

Are you an old dog eager to learn a new trick? Enroll in a master class at Marriott!

It’s not every day you’re given the chance to hit the court to perfect your slam dunk with NBA superstar Dwyane Wade or go diving with the son of renowned explorer Jacques Cousteau. These are just two of the exclusive once-in-a-lifetime opportunities Marriott International announced June 28 as part of their new master class series available to members of the Marriott Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) programs.

“Our members believe life is an adventure worth pursuing,” David Flueck, senior vice president of global loyalty at Marriott International said. “We’re focused on taking the best of Marriott’s loyalty programs–including our partnerships and extraordinary portfolio of hotels–and stepping it up with master classes that provide transformative experiences travelers cannot get anywhere else.”

The first master classes to be offered are as follows, but additional opportunities will arise in the future:
• NBA skills training with Dwyane Wade at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami
• Cooking lessons with Eric Ripert at the Cayman Cookout hosted by The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman
• Surf lessons with Laird Hamilton at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Florida
• Culinary experience with Chef Paco Perez at Hotel Arts Barcelona
• Golf clinic with Annika Sorenstam at The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
• Golf lessons with Padraig Harrington at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay in California
• Golf clinic with Thomas Bjorn at The Westin La Quinta Golf Resort & Spa, Benahavis, Marbella, Spain
• Underwater conservation with Jean-Michel Cousteau at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, Hawaii
• Fly-fishing adventure on St. John’s River aboard a private floatplane at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando
• Tennis clinic taught by a pro player and celebrity tennis enthusiast at the U.S. Open in New York

These courses are an extension of the Marriott Rewards Moments and SPG Moments programs.

According to a recent Forbes study, millennials see a lot of value in self-improvement, with a whopping 94 percent committing themselves to change. Meeting professionals of all ages can use these master class experiences as inspiration for keynote addresses and immersive activities. Event attendees who have earned enough points can also redeem a master class while attending an event at a participating property.

It has been two decades since the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace. July 15 will mark the 20th anniversary of the fatal shooting that occurred on the front steps to his South Beach estate. The opulent Versace Mansion, named The Villa Casa Casuarina, is reportedly the third most-photographed house in America, after the White House and Graceland. It is also now one of the most luxurious hotels and event spaces on Ocean Drive. Let’s count the possibilities.

Poolside: Your guests could slip into a wildly printed Versace bathing suit to soak in his beautiful mosaic pool, comprised of thousands of 24-karat gold tiles. Watching over the pool is Poseidon, the God of the Sea.

“We can accommodate as much as 150 for a sit-down dinner without covering our pool,” Debbie Lynch, director of catering and sales at The Villa Casa Casuarina, says. Up to 300 guests can be accommodated reception-style, but there would not be room for everyone to be seated. For an additional charge of $12,000-$18,000, the stunning mosaic pool can be covered to provide more space for seating.

Dining Room: Guests can be treated to exquisite cuisine catered on-site by Executive Chef Thomas Stewart at the on-site restaurant Gianni’s. Meeting professionals can even request for their guests to be served on Versace’s very own dishes. “We do have access to the Rosenthal China,” Lynch says. “However, it’s normally an up-sale.”

En Suite: Pack your best silk pajamas for a slumber party at Casa Casuarina. The hotel offers 10 guest rooms for overnight stays. Versace’s sister Donatella’s room is called the Signature suite and his brother Santo’s old digs have been transformed into the Venus room. “We have original furniture,” Lynch says. “Bedding and textiles are replicas and so are our fixtures.”

Run-of-House: The boutique hotel also features a newly renovated gym, spa and rooftop lounge. The Miami estate is available for a complete buy-out. Good news. You can keep the party going until the wee hours of the morning. The noise ordinance curfew isn’t until 1 a.m. The venue has been used for many high-profile events, including an official Super Bowl soiree in 2007.

