Bleisure travel trend boosts New Orleans business hotels

New data shows more business travelers are blending work and leisure, and New Orleans is well-positioned to benefit from the shift. Hotels like Element New Orleans Downtown are tailoring stays with extended-stay features, bike access and work-friendly amenities.

Why it matters: - Bleisure travel is becoming a bigger part of corporate trip planning, changing what business travelers expect from hotels and destinations. - New Orleans stands to gain because the city already draws large numbers of business and convention visitors who also want access to leisure options. - Hotels that can support both work and downtime may be better positioned to win corporate guests and keep them longer.

What happened: - Navan and Skift reported that 55% of business travelers completed at least two blended business-and-leisure trips in a 12-month period. - Grand View Research valued the global bleisure travel market at more than $760 billion and projected 12.1% compound annual growth through 2030. - The Global Business Travel Association said 79% of employees report that business travel affects overall job satisfaction. - The New Orleans CVB recorded 19.46 million visitors in 2025, generating $10.8 billion in local spending. - Road Genius said non-vacation travel made up 43% of all visits to New Orleans, led by business travel and convention attendance.

The details: - American Hotel & Lodging Association survey data shows 84% of corporate travelers want to include leisure time on their next business trip. - Global Business Travel Association research shows 68% of business travelers extend at least one work trip per year by an average of 2.3 nights. - Travelers on blended trips tend to want direct access to business centers, self-catering options, wellness facilities and alternate transportation such as complimentary bikes. - Element New Orleans Downtown is located on O'Keefe Avenue in the New Orleans Central Business District. - The property places guests near offices, courthouses, the convention center, the BioDistrict, the French Quarter and other tourist attractions. - The hotel combines extended-stay features, free daily breakfast and a complimentary bike lending program. - The property has 216 eco-inspired guest rooms and extended-stay suites. - In-room amenities include Smart TVs with streaming support, Westin Heavenly® Beds, backlit bathroom mirrors with rainfall showerheads and ergonomic desk workspaces. - Suites include fully equipped kitchenettes with microwaves, refrigerators, stovetops and dishwashers. - The hotel offers 624 square feet of meeting and event space for up to 60 people. - Wellness amenities include the Motion Fitness Center with Life Fitness treadmills and ellipticals, TRX suspension trainers, free weights, kettlebells, medicine balls and yoga mats. - Other amenities include the Rise breakfast buffet, the Restore grab-and-go market, self-service laundry, filtered water bottle refill stations and property-wide high-speed wireless internet. - The hotel's Bikes to Borrow program is part of the property's effort to support local mobility for business travelers. - Element New Orleans Downtown is at 221 O'Keefe Avenue.

Between the lines: - The data points to a hotel market where location alone is no longer enough. - Business travelers are increasingly choosing properties that reduce friction for both work and leisure in one trip. - New Orleans' mix of convention traffic and cultural attractions makes the city a natural fit for that demand. - Element New Orleans Downtown is being positioned as a model for the extended-stay, mixed-purpose business trip.

What's next: - Hotels in New Orleans and other business-travel markets may keep adding longer-stay features, wellness amenities and local transportation options. - As flexible travel policies expand, more corporate trips are likely to include leisure time before or after meetings. - Properties that can serve both productivity and recreation may capture more repeat business from traveling employees.

The bottom line: - Bleisure is moving from a niche behavior to a mainstream travel pattern, and New Orleans hotels are adapting to compete for it.