It's all about lifestyles

One of the fascinating aspects of the travel industry is that it is always - and I do mean ALWAYS - changing. Whoever coined the phrase "Never a dull moment" surely was referring to this multibillion-dollar industry.

Airline-watching alone makes for remarkable theater. Air carriers swing from the verge of bankruptcy to modest profitability and back again with regularity. Airlines fly to new markets with much fanfare and then disappear with a vaporous whimper when hometown carriers launch deep fare discounts. It's like watching John Wayne square off against the bad guy in the dusty town square.

Things heat up, too, when airline management and its labor counterparts clash, clam up, charge and countercharge. Top airline executives steal off with obscene salaries and bonuses, even when they fail at what they were hired to do. And the world looks on, shaking its collective head.

Rental car issues

The rental car industry is also fascinating. Fee after fee is tacked on to base rates, adding as much as 50 percent to the rental cost. After-the-fact damage charges are leveled on unsuspecting renters who insist - without question - that they returned the car in exactly the same condition they received it days earlier.

Fill the tank as agreed when you return the vehicle or they'll slap on a top-off fee of a few (or lots) more dollars.

On and on it goes. Amazing stuff, and all of it guaranteed to make life on the road that much more difficult.

Hotel hopscotch

The hotel scene of this blockbuster extravaganza is intriguing because it's The Quiet One. Sure, new properties open while others close or resurface in a new guise, but that's rarely a headline-grabber.

Re-flagging - what happens when that Four Points Sheraton you've always stayed at suddenly becomes a Wyndham - is so common worldwide that there's little sense of loss or displacement as properties hopscotch among major management companies, flying this banner one year, that one the next. If the mattress still has a cushy pillow-top and the airport shuttle runs 24/7, a simple name change isn't earthshaking news.

In fact, there is plenty going on in the hotel industry, much of it quietly and much of it good for business travelers. Because we all need good news from time to time, I have been collecting hotel tidbits for several months. I share them herewith:

There's a new emphasis on lodging for the tech-savvy traveler who wants more bang for the buck and a hotel room that reflects his or her lifestyle - free Wi-Fi, the latest flat-panel TV, personal media plug-ins, caf? in the lobby serving creative coffee drinks a la Starbucks, and an around-the-clock fitness center.

Cambria Suites

Cambria Suites described as "Pier One meets Wolfgang Puck." The fledgling chain, brainchild of Choice Hotels, first opened last year in Boise, Idaho, now has properties in Akron, Ohio; Bloomington, Minnesota; Savannah, Georgia; and right in our backyard: Appleton and Green Bay. Up to 50 hotels are in development stages nationally.

Hyatt Place

Hyatt Place (most of them converted AmeriSuites properties) tossed out the traditional employee training program and initiated cross-training in multiple departments.

Guests can check in using a self-service kiosk or with the help of one of the omnipresent Gallery Hosts, order food or energize in the gym, 24 hours a day.

A swipe of a key card charges front lobby caf? items to rooms that are lifestyle conscious - 510-square-foot suites with Hyatt's Grand Bed and a large living area, a 42-inch high-definition TV and free wireless internet access.

There are already several Hyatt Place properties around the country with several more slated to open in 2008, including two in Milwaukee.

Hotel Indigo

Hotel Indigo is a new Intercontinental Hotels Group boutique concept said to provide "an oasis in the city - urban renewal meets beach-house chic," according to one enthusiastic review.

Prepare for a bold d?cor (updated regularly to reflect the seasons) with hardwood floors and painted furniture. On the Hotel Indigo Web site, create a Haiku verse and music selections "just for you." Traveling with a pet? Bring Fido or Fluffy with you - pets are welcome!

Fourteen properties are currently open with more planned across the country.

Best Western

Even Best Western, that nothing-fancy middle-of-the-road collection of hotels and motels that caters to the leisure traveler, is jumping on stage.

Its new prototype, named Atria, will showcase bigger lobbies that are multipurpose and customized facilities for business travelers.

They want "to be able to compete against the Courtyard Marriotts of the world," said David King, Best Western's president and chief executive. Look for first openings this year.

Want more evidence that hotel designers and developers have creative juices flowing? Read on:

No longer will you have to park your much-loved Harley in the garage when business takes you to Milwaukee. By mid-summer, you can rumble on over and check in at the soon-to-open Iron Horse Hotel, described as the first luxury boutique hotel geared toward business travelers and the growing segment of motorcycle enthusiasts.

In addition to wireless internet, a business center and fully-equipped meeting rooms, The Iron Horse Hotel will offer secured covered motorcycle parking, rag bins, an on site bike wash, packed saddle bag lunches, and lots more. Check out this unique concept.

Home away from home

Extended-stay properties have been thinking about you too. The numbers of business travelers who count their road trips by weeks or months are increasing every year, and hotel companies who provide them with lodging are taking note. For example:

Homewood Suites (owned by Hilton) will stock your suite refrigerator for you when you fill out a grocery list at the front desk or complete it online. You can download the list.

• Rent a Marriott ExecuStay apartment and they'll even move the furniture around to your liking. You can bring your pooch along here, too - they'll round up a pet bed, recommend a veterinarian, a groomer, and - if you're simply too busy - they'll even walk your dog.

Clearly, there is plenty happening in the world of hotel rooms. In the first 10 months of 2007 alone, 34 new hotel brands launched in the U.S., according to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the highest number since 1989.

While room rates are rising, particularly in major cities, the good news is the growing selection for business travelers.

The building boom will continue to push product into the hotel pipeline, but prices will likely moderate with increased selection and the pressure of tightening corporate travel policies.

Good news indeed!

Betty Stark is a Madison travel industry consultant and business travel writer with 25 years' experience.