Since the designer’s murder, his former residence has changed hands multiple times. It is currently run by Victor Hotels. This is not the only celebrity home that has been converted into a hotel and event space. According to GQ India, Pablo Escobar’s estate Casa Malca in Tulum is now a 36 room five-star resort featuring a secret underground pool and steam room and private art collection. Frank Sinatra’s iconic Twin Palms Estate in Palm Springs is a premiere destination for meetings and events in the desert. Groups of up to 150 can party amongst Ol’ Blue Eyes’ original furnishings in this 4,500 sq. ft. property.

Fans wishing to re-live the headline-making Gianni Versace murder can tune in to the 20/20 special, Dying to Be Famous: The Versace Murders on ABC. The mini-series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will air on FX in 2018. It is produced by Ryan Murphy and stars Ricky Martin, Darren Criss and Penelope Cruz. Scenes were reportedly filmed on location at the mansion, although Lynch was not at liberty to confirm or deny these reports.

Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, California

The people have spoken. The results of Travel & Leisure’s annual World’s Best Awards survey were released on July 11. The publication asked readers to vote on travel experiences in a wide range of categories, including brands, cities, cruises and airlines. Several of the top 15 hotel brands also are great meeting destinations.

No. 3 Auberge Resorts

Auberge Resorts has meeting facilities in Napa Valley, California; Cabo San Lucas and  Los Cabos, Mexico; Costa Rica; Aspen and Telluride, Colorado; and Anguilla island. Auberge has a wide variety of destinations for groups. The brand prides itself with local and customizable menus that appease all dietary concerns and green meetings that help protect the environment. At one of its properties in Napa Valley, Auberge du Soleil, there is nothing to whine about. It has more than 6,000 sq. ft. of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting space. The promotional Regroup & Retreat package includes 50 percent off facility fees and is available mid-week from December through April 2018.

No. 6 One&Only Resorts

One&Only Palmilla

One&Only Resorts offers one-of-a-kind event spaces in the Bahamas; Los Cabos, Mexico; Maldives; Mauritius; Dubai; Cape Town, South Africa; and the Blue Mountains outside Sydney. The brand’s Palmilla resort in Los Cabos is a favorite among the Hollywood crowd, most notably Jennifer Aniston. The conference center can be divided into four intimate meeting rooms and can fit a maximum of 200 guests. There are also several outdoor venue options, including a lawn area and beach site, which can each accommodate 300 people. Plus, it is only 15 minutes away from the airport.

No. 7 The Peninsula Hotels

Peninsula Beverly Hills

The Peninsula Hotels can hold meetings at its properties in Chicago, New York City, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manila and Beverly Hills, California. Until Dec. 31, meeting professionals can take advantage of the special Meeting Moments package. Benefits include a web page solely dedicated to your event, spa privileges, audiovisual equipment, breakfast and lunch. Located a stone’s throw from Rodeo Drive, The Peninsula Beverly Hills has the most famous zip code in America, 90210. It’s the only hotel in Southern California that has received the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star distinctions annually since 1993. There are 195 guest rooms and 3,398 sq. ft. of event space. The Verandah Room can comfortably seat 300 attendees.

No. 11 Rosewood Hotels & Resorts

The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, New York City

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has an assortment of facilities in various settings. Meeting professionals can select anything from an urban destination to a tranquil beach getaway. The brand has resorts all across the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The Carlyle in New York City is fit for royals. The luxury hotel opened for business in 1930. Less than an hour away from three major airports, it can accommodate meeting groups of 225 guests in its Trianon Suite. The property offers 2,300 sq. ft. of meeting space, 121 guest rooms and 69 suites.

No. 12 Montage Hotels & Resorts

Montage Deer Valley, Park City, Utah

Montage Hotels & Resorts is synonymous with luxury. With locations in Beverly Hills and Laguna Beach,  California; Park City, Utah; Maui Island in Hawaii; and Bluffton, South Carolina, meeting professionals have plenty from which to choose. The spacious 7,500-square-foot grand ballroom at the Laguna Beach property can accommodate 800 guests for a reception or theater-style set-up. This 30-acre oceanfront resort has 250 guest rooms and offers team-building activities, and food and wine pairings by expert chefs and sommeliers.

