As the travel industry experiences its first peak season since the start of the pandemic, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts commissioned a survey of more than 1,200 U.S. consumers to better understand business travel habits. The research found that 65 percent of Millennials (ages 25–44) and 59 percent of Gen Z (ages 18–24) prefer to work for a company that offers frequent travel or flexible blended travel as a perk. Blended travel combines business trips with leisure time, allowing travelers to mix work and personal experiences in one trip.
Holiday Inn & Suites ® Atlanta Perimeter – Dunwoody © IHG
In response to growing demand, Crowne Plaza accelerated expansion plans: 107 new hotels adding 27,342 guest rooms are expected over the next three years, and the brand plans renovations for 50 percent of its portfolio—more than 400 hotels. As business travel continues to rebound, several properties are exemplifying the blended-travel approach, such as Crowne Plaza HY36 Midtown Manhattan, Crowne Plaza North Augusta and Crowne Plaza Asheville, along with new hotels in Vietnam, Hungary, Poland and Australia. Each property emphasizes thoughtful design tailored to modern business travelers, whether they prefer a focused work area or a more social, flexible setting.
To better define the needs of travelers combining business and leisure, Crowne Plaza published The Future of Blended Travel white paper, which highlights four emerging sub-trends:
- Reworking Work: Travelers are choosing hotels and resorts in desirable locations as bases for remote, flexible working.
- Hybrid Living, Hybrid Lives: More business travelers plan to extend work trips with leisure days, prioritizing flexibility supported by new workplace practices.
- Upskilling and Side-Hustles: Travelers use trips to seek inspiration, cultivate skills and build professional or creative networks.
- A New Care Economy: Families—including children and grandparents—are traveling more, seeking experiences that accommodate multi-generational needs.
Crowne Plaza ® Kearney © IHG
Crowne Plaza properties are designed to serve blended travelers with purposeful services and spaces that support both work and leisure. Plaza Workspace areas offer options for solo concentration and collaborative meetings, while creative spaces like The Studio let guests work, dine and socialize in one dynamic environment. WorkLife guest rooms provide comfort, connectivity and flexible layouts with distinct zones to maximize space and functionality for every traveler’s needs.
Holiday Inn® hotels also cater to blended travelers by delivering warmth, consistency and familiar service. With nearly 1,200 hotels worldwide and more than 500 across the United States, Holiday Inn emphasizes restful sleep, adaptable meeting spaces, complimentary business services and fitness centers. Many locations feature full-service restaurants and bars, 24/7 sundry shops and markets, welcoming lobbies and multifunction guest rooms that support both work and leisure.
For companies and travelers seeking adaptable business travel options, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Holiday Inn hotels—along with the broader IHG® Hotels & Resorts family—offer flexible solutions and thoughtfully designed spaces to support the evolving needs of blended travel.