In February’s Market Update, we reported on some of the ways the changing technology landscape is impacting global workforces. We used Amazon’s mass redundancies towards the end of last year as an example of large companies, particularly major tech players, attempting to reduce their mid-level workforce as AI is increasingly able to do the tasks associated with those roles.
Since then, it’s estimated that over 119,000 jobs have been cut in the technology sector since the start of 2026 with some of the biggest brands in tech reducing their workforce by up to 40%. Massive restructurings are clearly a strategic focus for many companies in the tech sector, with their sights set on greater efficiency in a smaller, more productive and highly specialised workforce.
The reduction of mid-level employees means the job market is uber competitive for senior-level roles. Businesses are looking for highly specialised experts across tech, AI, and data to engineer and govern their increasingly digital operations and are willing to move the earth to get them on board – or rather, move them across the earth to get them on board.
What Does VIP Data Tell Us About Demand?
In talent mobility, this trend means more movement between companies in leadership and C-suite, more large-scale tech projects, and more VIP corporate accommodation demand.
We’ve cited the current evolution of tech workforces as a catalyst for increased VIP demand, but VIP travel trends are certainly not limited to the tech sector. The individuals most likely to be travelling frequently for business in pretty much every company are those in senior roles and C-suite, or important clients, prospects, event attendees, and consultants brought onto specific projects like legal counsel.
These people are more likely to have regular commitments out of town or internationally: they’re meeting shareholders or investors, representing their organisation at important industry events, meeting key clients and prospects, and generally more commonly required in face-to-face corporate settings.
According to SAP Concur data published March 2026, business travellers are more likely to be higher income employees:
- Among the 51% of US adults who travelled for work in the past year, 36% earn $100K+
- Among the 20% of frequent US business travellers, 46% earn $100K+
In SilverDoor’s own operations, of our total number of overnight business stays in 2025, 41% were employees in Management Team, Senior Leadership and C-Suite demonstrating that, despite being the smaller subset of employees, senior staff members are travelling more frequently for work than the general population of employees.
This is further supported by findings in SilverDoor booking data showing that our 2026 VIP enquiries are already 33% higher than total 2025 levels demonstrating the significant and growing uptick in appetite for VIP business travel accommodation. Top locations for converted VIP reservations in 2026 so far are London, Singapore, San Francisco Bay, New York City, Hong Kong, Dubai, Amsterdam, and Luxembourg showing this is a global trend but focused primarily in key business hubs.
4 Elements to Consider When Selecting an Accommodation Partner for Your VIP Business Travellers
Getting VIP and executive travel right is crucial. Not only can it be a significant financial investment that needs to pay off, but it’s key for senior-level staff to have a comfortable and productive stay when travelling for a project or relocating for a new role in accommodation that suits their seniority.
For all businesses and travel teams, the upward trend of executive travel demand is a great reminder that it’s important to select an accommodation partner equipped with the inventory and service levels to effectively manage VIP business travel and executive bookings.
Whether you already have an established corporate housing programme in place or you’re yet to select your accommodation partner, here are four elements to consider if you have VIP travel and mobility requirements.
1. How do they ensure exemplary guest experiences in line with travel policies?
Some VIPs want to be involved first-hand with arrangements and others will prefer to remain anonymous throughout, so ask how your accommodation partner will approach in-depth consultations, sourcing and vetting VIP options, and regular reviews and satisfaction checks to ensure exemplary experiences throughout.
Check that your accommodation partner will guarantee the discretion and attentiveness VIP guests need, and can:
- Flex their service delivery to provide the white glove treatment needed for executive travel
- Accompany VIPs or representatives on viewings to ensure accommodation is the perfect match
- Organise complimentary meet and greet check-in service
- Be contactable 24/7 for issue management and escalations if necessary for swift resolution
- Arrange advanced services and bespoke VIP business travel experiences
It’s also important to be open with your accommodation partner about expectations and requirements at both guest- and business-level, so they can deliver exactly what your VIPs need. If you already have a travel policy in place, explain compliance expectations – which policy restrictions apply to VIPs, or are there separate guidelines for VIP business travel?
If it’s simply a “whatever they want, they get” situation, duty-of-care should still remain a priority, so consider if your accommodation partner can guarantee the levels of safety and security compliance when sourcing bespoke services and solutions.