The Complete List:

  1. Six Senses
  2. Oetker Collection
  3. Auberge Resorts
  4. Alila Hotels & Resorts
  5. Capella Hotels & Resorts
  6. One&Only Resorts
  7. The Peninsula Hotels
  8. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
  9. Aman
  10. The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts
  11. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
  12. Montage Hotels & Resorts
  13. Rocco Forte Hotels
  14. Thompson Hotels
  15. Belmond

Milkshakes from A.C. Burger Co.

During the last three years, Caesars Entertainment Corporation has gone all in, with $200 million in renovations at Caesars, Bally’s and Harrah’s in Atlantic City in multiple phases. The latest upgrades to be completed at Harrah’s cost more than $30 million, the brand announced on July 7.

The real jackpot winners are event professionals and their attendees because they can stay in the 450 redesigned guest rooms and suites in Harrah’s Bayview Tower. The 600-square-foot rooms feature contemporary furniture, a vanity dressing area and modern bathrooms with oversized showers.

“We are excited to complete our master-planned enhancement project just in time for summer, and debut our finely appointed Bayview rooms and suites, three world-class dining experiences and an upgraded nightlife experience at Harrah’s Resort,” said Kevin Ortzman, president of Bally’s and Caesars, and Rick Mazer, regional president for Harrah’s Resort, in a joint statement. “Atlantic City, with its iconic beach and world-famous Boardwalk, has been a mainstay summer destination for decades and our resorts—Bally’s, Caesars and Harrah’s—are committed to offering guests first-class, Vegas-style experiences.”

Harrah’s by the Numbers

Harrah’s $125 million Waterfront Conference Center is the largest pillar-less ballroom between  Baltimore and Boston. Open since 2015, it houses 125,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. There are two 50,000–square-foot ballrooms. Meeting rooms, prefunction areas and 28 breakout rooms are also available. Receptions can hold up to 5,500 attendees.

Food and Beverage

Another real selling point is Harrah’s extensive list of food and beverage options. A.C. Burger Co.’s “adult” milkshakes bring all the guests to the eatery. These indulgent, alcoholic ice cream treats will likely fill you up, but try to leave room for a juicy burger.

Coastal Craft Kitchen & Bar is a great place for event attendees to mix and mingle while enjoying shared plates and weekend brunch fare. Inspired by Mexican and Spanish cuisine, Veracruz features paellas, tuna tartare nachos, margaritas, sangria and wine. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri has expanded his presence with Guy’s Sammich Joint, a fantastic option to grab a quick lunch on the go.

Party Like a Rock Star

Guests can party it up at the newly updated The Pool After Dark, complete with a glass-enclosed heated dome, cabanas and bungalows, elevated stage and DJ booth, dance floor and LED walls. The pool area can accommodate 2,000 people. Harrah’s is also raising the bar with #BarWithNoName in its lobby, Eden Lounge and X Bar. The hotel’s concert venue has a capacity of 1,200.

marriott's CRN grows

Cresent Terrace photo from Marriott’s press release

Marriott International Convention & Resort Network (CRN) recently reached a milestone of 100 properties in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, was the latest property to come on board, the brand announced this week.

The Disney resort’s lobby is currently undergoing a $12 million renovation that is set to be unveiled in Fall 2017. The Hemispheres Ballroom totals 54,238 sq. ft. and can accommodate nearly 9,500 attendees for a reception.

Swan Ballroom photo from Marriott’s press release

The wide array of brands in Marriott’s CRN includes Westin Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels and Gaylord Hotels. The expansion has taken CRN into several new markets, including Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Hilton Head, Savannah, Charlotte, Birmingham and Hawaii Island’s Kona Coast. The network also has presence in near Kansas City Crown Plaza, Houston Galleria, Denver Convention Center, downtown Dallas and the Boston waterfront and convention center.

Swan Ballroom photo from Marriott’s press release

“We are excited to enter all of these markets, as CRN can now offer customers increased distribution of highly respected brands across the most-sought-after destinations,” Mike Wainwright, vice president of sales for CRN, says. “These increased markets and locations now allow our Marriott Account Representatives to source additional hotels for those large group meetings to ideally match their desired dates, patterns and space requirements.”


https://youtube.com/watch?v=-R4YoNK6p0I

Booking these venues has been made easier as well. CRN debuted a new website with enhanced features for event professionals. It has preselected hotel-search groupings, narrated videos and the MeetingsImagined platform.

