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Business with pleasure: how to turn work-related travel into a mini escape - Travel

Lori L. Tharps

The check-in lines are long, your patience is short, and, to top it off, you're traveling for business, which means you'll likely be sequestered in a chilly conference room for much of the time you're away. It's enough to make anyone a little testy.

Sure, work-related travel comes with some baggage--namely stress--but there axe ways to minimize it. We asked a few frequent flyers and other insiders for tips that will help you take the bite out of business travel--and even allow you to squeeze in some much-needed downtime.

PLAN AHEAD

Some solutions, like leaving early for the airport so you don't risk missing your flight, should be standard practice. Other ideas:

BOOK FLIGHTS EARLY This ensures that you'll get better fares and seating. One seasoned traveler we spoke with always requests a window scat. "Some of my most memorable moments have been in the air, above the fray," she says. "Looking down on the clouds can be so soothing and relaxing."

DEAL DIRECTLY WITH HOTELS Book reservations on your own instead of using a third party like your company's travel agency. There's often room for negotiation on price and procedures. "Many tour-star hotels are even allowing people to bid for or choose their own price," says Tia Gordon, a spokeswoman for the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Request a quiet room--one away from the elevators and ice machine--with plenty of light. And if you have a favorite room at a hotel, make note of the room number and reserve it well in advance. Smaller boutique hotels offer more personalized services for business travelers, such as delivering faxes to your morn.

USE OVERNIGHT DELIVERY If you have lots of reading materials or other heavy items you don't have to keep with you, send them to your hotel ahead of time by Express Mail. Bring packing slips with you so you can do the same on your return trip.

STAY OVER A SATURDAY The price of your airline ticket can drop dramatically if your stay includes a Saturday night. If the savings on a ticket is more than the cost of an additional night at the hotel, your company could foot the hotel bill and still come out ahead, says Renee Russell-Pregler, president of Russell Pregler Associates LLC, a management con suiting firm in New Jersey. "If you're saving your company money, it's an easy negotiation," she says.

PUT FUN ON THE AGENDA Look up restaurants, cultural events and entertainment options in the area where you'll be staying before you arrive so you can schedule some fun into your itinerary. Cheek out such Web sites as cityseareh.com and zagat.com, or invest in a good guidebook like the Time Out series (visit timeout.com), which specializes in local hot spots.

BREEZE THROUGH SECURITY Invest in a travel ID holder you can wear around your neck, available at TravelSmith ([800] 950-1600 or travelsmith.com) or Magellan's ([800] 962-4943 or magellans.com). It can hold your photo ID, passport and boarding pass so you won't have to dig them out at every checkpoint.

BRING TREATS Stock your carry-on with items that will keep you feeling refreshed during long trips, such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, moisturizing cream, bottled water, your favorite fragrance, even a lightweight wrap to fend off a chili. To make your stay more enjoyable, pack your softest pj's and cozy socks, an aromatherapy candle, you r favorite tunes or an eye mask, for example.

ASK FOR PERKS

Thanks in part to a decrease in overall travel after September 11 and to a sluggish economy, the hotel industry has been upgrading services without necessarily upgrading prices. To take advantage:

CHOOSE AMENITIES THAT SUIT YOU Whether the hotel features a rooftop swimming pool or exotic bath treatments, choose one that will make you feel as if you're getting special care. Check out Wyndham's ByRequest program (typical amenities include a fluffy robe and snacks) or the Omni's Ideal Living program (they'll bring fitness equipment to your room and leave nutritious snacks in the minibar).

DON'T BE SHY ABOUT SWITCHING If the room you're assigned doesn't work for you (it's too close to the elevators or smells of cigarette smoke), ask to be moved. A manager will often offer an upgrade, such as a room with a view, to keep guests happy.

MAXIMIZE PERSONAL TIME

"Grab a good book and a glass of wine, order a movie, and relax," says Linda Spradley Dunn, president and CEO of the travel magazine Odyssey Couleur. "We have to give ourselves permission to retool and recharge."

SEEK OUT SPA OPTIONS Stay at a hotel with in-house spa services and make an appointment for a massage upon arrival, Dunn says many hotel chains have beefed up their spa services and facilities to make them more luxurious. You can also check out spafinder.com for a comprehensive listing.

RING UP SOME ROOM SERVICE These days, most everything can be customized, from a massage in your own room to a personalized yoga class. The Marriott chain even delivers pints of Haagen-Dazs ice cream to its guests.

HAVE A PLAN B

Travel delays and cancellations come with the territory, so be sure to bring some reading material or work that can help pass the time. Or visit one of the increasingly popular airport spas, which offer everything from five-minute back rubs to manicures. "You don't have to make an appointment," says Betsy Isroelit of spafinder.com, which also lists these spas. "These businesses are pretty much set up for walk-ins."

Lori L. Tharps is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn.

Don't let business trips work you. Instead get something positive out of the experience. "If your business trip is your only escape from everyday life, use it as an opportunity for some much-needed pampering," says writer LORI L. THARPS. In "Business With Pleasure" (page 192), she offers practical strategies--from making reservations to investigating spa services at your hotel--to help you customize business travel that feels good all along the way.

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