Airport hotel properties might not be a perfect fit for every event, but for groups and planners willing to bypass a downtown setting for the sake of time and convenience they should definitely be on the radar.
Meetings Focus South spoke recently with executives from two meetings-friendly airport hotels in the South: Vince Vito, director of sales and marketing for the Grand Hyatt DFW, and Neel Shah, president of the hotel management company Hotel Evolution, representing the Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Airport. They graciously shared their insights on recent group trends, the pluses and minuses of airport hotel events and more. Here’s the takeoff takeaway!
Timely Trends
When it comes to what they’ve seen from recent groups touching down at their properties, there is a common denominator for the two execs—shorter lead times.
“We have seen a trend in group bookings made with short term booking windows, for example, approximately a two-week period between the booking and the event date,” Shah remarks, adding that most weekday groups are corporate and most weekend groups are SMERF at the Atlanta airport property.
“Meetings have become more and more short-term, with many programs sourcing and happening within 30 days,” chimes in Vito of the Grand Hyatt DFW. “The meeting sizes continue to be smaller and it seems like arrival patterns are becoming less and less flexible.”
Changing Perceptions
The acceptance of airport properties as reliable—and even attractive—event venues appears to have reached full fruition, and the reality is that airport properties are doing more and more to compete with their traditional hotel counterparts.
“I believe the Grand Hyatt DFW is a great case study on this topic [of changing perceptions],” Vito remarks. “For years airport properties have been held in a lesser regard compared to other properties. But we were able to break that mold completely by providing a level of quality and service that was never before seen at an airport property. Since planners are trying to do more with less, more and more meetings are going to airport properties. This forces the hotels to provide a better product and service level if they want to keep that business coming back.”
Shah chips in that the past decade has seen airports become popular choices for meetings and groups, and often offering more extras than other properties—such as a shuttle service or free Wi-Fi. The success has apparently fed off of itself, with more activity going on with such properties locally.
“In the past 10 years, the Atlanta Airport market has become more aggressive,” Shah says, “with an increase in hotels being built in the area.”
Pluses and Minuses
Both Shah and Vito were on board with similar positives and negatives about hosting airport property events.
For Shah, a main draw is the easy access for a variety of guests coming from various locations.
“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the largest airport in the world [based on both number of flights per day and passenger volume], therefore hosting a meeting near the Atlanta airport is a great choice for guests coming from out of town,” Shah remarks. “The Atlanta International Airport offers a large number of direct flights to and from many destinations worldwide.”
He adds that “airport properties that offer complimentary shuttle service and free parking can save travelers from the hassle of having to rent a car, drive in a unfamiliar city, and pay expensive downtown parking fees.”
As for possible downsides, Shah mentions that while the Atlanta Airport is only five miles from downtown Atlanta, the airport market hotels are not directly downtown, which some travelers prefer, and that—if not built with sound insulation—airport hotels can often experience noise from planes flying overhead and car traffic at nearby interstates.
“The location is the plus and the minus usually,” Vito remarks. “The ultimate positive is the convenience factor. That is felt in several ways including lower transportation costs, more travel time saved and less distractions for the attendees. The minus side of the location has to do with walkable entertainment options.”
Tips for Event TakeOff
When it comes to advice for hosting an airport property event, Vito urges planners to take everything into account, including the fact that time is money.
“Look at the big picture,” he says. “Time is a precious commodity and it is hard to beat airport hotels when it comes to saving time. It is also hard to overlook the transportation savings. In many places it can cost $50 one-way to get to a downtown location from the airport. By saving on those types of costs you can put that money to better use enhancing the actual meeting.”
For his part, Shah says finding added lures—on-site and nearby—can be important even when picking an airport-based lodging.
Shah says planners should look for hotels that include free on-site parking; free airport shuttle service; free high speed Internet access; close proximity to nearby attractions and points of interest; on-site dining and restaurants within walking distance; a new or renovated property with updated features; and a Designated Meeting Professional on-site.”
