How to Make Bleisure out of Bay Area Business Trips

 

Current business trends are showing that many companies are changing their travel policies to allow employees the opportunity for a bleisure trip too.

What’s bleisure you ask?

It’s the portmanteau of Business Travel with Leisure Travel: Bleisure Trip. And we’re a full on fan of this marriage of concepts!

In fact now Bleisure Tripping has become easier to do in Sonoma County area, including Sea Ranch with the addition of United Airlines adding service to the Sonoma County Airport.

“Business and leisure travelers now have conveniently timed flights to San Francisco and multiple opportunities to connect passengers to other cities throughout the Western U.S. and beyond,” Anthony Toth, United’s managing director of sales, said Monday in a statement.

Follow along as we explore more about this recent phenomenon in travel. Then see how you can slip in a bleisure trip to Sea Ranch the next time business takes you to the Bay Area!

My Guilty Pleasure

I confess- I am guilty of encouraging a bit of bleisure tripping, especially while we lived in Chile.

During one conference I had the honor of organizing, I even suggested our guest speakers extend their stay to include a little added travel as well.

In fact,  we all took off to explore Chile right after our event.

Thats me in 4th from the left.

 

Planning a Bleisure Trip

Generally, a business trip is arranged and scheduled by the company during the work week (Monday through Friday). Employees then make special arrangements to arrive the Saturday before the business event or leave on the Sunday following the event. Employees then pay for any additional air fair (including the addition of family or friends), meals, and the leisure portion of their trip. Some employees may even add personal days to their trip to extend it even further.

A Bleisure Trip Is Important to Travelers

In 2015 survey by GBTA Foundation 67 percent of business travelers felt that extending their business trips for leisure travel is important to them. In fact, more than a third of these bleisure travelers surveyed reported actually doing so in just the past three months alone. Accompanying more than half of them were their spouses, significant others, and/or families.

Who are the Bleisure Seekers?

More and more professionals are shunning the all-work-and-no-fun grind of business trips.  Millennials, women and workers at small- to medium-sized companies most often reported bleisure travel according to GBTA Foundation:

• Millennials report extending a business trip to include leisure travel at higher rates than Gen Xers and Baby Boomers (43 percent, compared to 34 percent and 35 percent, respectively);
• 41 percent of women extended business trips, compared to 34 percent of men;
• 45 percent of employees at companies with 1-249 employees extended trips, compared to 38 percent at companies with 250-499 employees; and 30 percent at companies of 500 or more.

San Francisco a Favorite Bleisure Spot

Skift reports the further away a destination, the more likely it would become a bleisure trip. San Francisco is a favorite destination for international business travelers who also tack on a bleisure trip. Florida cities, and Las Vegas were the top U.S bleisure destinations.

But California was not far behind the other U.S. destinations.

Check out our Pinterest Board on California Dreaming and you’ll understand why.

 Find Work-Life Balance on Your Next Bleisure Trip

The importance of bleisure travel for many is to maintain a solid work-life balance even while on the road. By conjoining a required joyless business trip with the anticipation of a relaxing mini-vacation, professionals are discovering they are more rested and ready for the work required.

Take Your Next Bleisure Trip to Sea Ranch

Do you have an important meeting scheduled for the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Area or even Santa Rosa area?

Will your next conference or partnering session be in any of these locations?

• Los Angeles
• Orange County
• San Diego
• Portland
• Las Vegas
• Seattle

Is your business in need of a recharging retreat?

Well then we suggest you follow the recommendations of Mallory for your great escape from the grind, the noise, and the crazy of the city! Take a  unique bleisure trip to Sea Ranch, California.

FABULOUS COMPANY RETREAT LOCATION

December, 2016
Overall satisfaction: 5-stars

Mallory R from San Francisco, CA recommends this vacation rental

Several houses near each other with ocean views set the restorative tone for a weekend of team bonding and company planning for the fast approaching new year. Each house was clean, cozy and inviting which delighted everyone in our group.

 

Why Abalone Bay Vacation Home

The beauty of an Abalone Bay Bleisure Trip is our home comes complete with just about every amenity you’d  need:

• A welcoming  bottle of wine.
• Fresh coffee ready for you to brew.
• A soaking, bubbling hot tub to sooth your weary and busy bones.
• Vistas over the ocean, between passing whales, leading off into the horizon.

And we even provide you linens, towels and bathrobes!

Steps To Making Your Bleisure Trip to Sea Ranch

1 Coordinate your dates

Once you have your business meetings dates in hand check our Book- Now calendar to determine if there is a vacancy either at the beginning or end of your business trip.

If you find that we have no vacancy available for your time, send us a note any way, and we’ll be happy to give you our recommendations for other lodgings.

2 Book your transportation

 By Air

If your trip originates from or is near any of the airports that United, Alaska Airlines or Allegiant Air serves, then book a flight into Charles R. Schultz Sonoma County Airport (STS). This small county airport lands you in the middle of Sonoma’s wine country.

United said the flights, which begin June 8, will include three daily departures at 6 a.m., 2:05 p.m. and 5:20 p.m.

Passengers will fly on a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 jet. The flights will be operated as United Express by Skywest Airlines.

Airport officials said the flights will be 40 to 45-minutes long, gate to gate. Passengers boarding in Sonoma County won’t have to re-check bags or go through another security screening in San Francisco.

By Rental Car

If you are starting your trip from the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Area, you’ll need to reserve a car for the 3-hour trip north from the Bay Area. This generally will be a separate rental reservation made outside of your business transportation arrangements.

You can also reserve a car at Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport should you fly into Sonoma County. Once at the Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport you can easily claim your car rental, just steps from the airport’s door,  for the next leg of your trip.

By Bus and Car

Don’t want to drive through all the crazy Bay Area rush hour traffic that seems to be 24 hours long? Then here’s a third option for you- The Sonoma County Airport Express. This airport bus runs between Sonoma County Airport (STS)  and both Bay Area International Airports -San Francisco International (SFO) and Oakland (OAK). This may be convenient for professionals with meetings held near these airports. Just book your Sonoma County Airport Express trip to  STS,  then sit back and turn the driving over to the Airport Express. Once there it’s just a matter of picking up your rental car and you’re on your way.

Once you arrive at STS, you’re only a couple of hours away from your Sea Ranch bleisure stop.

In all honesty using the Airport Express won’t be the most “express” way to get to Sea Ranch, but it may be most relaxing.

Let Us Show You the Way

Will you need  directions to Sea Ranch? You’ll find them right on our website. Just click here.

Do remember that as you travel up the coast highway internet reception is not always available. Therefore, we suggest you print them out or take notes and bring them with you.

Relax, Rejuvenate, Explore

We have many suggestions for you Sea Ranch Bleisure Trip. Just click here to learn where to explore and what to experience. For our recommendations of  local restaurants click here.

Now all you have to do is….

Visit www.searanchabalonebay.com/book-now  to make your Sea Ranch Bleisure Trip Reservation for Abalone Bay!

And don’t forget to share this post with your friends and family too!

 

(Post updated March 1, 2017)