There are times when you need to use a hotel conference room for an important meeting. Though it's fantastic that hotels offer these amenities, they're usually less than optimal for productive communication. There are a few things that you might want to consider before you actually connect with your meeting partners. By taking care of a few issues in advance, you can usually remove any inconvenience.

Look for a Wired Internet Connection

Modern meetings almost always require Internet access. Don't rely on the hotel WiFi -- it's usually very busy and slow, especially during peak business hours. Instead, ask the hotel if they have a cat-5 cable that you can use to connect your computer directly to the Internet. That will greatly reduce latency, which will improve any video conferencing features or online materials that you need to access. 

Block Off More Time Than You Need

When reserving a hotel conference room, always reserve a little before and a little after the time that you actually need. You'll want leeway to make sure that you can complete in time, and you also need to compensate for the possibility that someone else's meeting may run late -- after all, the hotel can do many things, but kicking someone out of a conference room may take a little time. At the same time, only request a conference room the size that you need. Larger conference rooms will be more in demand, and thus more difficult to secure for longer.

Make Your Directions Clear

For larger meetings, it's always ideal to ask the hotel staff to put up a sign or two directing guests into the conference room. Otherwise you may find yourself giving out a lot of directions. Conference rooms (especially the smaller ones) tend to be off the beaten path for guests, so it can make it more difficult for them to find than other areas, such as the pool. You can also ask the staff to put your conference on their meeting bulletin board, which will further ensure that everyone gets to the location in time.

There are many luxury hotels that offer premium hotel conference rooms, where any of the above issues won't be a problem -- but when you do travel, you'll often find that you have to compensate for some minor issues. If you take the steps above, you should be able to connect, communicate, and collaborate with ease.