Traveling for business is an age-old tradition for Americans working across almost every industry, and whatever the reason, they pose a range of opportunities. From sightseeing in places you wouldn’t otherwise visit, to experience local delicacies, from the outside it seems almost too good to be true. Although the reality of most business trips ends up being that you’re too tired from traveling and working to get out and enjoy wherever it is you’re visiting.
Thankfully, there is a relatively simple solution that can make it a much more enjoyable experience: coming up with an itinerary and taking control of your time. In this article, I’ll be looking at how to make the most of a business trip to St Louis, but this can be applied anywhere.
How about staying in a hotel with pool on roof sipping cocktails? Sound good?
Here is a brief look at how you can make the most of a St Louis business trip.
Clarify Work Expectations Well-in-Advance
This is one of the most important things you can do before going on a business trip and will be instrumental in planning how you’ll spend your time. Depending on the reason, or even your industry, you may only be expected to attend one meeting over the length of a weekend, for example.
Once you know when you’ll be working you can organize some time to prepare yourself beforehand, as well as relaxing and rewarding activities afterward.
What to Do Before Working
Although they may not admit it, most people will feel slightly uneasy when they’re waiting for a meeting to begin, especially when in a foreign place. A great solution for this might be to visit an inspiring local attraction, for example in St Louis the Gateway Arch which is considered the “Gateway to the West”. Visiting the arch can invoke feelings of wonder at the achievements of pioneering heroes such as Lewis and Clark, who set out from St Louis on their expedition, one of the oldest known forms of a business trip.
What to Do After Working
While it may seem like a good time to go sightseeing, we often underestimate how exhausting work can be. Instead, consider planning some food or drink at a nice location like a hotel with pool on roof, of which there are a few in St Louis. If this sounds a bit too low energy, then a walk around one of the more casual attractions like Laclede’s Landing will do you wonders.
Find your Hotel or Room Where You Want to Be
It’s typical on business trips to have your accommodation organized for you, but sadly this is often dictated by affordability more than the convenience of your stay. Instead of just going with what they decide, ask if you can have any input on where you’ll be staying and whether they can help to cover the costs of an alternative room.
This will allow you to find a hotel that is located in or around the more touristed districts throughout St Louis or wherever you may be. Alternatively, if you’ve been booked into one of the busier districts, you might want to find a quieter location to give you the peace you need to focus on work.
Be sure to consider the amenities they offer in relation to how you’d like to spend your time, for example, a hotel with pool on roof will give you a place to keep up exercise routines and wind down when necessary.
Investigate What to Do Before Going and Plan
Each city has its own vibe to it, and with that comes a range of supporting attractions, events, and experiences which can provide a taste of that cultural sensation. As with clarifying your work expectations, the sooner you investigate what you can’t miss, and what you’d like to see, the better.
What You Can’t-Miss
There are some attractions and experiences which may seem totally unmissable, whether they hold personal significance or are regarded as something of personal intrigue. Figure out what you can’t miss in St Louis, whether it be the riverboat cruises or the St Louis Science Center, and make an itinerary that includes these attractions but also has plenty of space for others.
What You’d Like to See
It often goes when traveling that we find ourselves with substantially more or less time than we’d planned or expected. That’s where picking a few things you’d like to see can help, as it can give you something to do during the lulls that pop up.
Whether you end up in a hotel with pool on roof sipping cocktails looking out over the Mississippi River, or immersed in culture at the Forest Park, I hope your business trip in St Louis is both productive and enjoyable.