If you’re on the road these days for business, most likely you’re working in your hotel room between meetings, sales calls, conferences and trade shows.
Participating in video conference calls, laboring over proposals, drafting emails and chatting with clients on your phone while in your hotel room all should be done in an environment that’s most conducive for business.
There are pitfalls to avoid, however, and insights to know.
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Job experts and travel pros shared their best tips of the trade for working effectively and securely from a hotel room.
Let’s dive right in …
A well-appointed hotel in a central location at your destination is the smart move for business travelers.
“Business travelers should select at least a 3-star hotel or better in a safe and centrally located part of town,” said Tim Hentschel, the Florida-based CEO of HotelPlanner, a travel-technology company powered by proprietary artificial intelligence.
The location, he said, should be “ideally the business district, where the hotels are likely to have robust security, as well as the services and amenities corporate travelers need, such as a printer or scanner, strong Wi-Fi and professional business meeting space — as well as nearby restaurants that are always good networking opportunities for business travelers.”
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In your selected hotel, opt to request a location of your room for creating the backdrop for a productive work experience.
“If having peace and quiet is the most important thing, then request a corner room far from the elevators, where people talking may distract you,” Hentschel told Fox Business.
If budget allows, consider a suite with more room. You may find the extra living space a better place to work.
It might be tempting to sit in bed with your laptop, but a far better idea is to use the work station set-up in your hotel room.
Sitting at the desk will foster a better work experience.
“Work from the desk, not the bed or couch,” said Travel + Leisure Co.’s senior vice president of global brands, Renu Snehi, who is based in Orlando Florida.
“Work from a desk and create a serene, clean environment to focus,” she said.
Another tip is to remove any extra items from the desk that aren’t needed.
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“Most hotels have too much stuff and collateral on the working desk. It’s the first thing I get rid of. Stick to bare essentials,” Snehi said.
Conducting a Zoom call from your hotel room is easy to do with a few simple tips.
First, be sure to put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door.
After dressing professionally for the call, create a scene for success.
“Make sure the room is well lit, with no outside glare from windows, and use the desk lamp in your hotel room to illuminate your face so you look your best on screen,” said Hentschel.
In addition, be sure not to have laundry, your private belongings or your suitcases show up in the background during your video calls.
Having free Wi-Fi is a hotel is convenient for checking email or streaming while on vacation — but if you’re traveling on business and there is confidential material you’re working on, IT security could be a concern.
“There is inherent risk any time you use a public Wi-Fi, whether you’re at Starbucks or a hotel. So log on at your own risk,” cautioned Hentschel.
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“You can use a personal hotspot from your smartphone, but nothing is failsafe from potential cyber hackers,” he also said.
For added security, you may want to use a VPN for your wireless connection.
A VPN is a “virtual private network” that’s established as a protected and encrypted connection when on a public Wi-Fi network.
“A VPN or virtual private network is designed to keep your online activity safe and secure from the prying world,” said Andreas Grant, a network security engineer in San Diego, California.
“When you turn on the VPN, you are creating a private connection with another computer in another location that you may or may not know. This involves encapsulation and tunneling.”
Grant said all the data that goes through gets encrypted, so your ISP won’t have any idea the types of site you are browsing.
“You keep your data safe,” he added.
To break up the grind of working in your hotel room, venture out to other spaces in the hotel, said Snehi.
“Go work from the lobby or executive lounge,” she said.
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“It gives me a fresh perspective and at times [a chance] to eavesdrop into what other executives are doing. I’ve often met some great people while working from a business lounge and at breakfast.”