Four Points by Sheraton Survey Reveals Mobile Device Habits of Business Travelers Worldwide

  Four Points by Sheraton Survey Reveals Mobile Device Habits of Business
  Travelers Worldwide

Left to Their Own “Devices,” Road Warriors are Pros at Connecting on the Road

Business Wire

STAMFORD, Conn. -- August 20, 2012

When today’s road warriors hit the trail, they are armed with three or four
mobile devices to help them stay connected to office and home. They are more
inclined to carry a tablet than a laptop. And, when these business travelers
communicate with the home front from their hotel room, they are most likely do
so with a video chat.

These are among the results of a hotel business and technology study
commissioned by Four Points by Sheraton, a Starwood Hotels and Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) brand. The survey polled a total of 6,000 business
travelers globally, 1,000 each from the United States, the United Kingdom,
China, India, Germany and Brazil. Four Points, with the second largest brand
pipeline in the Starwood portfolio, is growing rapidly across nearly 30
countries and carefully monitors the needs and habits of business travelers as
part of its commitment to remain “best for business.” Four Points is perfectly
positioned to help keep business travelers connected, offering fast,
complimentary WiFi in public spaces at all of its hotels around the world.
Complimentary in-room Internet access is also provided across the entire North
American division.

Brian McGuinness, Starwood’s senior vice president, specialty select brands,
commented, “The Four Points study contains compelling results, including
evidence that trends such as staying in touch with family via video chat –
preferred even over email, text and phone – are accelerating.” McGuinness
continued, “The study affirms that the Four Points brand is meeting a
continued need by offering complimentary WiFi or in-room Internet access, and
by continuing to expand bandwidth throughout the portfolio. We know what our
business travelers want and we don’t nickel and dime them – we just deliver
it.” Among the key findings:

How business travelers connect

  * They travel with 3-4 mobile devices. The majority (55%) of respondents
    bring three or four devices with them on the road. This is true across all
    nationalities. Brazilian respondents were more likely than others to
    juggle five or more devices while traveling (27%), while Germans were the
    least device-dependent, with 33% reporting they travel with only one or
    two.
  * Smartphones are their #1 device. What three or four devices are
    respondents likely to bring? Smartphones are tops (74%), followed by
    tablets (65%), music players (43%) and laptops (32%). Chinese respondents
    were the only group to bump laptops out of the top four, in favor of
    cameras (30%).
  * Business travelers are glued to those smartphones. After landing, the
    majority (54%) turn on their smartphone while the plane is still taxiing
    on the tarmac, while 12% -- ahem -- never turn it off in the first place.
    The remaining respondents wait until they’re in the terminal or settle
    into their taxi/car (17% each).

    Checking their smartphone is also the first thing respondents do when they
    wake up in their hotel (36%). Only 19% turn on the TV first and 18% take a
    shower. Checking Facebook (12%) ranks fourth, while checking Twitter and
    calling home share a distant fifth (7%).

  * Tablets beat laptops. Nearly seven in 10 respondents (68%) use their
    tablet more often than their laptop, and accordingly a similar number
    (69%), if told they could take only one of the two on the road, would
    choose to travel with their tablet.

Why business travelers connect

  * To keep up with email. For most respondents, the primary purpose of
    traveling with mobile devices is to keep up with email on the road (90%).
    This is followed by internet browsing and social networking (75%), and
    maintaining communication with the office (73%). Least popular: reading a
    book (43%).

    In addition to all their hand-held technology, the majority of respondents
    report that they have visited a hotel business center (66%). They mostly
    do so to print business items (93%). They are also inclined to use the
    business center to print personal items (87%), check social networking
    (87%) and check email (86%).

  * To stay abreast of the news. Overall, respondents are likely to subscribe
    to 4-7 RSS news feeds (46%), although respondents from India are more
    likely to subscribe to only 1-3 (55%). Reuters is by far the most popular
    news feed at 21%, followed by the BBC (15%) and The New York Times (7%).
  * To make their lives easier. More than 60% of total respondents believe
    that traveling with technology makes their lives significantly easier and
    more convenient. However, the majority of German respondents report their
    lives are only somewhat eased by technology (53%), and 14% of Germans
    believe it makes life harder.

Business travelers’ communicating style

  * They :) and LOL! Most respondents report they use emoticons (72%) and
    shorthand (77%) in their daily texts and emails. They do consider
    shorthand inappropriate when applying for a job (84%), sending condolences
    (67%) or emailing their boss (66%), but less so when emailing their
    mother-in-law (38%).
  * For friends and family, nothing beats face time. To communicate with
    family, friends and loved ones back home, the majority of business
    travelers prefer to video chat/conference (67%) versus sending an email or
    picking up the phone (47% each). Instant messaging or texting is the least
    popular means (37%). Almost eight in 10 get dressed, do their hair and
    make-up before a video chat/conference. Chinese travelers are the most
    inclined to primp (85%) while Americans are the least (71%).
  * NSFW? Intriguingly, the majority of respondents report that when they’re
    traveling, their spouse/partner is more likely to surprise them with a
    sexy video chat (56%) than have flowers delivered to their room (17%) or
    mail them a card (12%). Brits and Americans have a slight edge on this
    particular perk (61% each), while Brazilians are more likely to be left
    out in the cold (44%).

About Four Points by Sheraton

Great Hotels. Great Rates: With over 160 Four Points by Sheraton hotels in
nearly 30 countries, travelers can find the timeless style and comfort they’re
looking for with genuine service and everything that matters most, all around
the world. From Santiago to Shanghai and Milan to Milwaukee, Four Points
hotels can be found in big urban centers, by the airport, near the beach, and
in the suburbs. A recent $1 billion invested in renovations, conversions, and
new-build hotels has made the brand stronger than ever.

Four Points by Sheraton, like all brands within Starwood’s portfolio, is proud
to offer the Starwood Preferred Guest® program, which offers a breakthrough
policy of no blackout dates on Free Night Awards. To learn more, visit
www.spg.com. Stay connected to Four Points on Facebook at
facebook.com/fourpoints.

About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and
leisure companies in the world with 1,112 properties in nearly 100 countries
and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully
integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences
with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis^®, The Luxury
Collection^®, W^®, Westin^®, Le Méridien^®, Sheraton^®, Four Points^® by
Sheraton, Aloft^®, and Element^SM. The Company boasts one of the industry’s
leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to
earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no
blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a
premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style
resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please
visit www.starwoodhotels.com.

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