Business Travel: Leaving the Stress Behind

Business Wire, April 5, 2000

Business/Lifestyle & Travel Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2000

While many people dream of treating themselves to exciting trips to exotic places, frequent business travelers often find the going more of a punishment than a pleasure. Even routine travel situations - waiting on the tarmac, crowded flights and delays - can leave business travelers tense. It is possible, however, to minimize the stress that comes with travel. To improve one's mental and physical state during a business trip, Nikko Hotels International offers the following advice:

-- Allow the hotel concierge to guide you in choosing the restaurants, business
entertainment options and any unexpected business gifts you might need. "Your
time and energy can be better used. At a luxury hotel such as ours, the
concierge is trained to provide this type of service, and it's available at no
cost," advises John Hutar, General Manager, Hotel Nikko San Francisco.

-- "One should try a shiatsu massage or reflexology to relieve stress. Shiatsu
is so engaging that you forget your worries and are overwhelmed with relief.
Reflexology sends you to sleep and purifies the system," says Jonathan
Orr-Ewing, General Manager of The Montcalm-Hotel Nikko London. Many of our
guests book these services, which we offer.

-- Even in fast-paced cities, take the time to at least look at the roses. In
Paris, for example, a stroll along the Champs Elysees or an afternoon coffee
break at an outdoor cafe is a great way to relieve stress. "A dinner cruise
along the Seine not only provides a break from the day's activities, but it's a
terrific way to see Paris by night," says Evelyne Sansaricq, Director of Sales,
Hotel Nikko de Paris.

-- Don't be thrown by the fact that different cultures have different business
tempos. Gerhard Schaller, General Manager of the Metropolitan/Hotel Nikko New
Delhi, reminds Westerners that the slower pace of business in India need not be
a source of frustration, but might instead offer the opportunity to slip away
from meetings and explore the local surroundings.

-- "Exercise is one of the best antidotes to stress," states Soichiro Taguchi,
Vice President, Nikko Hotels International (USA). A frequent business traveler,
Mr. Taguchi recommends setting regular exercise hours either early in the
morning or evening - and sticking to them. This gives a traveler a sense of a
routine and comfort.

For information about any of the 44 hotels in the Nikko Hotels International chain, please call Birgit van den Berg, (212) 684-6300, ext. 347, or send her an e-mail at: bvandenberg@publicis-usa.com.