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Crew Lodging Services: What Travel Managers Should Look For When Booking Workforce Travel

Jan 10, 2023

Learn what you should look for to keep your crew safe and comfortable when booking your workforce travel.

There are many details to consider when booking a business trip: cost, location, amenities, schedules, and more. When booking crew travel, these details must be considered on a larger scale, so planning can quickly become overwhelming.

Learn what separates crew travel from corporate travel and what crew lodging amenities you should look for to keep your crew safe and comfortable when booking your workforce travel.

What Makes Crew Travel Different?

Any travel manager understands the intricacies involved in booking crew trips. They must find a hotel or lodge as close to the worksite as possible with crew lodging amenities, extended bookings, and excellent customer service — all for the best possible cost.

Number of People Traveling

Perhaps the most significant difference between corporate and crew travel is how many people are traveling together. Corporate workers typically travel in small groups of one-to-five people, while workforce crews often travel in groups of anywhere from five-to- 45 people at a time.

Crew members walking toward their work site

Nature of Job & Reason For Travel

The difference in the number of people traveling for work is often dependent on the nature of the job. For example, corporate workers travel for business conferences or meetings, but crews travel for workforce projects.

These crews typically work in oil & gas, mining, construction, or other industries where projects take weeks or months to complete.

Length of Stay

Since projects can’t be completed in days, crews need housing to accommodate longer stays. So instead of staying for one-to-two nights like corporate travelers, workforce crews often stay anywhere from five-to-45 nights on a single trip.

Proximity to the Worksite

Crew travel managers must consider the proximity of accommodation from the job site. Crews often travel to tertiary markets where public transportation is not readily available. If your workers don’t have vehicles, you’ll either need to coordinate daily travel arrangements or find something close enough to the work site to avoid worrying about transportation.

Crew Amenities

Your crews will require specific accommodations that corporate travelers don’t, such as kitchenettes or meal service, parking for large vehicles, and quiet hours. These amenities should be taken into account when finding temporary accommodation for crews.

Which Amenities do Crew Travelers Need?

Remember, this will be their home away from home for an extended period of time. It’s your responsibility as a travel manager to find something that is comfortable and safe.

In general, you will need to find accommodation that:

Can accommodate crews of five-to-50 people.
Is close to the work site.
Supports unconventional schedules.
Accommodates large vehicle parking.
Includes on-site amenities to assist with project-based work.

Your crews might work unusual hours, starting earlier and ending later. Understanding unique lodging arrangements and catering to their unique needs will make all the difference in your crews’ experience.

Things like 24-hour meal availability or grocery delivery are services proven to boost the satisfaction of traveling workers.

Consider the distance between the location of the lodging and the location of the worksite. The closer crews are, the less they’ll have to stress about long commutes that lead to a lack of sleep and safety risks. (Not to mention, your company will spend less on transportation costs.)

It would also help if you also considered the accommodation's distance from nearby amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, or entertainment areas. Staying close to these areas can also allow your crews to socialize, promoting a healthier work-life balance even when away from home.

Guaranteed Parking

Imagine working 12 hours of physical labor and returning to the hotel to find no parking spots. This is just another stressor that makes crew travel unique. Keep your crews happy by booking accommodation to accommodate large work trucks or having guaranteed parking.

Traditional Amenities

We’ve mentioned that your travelers need to find accommodation with some unique crew travel amenities, but some basic ones will make their stay enjoyable too. Wifi, fitness facilities, and meal services are some of the basic hotel amenities that are a must.

Non-traditional Amenities

In addition to those basic amenities, crew travelers must also find accommodation with laundry services, 24-hour dining areas, and mail services. Amenities such as the ones listed offer the least disruption to their everyday routines, which could help ease the stress of the trip.

24/7 Contact With Hotel Managers

Between unconventional work hours and check-in/check-out times, it’s essential that your crews have 24/7 access to communication with a hotel manager. As problems arise, you can feel confident they’ll be resolved quickly at any time.

Find Accommodation With Your Crew’s Travel Needs With a Workforce Travel Management System

Booking crew travel doesn’t have to be complicated. LodgeLink’s innovative technology is designed with the complexities of crew travel in mind. Using our platform, you can:

Find and book accommodations online that suits your crew size (whether five or 45) and your budget using search filters and map layers
Access negotiated rates with thousands of hotel and lodge properties listed on the platform throughout Canada and the United States
Search by coordinates, large truck parking, after-meal service or other formats

When you find the accommodation that meets all of your crew’s needs, book it directly on our platform. Leverage our experience in workforce travel management to help you plan your next project.