{"id":18482,"date":"2026-09-01T12:21:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T12:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/?p=18482"},"modified":"2026-09-01T12:21:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T12:21:45","slug":"a-third-of-brits-say-they-are-travelling-more-for-work-than-pre-covid-according-to-new-hotels-com-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/a-third-of-brits-say-they-are-travelling-more-for-work-than-pre-covid-according-to-new-hotels-com-report\/","title":{"rendered":"A third of Brits say they are travelling more for work than pre-Covid, according to new Hotels.com report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Report reveals journalists and tradespeople among most frequent business travellers while energy and tech receive the highest travel budgets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>New Booked for Business Report from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotels.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotels.com<\/a>\u00ae reveals who&#8217;s hitting the road most, which professions travel best and why free breakfast has become the ultimate business-travel perk. As a third (27%) of Brits report they travel more for work now than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hotels.com has launched a new <a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/product\/business?brandcid=HCOM-UK.COMMS.PR.HBT.HOTEL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">business travel experience,<\/a> designed to make work trips faster and easier to book.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available through the Hotels.com website and app, travellers can now save their work-trip preferences, find business-ready hotels, rebook preferred stays and earn rewards on business trips\u2014all within the same Hotels.com account they use for personal travel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the new Hotels.com Booked for Business report*, which unpacks business travel trends and preferences, the top findings include:\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Business travel is back. <\/strong>Brits travel more for work prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>with journalists and tradespeople travelling the most frequently.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Energy and Renewables workers report the highest lodging per diems of at least \u00a3300<\/strong>, while other sectors receive approximately \u00a3140 per day.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Bleisure is now expected, not an add-on.<\/strong> Nearly half (48%) say the best business travel destinations make it easy to blend work and leisure, with London, New York and Paris as the top-ranked destinations.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>May and September are the new power-travel months<\/strong>, emerging as the busiest times of year for business trips.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gen Z is redefining the business travel experience. <\/strong>They travel for work more than any other generation, are the most likely to change their behaviour on the road, use hotel laundry services, and switch hotel brands. Meanwhile, older generations stand out for their punctuality and hotel loyalty.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Forget upgrades. Business travellers want breakfast. <\/strong>Free breakfast (51%) outranks room upgrades (32%) and flexible check-in (26%) as one of the most valued hotel perks.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBusiness travel is no longer just about getting from one meeting to the next,\u201d said Melanie Fish, Hotels.com travel expert and spokesperson. \u201cTravellers want a hotel and destination that can keep up with both sides of their personality &#8211; from high-speed Wi-Fi and an early breakfast before a big presentation to a great location and a comfortable place to unwind afterwards.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who is Powering Business Travel?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Journalists and tradespeople are today&#8217;s most frequent business travellers, averaging more than 12 trips each year. Journalists, in particular, travel 67% more often than they did before the pandemic. The average hotel budget is \u00a3120 per night, rising to up to \u00a3200 for journalists.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Workplace Travel Superlatives:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Most likely to hit the hotel gym:<\/strong> Real estate and construction workers &#8211; 40% say that a great gym is what makes a hotel stay great.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Most likely to network at the hotel bar: <\/strong>Journalists and publishers &#8211; 67% say a great hotel bar is a defining feature of a great work trip.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Most likely to work from 35,000 feet: Sales and Marketing professionals are most likely to <\/strong>work on a flight. Meanwhile,<strong> <\/strong>journalists and finance employees take the longest flights on average.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Most likely to switch work personas: <\/strong>Real estate agents are the most likely to \u201cmode switch\u201d- or adopt a different personality at work &#8211; with 63% saying they do so. Retail and e-commerce workers follow at 61%.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Most likely to pick up the bill: <\/strong>Consultants and workers in energy and renewables can go all out, as most say they don\u2019t have a maximum spend, ahead of sales, marketing and technology, whose budget doesn\u2019t go over \u00a3120.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>From Boardroom Boss to Holiday Princess\u202f<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hotels.com report also reveals that today\u2019s business travellers are not just changing their schedules when they travel for work; they are changing their personalities. 52% of\u202fBritish travellers admit to showing a different side of themselves when on work trips \u2014 and the number rises to 71% among Gen Zers.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In \u2018work mode\u2019 and on business trips, many Brits lean into a more focused, structured type A personality, whilst in their personal lives and on holiday it&#8217;s all about that type B energy. In fact, one in five Brits admit they are a boss at work but a \u2018passenger princess\/prince\u2019 in their personal life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the biggest shifts in personas include:\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Planning:<\/strong> 39% describe themselves as planners, and 37% say they are super organised at work, but only 22% take charge of booking trips outside of work.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Early risers:<\/strong> 48% say they wake up earlier during work trips than leisure trips. Plus, 49% say they are always punctual when travelling for work.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Introvert v Extrovert:<\/strong> 21% of business travellers say they are more extroverted outside of work, yet 31% of Gen Zers are social butterflies on work trips and homebodies off the clock.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Budgeting:<\/strong> Value for money (42%) is travellers\u2019 number one priority on leisure trips, with 35% admitting that they use their work budgeting skills to get more value from personal travel.\u202f\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top Cities for Business Travel<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether for a major meeting or a bleisure extension, travellers rank these destinations highest for business travel:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>London, England<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotels.com\/ho980591040\/hotel-chapter-roma-rome-italy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Standard London<\/a> is a convenient, rail-connected choice, with meeting spaces, wellness amenities and easy access to King\u2019s Cross station and central London.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"2\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>New York, NY, USA <\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho117363\/conrad-new-york-midtown-new-york-united-states-of-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The London<\/a> offers a central Midtown base with meeting venues, dining and fitness facilities, close to Broadway and Rockefeller Plaza.