“Planners can now view easily grouped options such as hotel type, rooms and space to help them identify potential hotels and destinations. Then they can click on a hotel’s site-visit video to learn more about the CRN properties,” Wainwright explains. “Customers can easily identify like properties for multi-year rotation, as well as visit the Meetings Buzz section to access MeetingsImagined, along with valuable tips, tools and resources. MeetingsImagined is an inspirational planning tool. Meeting planners can use this interactive platform to match key components and events to the meeting purpose and work directly with property event teams to bring their vision to life.”

Guests at five-star hotels are four times more likely than guests at less expensive hotels to say they always overpay. More than one-third of them say they have had a hotel experience so bad they have cried, and one in five say their experience was so bad it ruined their vacation.

So says Provo, Utah-based experience management company Qualtrics, which surveyed 1,000 recent hotel patrons for its Hotel Pain Index. To gather the data, Qualtrics used a “statistically significant panel of people” who are regular guests at hotels to determine factors that most improved or diminished their hotel stay.

“Guests at very nice hotels have very high expectations that they will have an incredible experience,” says Mike Maughan, head of global insights at Qualtrics. “While hoteliers may feel they are providing an experience at that level, it’s clear that there is a gap between what people expect and what they are actually receiving.”

Dirty rooms are the single biggest factor in people having a negative experience, Maughan says.

Other findings: Hotel guests prefer free Wi-Fi to a complimentary breakfast, and the most desired hotel amenities are an on-site restaurant (86 percent), parking (83 percent) and a pool or spa (68 percent).

“In the survey, we see that guests don’t think hotels put a lot of effort into providing a great guest experience,” Maughan says. “About 35 percent of overall hotel guests feel the effort is lacking. It’s easy to focus on the glitz and glam of a place, and fail to remember that if the fundamentals aren’t taken care of, then none of the rest matters.”

orlando meeting groups

In March 2017, the Marriott International Convention & Resort Network (CRN) reached a milestone of 100 properties in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, the brand announced this week. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin in Lake Buena Vista, Florida was the hundredth hotel to come on board.

Its lobby is currently undergoing a $12 million renovation that is set to be unveiled in Fall 2017. There is no lack of meeting space at this resort. The tremendous Hemispheres Ballroom measures in at 54,238 sq. ft. and can fit almost 9,500 attendees for a reception.

The wide array of destinations includes Westin Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott, Autograph Collection Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Marriott Hotels and Gaylord Hotels. The expansion has taken CRN into a lot of new markets—Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Seattle, Hilton Head, Savannah, Charlotte, Birmingham and Hawaii Kona. They also entered the areas surrounding Kansas City Crown Plaza, Houston Galleria, Denver Convention Center, Dallas Downtown and the Boston waterfront and convention center.

“We are excited to enter all of these markets as CRN can now offer customers increased distribution of highly-respected brands across the most-sought after destinations,” Mike Wainwright, vice president of sales for CRN, says. “These increased markets and locations now allow our Marriott Account Representatives to source additional hotels for those large group meetings to ideally match their desired dates, patterns and space requirements.”

Booking one of these venues is just a few simple mouse clicks away. CRN debuted a new website with enhanced features for event professionals. It has preselected hotel search groupings, narrated videos and the MeetingsImagined platform.

“Planners can now view easily grouped options such as hotel type, rooms, and space to help them identify potential hotels and destinations. Then they can click on a hotel’s Site Visit Video to learn more about the CRN properties,” Wainwright explains. “Customers can easily identify like properties for multi-year rotation, as well as visit the ‘Meetings Buzz’ section to access MeetingsImagined along with valuable tips, tools and resources. MeetingsImagined is an inspirational planning tool. Meeting planners can use this interactive platform to match key components and events to the meeting purpose and work directly with property event teams to bring their vision to life.”