2. Do they have dedicated VIP specialists?
VIP and executive guests typically need and warrant a higher touch white glove service to ensure an excellent end-to-end experience from initiation to check-in to aftercare. Indeed, we recently ran a poll on Linkedin asking what people see as the top priority when a VIP guest needs accommodation at short notice; 43% of respondents said a personalised experience is the most important consideration, followed by 28% who said speed of response is key.
At a minimum, your most important travellers need a single point of contact for the duration of their stay who learns exactly what your VIPs need, how they like to work, and what level of service they expect. This dedicated person should be available throughout the enquiry and booking process as well as the entire reservation, so your VIPs are fully supported at every stage by somebody they know and trust.
Better yet, does your accommodation partner have a dedicated VIP specialist with experience managing high-level executive stays? VIP guests need almost an entirely different service model compared to regular bookings, so having specialist VIP support can elevate executive experiences and ease the burden from EAs or mobility and travel teams.
A specialist will think of things even long-term personal assistants won’t; they’ll ask the right questions, get both the big things right and never forget the little things that make all the difference, and won’t be fazed by high-stakes bookings with last-minute changes. They’ll also have access to the right network of high-end service providers to ensure any VIP request can be accommodated regardless of how niche.
3. Can they flex their resources at pace to deliver tailored responses to the unique requirements of VIPs?
If you’re not opting for a specific VIP business travel management partner and instead are choosing a partner to service all types of stays across your full accommodation programme, it’s important that their operational teams are set up well enough to adapt practices to suit every request – from standard guests all the way up to the highest-level VIPs.
VIP business travel might be on the rise generally, but they’re still typically going to represent a smaller portion of overall volumes for most accommodation partners. You need to make sure they have robust foundational mechanisms in place to service the everyday requests well, but also the agility to flex normal practices to finesse a frictionless executive service delivery.
For high-profile guests with busy schedules, it’s inevitable that plans will change, so flexibility is crucial. A good accommodation partner will be able to lean on the strength of their own supplier relationships to:
- Negotiate the most flexible booking terms from the outset
- Secure flexible check‑in / check‑out times
- Fulfil last‑minute cancellations, amendments and extensions with minimal penalty
Further considerations might include:
- Do they have a 24/7 service support line?
- Do they have response time SLAs that match the speed you need?
- Do their teams have access to specific executive support training?
- Do they have specific escalation frameworks in place for VIP guests?
- Do they have a pre-approved list of vetted VIP accommodation options? Do they have a bespoke sourcing service available to onboard alternative solutions for specific requirements?
- How to they maintain records of guest preferences, requirements and context to ensure consistent experiences?
- How do they ensure discretion and confidentiality in booking management and property teams?
4. What advanced services can they offer aside from just accommodation?
Not only does your accommodation partner need to have the right team on hand to manage VIP stays effectively, but they need the available inventory fit for executive guests. All VIPs will have unique requirements and expectations, so your housing partner needs the range of options to suit every request.
Common requests will be for five-star, luxury apartments and entire high-end properties, often in the most desirable neighbourhoods and city centre locations and with top on-site facilities like swimming pools, gyms, outdoor space and private parking. VIP guests might also request upgraded furniture packages, additional appliances or other extras, so it’s important for your accommodation partner to have strong relationships with the properties in their inventory so requests can be fulfilled with ease.
Beyond the right inventory, it’s good to consider whether your accommodation partner can offer or arrange concierge and bespoke services for during the stay. These advanced services and experiences might include:
- Private chauffeur and car hire
- Butlers and nannies
- Gym/wellness club membership and personal trainer
- Personal chef and sommelier
- Security team
- A reservation at top bars and restaurants
- A seat at the hottest show in town
- Hard-to-secure tickets to sporting events
- Private airport transfers
Your accommodation partner may not be able to provide these bespoke services themselves but consider if they have the connections to organise them for your top guests.
Ready to Book Your Next VIP Stay?
Reading this and realising you need more support with VIP business travel accommodation? Speak to us about curating a full accommodation programme which accounts for all your people and the full spectrum of their unique requirements.
SilverDoor can provide specialist VIP management support and tailored executive experiences – give us a call to find out more.