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Paris, France <\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho130003\/melia-paris-notre-dame-paris-france\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Maison Colbert<\/a> provides a central base with a meeting room, work-friendly spaces and access to major Paris attractions.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"4\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Singapore<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho213384\/mandarin-oriental-singapore-singapore-singapore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mandarin Oriental<\/a> sits in the Marina Bay precinct and offers meeting spaces, web-conferencing capabilities, spa and pool amenities, plus skyline-view dining.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"5\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Amsterdam, Netherlands<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho431088\/art-otel-amsterdam-part-of-radisson-hotel-group-amsterdam-netherlands\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">art&#8217;otel Amsterdam<\/a> places travellers near Amsterdam Central Station with an indoor pool to take a dip after meetings.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"6\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Barcelona, Spain <\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho375477\/alma-barcelona-gl-barcelona-spain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Alma Barcelona GL<\/a> offers a refined business-friendly base near Passeig de Gr\u00e0cia, with meeting spaces, wellness facilities and easy access to the city\u2019s commercial and cultural hubs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"7\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tokyo, Japan<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho114076\/the-capitol-hotel-tokyu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Capitol Hotel Tokyu<\/a><strong> <\/strong>combines a central location with meeting facilities, spa, pool and all-day dining.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"8\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Madrid, Spain<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho712129952\/gran-hotel-ingles-madrid-spain\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gran Hotel Ingl\u00e9s<\/a> blends historic character with modern business amenities, offering meeting facilities, a central location in the Barrio de las Letras and convenient access to Madrid\u2019s corporate and cultural districts.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"9\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Dublin, Ireland<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho132286\/dylan-hotel-dublin-ireland\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Dylan Hotel<\/a> combines boutique luxury with business-friendly conveniences, offering elegant workspaces, acclaimed dining and a well-connected location close to Dublin\u2019s commercial centre.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"10\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Berlin, Germany<\/strong>\u00a0<br><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/ho247869\/rocco-forte-hotel-de-rome-berlin-berlin-germany\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotel de Rome Berlin<\/a> pairs grand historic surroundings with contemporary business amenities, featuring elegant meeting venues, wellness facilities and a prime location in the heart of Berlin\u2019s Mitte district.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Business travel on Hotels.com: built for the way work trips really happen<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hotels.com\u2019s new business travel experience is designed to take the friction out of booking work trips while keeping the flexibility, hotel choice and rewards travellers value for personal travel, letting travellers easily switch between work and play mode.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Set preferences once <\/strong>for must-have business-trip preferences, including fully refundable stays, Wi-Fi, breakfast, gym access, and a maximum nightly rate.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Find work-ready stays faster<\/strong> with business-trip-focused filters and reviews.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Stay flexible when plans change: <\/strong>Travellers can filter for fully refundable stays.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rebook a preferred hotel in a few clicks <\/strong>with<strong> <\/strong>Quick Rebook\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Turn work trips into future travel:<\/strong> Members can earn \u00a3100 in Hotels.comCash after staying 10 eligible nights and use them towards future travel.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep work and leisure together: <\/strong>Travellers can switch between business and leisure trips while managing their stays and eligible rewards in one Hotels.com account. \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This new business travel experience on Hotels.com is available from 1 September 2026 through the <a href=\"http:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hotels.com website<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/uk.hotels.com\/app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">app<\/a>, where supported. Travellers can learn more at Hotels.com.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: What is the Hotels.com Booked for Business Report?<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>A: The Booked for Business Report is Hotels.com research based on a survey of 2,000 British adults who have travelled for business in the last three years, exploring how people behave and feel when they travel for work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: When was the business travel research conducted?<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>A: The survey was fielded from 4\u201312 July 2026 among British adults who had taken a domestic or international business trip in the previous three years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Who is the new Hotels.com business travel experience designed for?<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>A: The new experience is built for self-booking travellers who manage their own work trips and want to save preferences, find business-ready hotels quickly and earn rewards on eligible business stays.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: How do travellers use the Hotels.com business trip features?<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>A: Travellers can indicate that they are booking a business trip on the Hotels.com website or app, save preferences such as Wi\u2011Fi, breakfast and rate limits, and then see hotels that better match their work-trip needs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Q: Can travellers earn rewards on business trips booked through Hotels.com?<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>A: Yes, members can earn rewards on eligible business stays including \u00a3100 in Hotels.comCash after staying 10 eligible nights and apply them toward future trips, turning nights booked for work into value they can use for personal travel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><em>*Survey of 2,000 adults in the U.K. who have travelled for business in the last 3 years (domestically \/ internationally), conducted between July 4 \u2013 July 12, 2026.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New Booked for Business Report from Hotels.com\u00ae reveals who&#8217;s hitting the road most, which professions travel best and why free breakfast has become the ultimate business-travel perk. As a third (27%) of Brits report they travel more for work now than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hotels.com has launched a new business travel experience, designed to make work trips faster and easier to book.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":18473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[168,149],"tags":[202],"companies":[89],"locations":[88],"class_list":["post-18482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-brand","category-featured","tag-hotels-com","companies-hotels","locations-london","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18482"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18482\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18514,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18482\/revisions\/18514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18482"},{"taxonomy":"companies","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/companies?post=18482"},{"taxonomy":"locations","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.uk\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/locations?post=18482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}