The meaning of the lyrics "You can check out any time you like but you can never leave" in the Eagles song from the 70s has many interpretations at least one of which can be applied to today's business traveler per a new study of 1,000 travelers commissioned by Samsung that found that 57% never left their hotels.

The Times of London reports that "more than half of business travelers don't leave the confines of their hotel when on a business trip. What's more, one in four never even leave their rooms". While 58% of guests in the study say the thing they miss most of all on their business trips is their partner, some 38% say it is their pillow, 28% their home entertainment system and 12% their teddy bear.

The Times report notes that "with hotel guests demanding much more of their in-room entertainment systems, two thirds of respondents to the survey said that the gadgets and gizmos offered by hotels is now a major part governing the ultimate choice of hotel".

Other interesting revelations from the survey include the fact that guest behavior is different if hotels are not upto snuff when it comes to their tech offerrings with as many as 36% of those surveyed saying they "would boycott future visits" and 32% saying they "would moan about it to friends, family and on travel websites". As many as 23% would actively switch hotels to find one with better gadgets.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Samsung's representative said that "typically, Generation Y respondents, particularly business travellers, are not shy about making their technology demands known and their loyalty is based on using stylish, functional entertainment systems that they're already comfortable with. Most worryingly, [some travelers] don't give hoteliers the right to reply or to improve their systems. They simply never return to the same hotel again".Seems like a marketing challenge for hotels to rise to. 

Vijay is Chief Operating Officer and part-founder of Apple Core Hotels- a chain of 5 midtown Manhattan hotels offering value and comfort in the heart of the city.Member of the board of Directors - Hotel Association of New York. www.vijaydandapani.com