'Super-commuters' are a great catch for hotels

• Super-commuters travel at least 90 miles to work%2C twice a week
• Extended-stay hotels cater to super-commuters
• Slow job and housing markets contribute to trend

There's almost no request that the employees at the Hotel Zero Degrees in Stamford, Conn., won't grant their regulars.

To the energy company employee who asked if he could store his motorcycle and helmet when he went back home to visit family for the weekend, the answer was a resounding yes. Never mind that there are only 45 parking spots for 97 rooms.

To the investment banker who wanted to have a Naked protein juice in his room every time he checked in, the answer again was yes. Never mind that there wasn't a single shop near the hotel that carried that product.

When the Hotel Zero Degrees, a relatively new boutique hotel, is sold out, about 15% of its guests are what are known as super-commuters, those who travel more than 90 miles to get to and from work twice a week by various modes of transportation. This brand of road warrior has become a more frequent guest at hotels across the country, and hoteliers say they've had to tweak the way they operate to accommodate their unique needs.

"It is our philosophy and it is our style to go above and beyond whatever the guest wants," says Mia Schipani, vice president of business development at RMS Companies, the developer of Hotel Zero Degrees. "We're able to be flexible, and we're able to do anything to make our super-commuters feel comfortable."

According to a report released last year by researchers at New York University's Rudin Center for Transportation, super-commuters make up only about 3% to 13% of the workforce in the nation's major metropolitan areas, depending on the city. Yet their numbers have doubled, or even tripled, in the past 10 years.

Long-distance commuting has become a necessity as both the job and housing markets slowly recover. Many workers were willing to uproot themselves for new jobs, but not their families, especially when they couldn't sell their homes.

"Because the job market is a little tougher, you're sort of less picky about the location of the job," says Phil Baxter, general manager at Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport, where about 15% of business traveler guests are super-commuters. "At the same time, the housing market has been so tough and is just rebounding now. … Moving was cost-prohibitive, and it was better to sacrifice the family time and do the long commute."

Glenn Camus, a 50-year-old general counsel and corporate secretary for U.S. Power Generating Co., flies from Pittsburgh to Stamford every Monday morning, usually at 6:30 a.m., and stays at the Hotel Zero Degrees. He returns to his home sometime Friday afternoon.

Camus has been doing the commute for three years because his youngest daughter is finishing high school, and his elderly parents need his attention.

"You get used to it," he says.

Whatever the reason, super-commuters say they get used to it more quickly if they stay at hotels that give them special treatment, even if it's just letting them pick certain rooms.

John Wilson commutes from San Diego to Los Angeles every Monday and returns home every Friday, driving 124 miles each way. He spends weeknights at the Four Points by Sheraton LAX.

He's made a few special requests. Since starting his long-distance commute almost a year ago, he's gained a few pounds. Now, he makes his meals for the week on Sunday nights and takes them with him. When he asked for a refrigerator to store his food, the hotel complied.

That said, he doesn't mind the occasional treat. When he arrives, staff members greet him by name and give him a bag with three chocolate chip cookies.

"This makes my week every time," he says.

Baxter, the general manager, says that "being recognized is really important to people."

"There's sort of tangibles and intangibles," he says. "I think they're both important. Sometimes the intangibles can even outweigh the tangibles."

There are plenty of tangibles that hotels are providing.

•Affinia Hotels, with properties in New York and Washington, D.C., offers a frequent-stay program, suites and extended-stay rates for super-commuters. Business Perks by Affinia offers 10% off the best available rate, free Internet access, a dedicated account manager and more with a commitment of 25 nights a year. Super-commuters can enjoy other amenities, such as free local calls and laundry service.

•For those super-commuters who travel by car, the Wolcott Hotel in New York offers discounts of 35% to 50% off nearby parking garages. Another bonus for those staying there for an extended time: free breakfast and an on-site laundry facility.

•The Four Points LAX has a 24-hour check-in/check-out program to accommodate those who need to come and go at any time of the day or night. Every Wednesday, the hotel also plays host to a complimentary beerfest and barbecue.

•AKA, a luxury brand of residences in New York, Philadelphia, D.C. and Los Angeles, is designed for the super-commuters. Guests have a choice of studios, one- and two-bedroom suites with fully equipped kitchens. Guests can rent Zipcars on-site. Other amenities; free local phone calls, free Wi-Fi in all rooms, a 24-hour fitness center, and a private lounge. Jeff Poirot, general manager at the AKA Central Park, says the hotel is willing to store belongings for returning guests, such as toiletry kits, or have their clothing dry-cleaned while they are back home.

•Starwood's Element Hotels offer free breakfast with healthy options, an evening reception, bikes to borrow and electric vehicle charging stations for eco-conscious super-commuters. At some hotels, general managers hold receptions or barbecues. Some hotels have Wii games and XBox in lobbies.

Maryam Wehe, senior vice president at Applied Predictive Technologies, which does hotel consulting, says regular hotels are at a disadvantage against hotels that cater only to extended-stay guests or even temporary apartment rentals.

Indeed, at extended-day properties such as Homewood Suites, the average occupancy rate was 73.1% through June of this year, compared with 61.8% for all U.S. hotels.

"Hotels face more competition when targeting super-commuters than other transient guests since they are competing with other hotels as well as with other lodging accommodations such as apartments," Wehe says. "This competitive landscape is heightened by the super-commuters' more extensive knowledge of offerings. Given that the super-commuters are 'semi-local,' they will likely know the market better than traditional guests."

Wehe says having amenities such as evening receptions is an effective way to reel in these special customers.

Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of global brands for Starwood, says Element Hotels were designed with multipurpose lobbies where guests can read, work or be social. The lobbies, he says, have a "café culture."

For Laney Landsman, a public relations specialist, anything a hotel can do to help her get enough rest and exercise helps her stay sane on the road.

Landsman spends her weekends with her husband in Arlington, Va., and most of her weeknights at the Affinia Shelburne in New York.

She's been staying there regularly for more than a year, and the staff knows to make sure she has a fit kit of exercise equipment in her room as well as her favorite type of pillow.

"I like being able to make it more like home," she says.