girl25

Diverse interests and a variety of arrangements determine hotel accommodations for business travelers overseas. Many prefer to stay in U.S. hotels. Some say it is because those hotels cater to the executive, providing in-room modem hookups, fax capability and telephones needed to conduct business. Others prefer them simply for their familiarity. Astrid Foremen, a consultant with Gulliver's Travels, said most of the agency's corporate contracts are with large U.S. chain hotels overseas. "Typically, people belong to frequent-travel programs that are associated with the hotels, which benefits the customer in the long run for their vacation traveling," said Ms. Foreman. But some of the more experienced and sophisticated travelers still prefer local hotels-even on business trips. Montserrat Torres, manager of foreign programs for Litton Systems Applied Technology, is one such traveler. "I prefer the local hotels because of their ambiance," said Ms. Torres. "It also gives me a chance to learn more about the local culture, customs and foods of the region." In Madrid, for example, she stays at the Santa Mauro Hotel, which originally was the residence of the local marquis. Each room is decorated differently, and guests dine in the library, giving the feeling of being in a home rather than a hotel. And on one trip to Switzerland, Ms. Torres stayed in a tiny hotel next to a lake. "It doesn't have any of the modern conveniences or luxuries, such as a television in the room or computer connections," she said. "However, after a day of business meetings, it's wonderful to go back to the hotel and spend a peaceful time in such a beautiful place." Ms. Torres said she often asks her customers to recommend places, and sometimes she researches an area through consulate brochures and makes her own arrangements. However, many executives' destinations are determined by corporate contracts with certain hotel chains. In such cases, one staffer (or, at larger firms, a department) often is designated to handle bookings for all employees. "Every company culture is a little bit different," said Kevin Stern, owner and president of Rainbow Travel. Because Rainbow is part of a consortium of travel agents, Mr. Stern can negotiate good rates for corporate customers traveling to Europe. Therefore, he has as many customers staying at local hotels as he does at American hotels overseas, depending on people's personal preferences. He said people's choices often are based on whether a hotel has certain amenities, or if it is conveniently located to the place of business. The most unusual request he's received: One man wanted to stay at a hotel that had some kind of pinball machine. "He was addicted to them," said Mr. Stern, "and that's what he did in his spare time after business negotiations." Adobe Systems Inc. travel manager Janice Coley said Adobe tends to contract with a large American hotel chain in Asia. "Americans tend to like larger rooms and larger beds, and some of the larger local chains are accommodating to U.S. customers," says Ms. Coley. "Most of the hotels have a special executive level, where computer hook-ups and other conveniences are made available for the business traveler." But David Lehr, Adobe's business development manager for the Far East, prefers to stay in smaller hotels. Mr. Lehr typically travels every two or three months to Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Japan. He's always had an interest in the culture, and has spent many years in China studying the language. He asks Adobe's business partners in Asia to recommend local hotels in places where no American hotels are available. "In the smaller hotels, I get to know the people," said Mr. Lehr. "Because I travel so often to the same cities, it's nice to see familiar faces-and they tend to remember you." His favorite hotels are the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Korea, and the Sherwood Hotel in Taiwan. "The Sherwood is very small, and the people are extremely nice," said Mr. Lehr. "They will shine your shoes and fix the seam on your suit." At Catalyst Semiconductor, which has about 120 employees, Kathryn Beaulieu said most of the traveling businesspeople prefer to stay at American hotels. "I love the local hotels in Italy. They are charming, and the atmosphere is very relaxed," says Ms. Beaulieu. "But when I'm there on business, I want to have a good modem setup and access to faxes." But that doesn't always mean it's necessary to stay in American hotels. Larry Sladewski, director of operations at Catalyst, said he prefers to stay at Chinese hotels when he travels to Asia. He said in Manila, Philippines; Bangkok, Thailand; and Singapore, those hotels tend to have all of the modern electronic gadgets needed for the business traveler. "The Chinese hotel service is very good," said Mr. Sladewski. "I like their overall ambiance, and the personnel are very attentive without being sterile." To Mr. Lehr, it doesn't matter whether he stays at a luxury hotel with all the right gadgetry or at a small, old-fashioned villa. Either way, he said, work is never as smooth as it would be sitting at his desk.