As part of its million pound refurbishment project, the Claremont Hotel recently commissioned an independent survey of businessmen and women on the Island, to determine exactly what they consider important when travelling for business. Some of the results were expected. It was no surprise to Sleepwell Hotels, the owners of the Claremont, that 80% of respondents felt that complimentary WiFi was ‘important’ or ‘very important’ in their choice of rooms, or that 96% felt similarly about the location of the hotel and 88% about the quality of the shower. However, some of the results were considerably more unusual. It would have been difficult to predict that 44% of respondents would feel that the type of flooring was a major factor in their enjoyment of a room. 36% also thought they would be swayed by the availability of iPod docking facilities. Conversely, businessmen were largely unconcerned by traditional selling points such as conference facilities, which 76% felt were ‘unimportant’ or ‘neutral’ in their choice of hotel for business purposes. The Claremont has used the results to tailor their newly renovated executive suites to the needs and preferences of the business community. The 22 new rooms have cost in excess of ?50,000 each to renovate, while the industry standard is less than ?20,000 per room. In addition to luxurious wet rooms, king size beds with Tempur mattresses and free high speed WiFi, the rooms also feature the more unusual elements highlighted by the survey. These include imported timber floors, iPod docking stations, free Sky Sports on 32” flat screen plasma TVs and luxury botanical Aveda toiletries. Mark Wilson, Managing Director of The Sleepwell Hotel Group, commented on the refurbishment project: “We wanted to raise the bar for corporate hospitality on the Island, and the independently run survey was a part of that project. We have used the results to create a truly unique bedroom experience on the Island, which will set the standard for years to come. That new experience builds on top of our existing qualities which also ranked highly in the survey results, including our excellent location, sea views and excellent Coast Restaurant.” Mark continued: “This is a major investment in international-standard business accommodation in the heart of Douglas. We believe that it will reflect well not just on us as a hotel but also on the Isle of Man as a whole. The experience visitors to the Island have of their hotel can be one of the most lasting impressions of their entire trip. By providing a high quality environment, we hope to give them a positive impression of the Island as a place to do business in the future.” The refurbishment project is almost complete, with the first of the new rooms available from the beginning of October. http://www.sleepwellhotels.com ENDS