Mandarin in DC top convention and business destination
The critical business-traveler and convention market in Washington, DC, got another boost when The Mandarin Oriental Washington D.C. took top honors in a survey of chief executive officers.
They were ranking the best hotels in the world for business travelers.
The annual survey, conducted by the trade publication Institutional Investor, measures room quality, service, dining, location and overall design.
This is the first year in the survey’s 26-year history that a District hotel won the top spot.
Mandarin Oriental opened less than three years ago and has since become one of the most popular convention hotels in the city. In 2006, the Mandarin hosted 453 events and conferences; about 90 percent of its visitors were either corporate or convention guests.
The business-traveler market is a major part of the region’s overall tourism industry. In 2005, 49 percent — or 14.1 million — of all travelers to the Washington area were business travelers, according to figures from the Washington, D.C. Convention, & Tourism Corp., and 35 percent of those traveled here for a convention.
The Mandarin Oriental, which has four other U.S. locations and numerous hotels throughout Asia and Europe, has done several things to set itself apart as a top convention hotel, said Renee Sharrow, a Mandarin Oriental spokeswoman.
“For example, meeting planners can book spa meeting breaks for convention-goers as a way to recharge during a full day of meetings,” she said.
Ms Sharrow said business travelers like it because of its proximity to Reagan National Airport, Union Station and the Capitol.
Report by David Wilkening
David
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