In fact, it’s the top market for Southwest Florida International Airport, which has 112 flights a week to New York-area hubs LaGuardia, Kennedy, Islip MacArthur and Newark, according to Barbara-Anne Urrutia, spokeswoman for Lee County Port Authority.

For infrequent as well as regular travelers, some tips on New York lodgings and amenities can make it a successful trip—both for business and pleasure.

Major hotel corporations are investing billions of dollars in business-traveler-friendly alternatives to grand, leisure-oriented hotels. Starwood Hotels and Ritz-Carlton are two that have spun off boutique brands with intimate-sized hotels. In between are mid-sized properties offering the best of both worlds. Without sacrificing the luxuries that business executives expect, such as premium bedding, good reading lights and quality bath products, many provide amenities that make doing business away from the office comfortable and efficient. Among the most appreciated of these are ergonomic chairs, spacious desktops with WiFi, in-room copiers and fax machines, laptop-sized safes and a choice of complimentary newspapers. Some offer 24-hour butler services and clerical services on call.

New York’s Peninsula Hotel at 700 Fifth Avenue recently was selected by Travel + Leisure as the best business hotel in New York. The 1905 landmark’s midtown location is ideally situated "in the heart of New York’s most prestigious shopping, cultural and business neighborhood," says spokeswoman Tricia Rosentreter. Its staff places special emphasis on attending to the needs of the business traveler.

"We know that business travelers are not always on set schedules, so we are very accommodating when guests provide us with their check-in and check-out times. We get to know our repeat guests and keep records of their special requirements, from food and bedding to business services," Rosentreter says.

Its 24-hour business center provides complimentary use of computers and printers as well as paper supplies and FedEx and UPS services. "We have a round-the-clock concierge who often makes emergency trips to Kinko’s to assemble everything from color copies to full-blown presentations," she adds. "The Peninsula also has a dedicated conference-room floor with room sizes for one-on-one meetings to board meetings."

Making a specific bow to business travelers, the 228-room Hotel Mela opened in Times Square last year with a grand opening promotion that runs through the end of January. It is an incentive package for Sunday arrivals, based on the philosophy that arriving the day before a Monday meeting gives the businessperson a chance to get a good night’s sleep, for a leg up on stressed-out Monday morning commuters. Its location in the Theater District is a plus for those who would like to get in a show between negotiations, or treat their clients to a theater performance.

Lois Moran, senior travel consultant for Betty Maclean Travel in Naples and a native New Yorker, points to the Plaza Athénée, at 64th and Madison Avenue, as an example of the business-friendly, boutique-hotel concept. Plaza Athénée is sister to the palatial hotel on the elegant Avenue Montaigne in Paris. The New York version is set on a tree-lined street tucked among historic brownstones and residences.

These smaller properties are excellent choices for solo businesswomen," Moran says, "because they have intimate lobbies with alert doormen who recognize each guest and—more importantly—any strangers."

For first-time or infrequent travelers to a major city, security is one factor to consider in planning a business trip, says Moran. Some areas, such as Wall Street, empty out after business hours. Others, such as Times Square, the Theater District and the fashionable Upper East Side, stay vibrant long into the night.

"Some of my clients’ favorite boutique hotels are tucked into residential neighborhoods, where it is common to see people out strolling in the evening," she says. "And there are good neighborhood restaurants where a lone diner would not be out of place."

Especially for less experienced business travelers, Moran recommends a consultation with a travel agent. "A good professional travel agent will go far beyond booking your plane tickets and hotel transfers," she says. "You should expect her to research the specific area of the city where your business will take you, and then recommend a hotel nearby or within walking distance, thereby avoiding the unfamiliar aspects of public transportation. New York subways and buses are very convenient and safe, but you don’t want to be in the subway crunch during the 4 p.m. and after-theater rush hours. Also during those times, it is very frustrating to see so many Yellow Cabs fly by displaying their off-duty signs."

A significant emerging trend with the business-travel segment is the combining of business travel with family getaways, says the Peninsula’s Rosentreter.

"Among our most popular services is the Concierge Choice link on our Web site (www­
.newyork.peninsula.com), with our concierges’ personal suggestions for exceptional dining, sightseeing, arts and cultural activities. Our concierges are in the know about new offerings around the city, and they can assist not just in arranging hard-to-get, last-minute [reservations], but also activities for the kids."

Frequent business guests at Hotel Mela can sign up for the complimentary Your Desires program (www.hotelmela.com). The business traveler registers in advance online, specifying amenities preferences, from a particular international business publication to their choices in soft drinks and pillow size.

"Business travelers need to optimize their time, making certain that important information and amenities are at their fingertips while away from their home offices," says Bertrand Nelson, manager of the program. "Through the Your Desires program, we can guarantee that that our guests have what they need when they need it, providing a successful and productive work environment while on the road."