Time is money

By Rehab Saad
They want to be plugged in, online and faxable -- and they're in a hurry. They want a roomy desk, a comfortable chair and multiple phone lines, and they want to be working with their shoes off and room service at their disposal. They're the new business traveller, and their numbers are growing.
A decade ago, Egypt's top hotels catered almost exclusively to a distinctive type of tourist: leisure travellers come to see the Pyramids and Upper Egypt's Pharaonic sites. The last decade has seen the rise of Red Sea tourism, with adventure travellers seeking golden sands and the area's famous coral reefs. Luxury resorts bloomed along the Red Sea coast, making extravagance and style their chief aim.
But today tourists are no longer just families and honeymooners, package tourists and adventure travellers. Recent years have brought an influx of business travellers who expect a minimum of business services. These visitors haven't come to kick back and soak up some sun; they are pressed for time and want things done fast and efficiently. They don't have time for sightseeing or nightclubs, let alone tennis or a leisurely game of golf, and though the selection of international cuisine here in Cairo has grown, dallying over the choice is not really an option.
The needs of holidaymakers are limited; they want a Nile or sea view, convenient location, adequate entertainment and maybe some sports facilities. According to hoteliers, business travellers don't care about the view or how many channels they have on their satellite TV. What they do want is a certain standard of service, and in this, they are very precise: Internet access in their rooms, fax connections and a direct international line. Business travellers are far more likely to ask whether the desk in their room is large enough and the lighting adequate for working than which belly-dancer is going to be performing. They want to know how efficiently the hotel can organise transfers to and from the airport and whether Federal Express or DHL facilities are easily accessible.
Egypt has stepped up its efforts to cater to business tourism, but have we met the grade? Could Egyptian hoteliers do more to anticipate the needs of today's business traveller? Maha Saad, director of public relations for the Middle East at Starwood hotels, says that the trend toward business tourism is by no means new to Egypt's tourism industry. "A few years ago, business travellers started to trickle into Egypt," Saad said. "We had executive floors to cater to the business traveller, with a separate check-in and check-out, and a lounge serving breakfast, pastries and refreshments throughout the day, to avoid having to sit in one of the hotel restaurants and wait to be served." Executive floors are usually equipped with a small library, meeting rooms and a more informal meeting area.
Saad added that within a very short period of time the demands of business travellers exceeded these amenities, noting that the most significant demands were in terms of technology. "We are living in an age where technology governs our lives, and we have to keep abreast of the advances being made," she said. Today business people need -- and expect -- to be able to plug in their laptop and check their e-mail before they even unpack. Can Egyptian five-stars deliver? In most cases: no. While most hotels, especially those in Cairo, have business centres in which to make international calls and send faxes, today's business travellers are no longer satisfied with such facilities. They expect to be able to do these things from the comfort of their own rooms.
The Conrad, opened only two years ago in Cairo, is a five-star deluxe hotel designed with the business traveller in mind. According to Public Relations Director Ghada Abdel-Khaleq, it was even built Y2K compliant. The hotel has five executive floors patronised exclusively by business travellers. Executive rooms have business facilities and butler service, and the floors have board rooms, ballrooms and a business centre. According to Mark Elawadi, general manager of the hotel, 60 per cent of the Conrad Cairo's guests are there for business. Only 40 per cent have come for leisure travel.
The hotel is trying hard to satisfy its highly demanding guests with high quality service. "It is not only the technical aspect that we care about, because this could be provided by anyone," Elawadi said. "We care about every single aspect of service. We realise that businessmen aren't this demanding just to be difficult, but because they don't have any time to lose." Services like express check-in and check-out, mail and package deliveries, efficient transportation and special help desks are all of paramount importance to a business traveller. "It is very frustrating for a businessman to sit down and wait," notes Elawadi. And though everyone likes to travel in style, sometimes a clean room and a nice bed are really all business people notice.
In matters of business tangles and transportation, a concierge can be the business traveller's best friend. The concierge at the Four Seasons Cairo, opened last year, is meant to fill in the gaps, to ease the bumps. Almost 60 per cent of the Four Seasons' guests are business travellers, and it is the concierge who can provide them with the telephone numbers they might need, the tickets they are seeking, and just that crucial bit of information they might be seeking.
"The demands are many," admits Four Seasons Public Relations Director Amani Essawi. "A special business luncheon might have to be prepared in a matter of half an hour. We never waste our guests' precious time and at the same time we provide them with quality service."
Although most business guests choose a hotel based on the services it offers, there are those who are attracted to the little things that can make a world of difference to a travel-weary guest -- for example, a good spa. Remarks Saad: "We once carried out a survey of business travellers in the Middle East division at Starwood hotels. We discovered that business travellers are more interested in the comfort of the bed and the cleanliness of the room, even more than the location of the hotel."
One thing is for certain: the demand for hotels catering to business travellers is on the rise. Where there is a need, the hotel industry rarely fails to provide. Several new business-oriented hotels are under construction, including Le Royal Meridien tower, to be situated next to the Meridien Hotel and another Four Seasons, which will be across the street from Le Meridien. Five-star hotels are mushrooming in the business-centred 6 October City, which is now easily accessible due to the new Ring Road that will eventually circle Greater Cairo.
Have the luxury hotels designed for leisure travellers been left in the dust? Naturally, a rise in business travel has not signalled a decline in good, old holiday visitors. And yet, the business trend cannot be ignored, and everyone wants to jump on the band wagon. Some hotels have attempted to adapt by adding new facilities, business centres and offering secretarial services and translators. Even hotels outside Cairo, including those in Upper Egypt and along the Red Sea coast, are determined not to be left out. These days we hear about conferences being held in Luxor, Aswan, Sharm Al-Sheikh and Taba. The high-level Middle East peace talks that have been held at Sharm Al-Sheikh and Taba have urged hoteliers in out-of-the-way areas to draw attention to their business and press facilities.
The Hilton Hotel, Taba, for example, recently offered a package deal targeted at business travellers offering special rates and conference incentives. "We have all the necessary conference requirements, ranging from audio-visual equipment to projectors and screens," said Haitham Mahmoud, reservation executive at the hotel. "However, rooms are not equipped with business facilities, as is the case with hotels in Cairo. But we do have a comprehensive business centre."
The Conrad's Elawadi suggests that Cairo is "a tough city to do any business in." A business traveller faces problems from the minute he arrives in the country, starting with EgyptAir and its erratic schedule. The airport itself, notes Elawadi, lacks clear signs and helpful staff. Travellers suffer frustration passing through customs and the first thing they encounter when they step out the door is taxi drivers hustling for customers. "Then comes the traffic!" Elawadi moans. "The hotel should be the sanctuary. I believe that most of us are doing a reasonable job, but if we are going to satisfy this kind of tourist, we will have to be more critical of what's going on and make every effort to get more organised."
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