The tool, now live on the Hotels.com website and app, lets users save work preferences, find business-ready hotels, rebook favourite stays, and earn rewards—using the same account as for personal travel.

It arrives as part of a wider shift in business travel trends, revealed in the latest Hotels.com Booked for Business report, which shows that 27% of Brits are travelling more for work now than before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hotels.com launches new feature to make business travel easier

Melanie Fish, travel expert and spokesperson for Hotels.com, said: “Business travel is no longer just about getting from one meeting to the next.

“Travellers want a hotel and destination that can keep up with both sides of their personality—from high-speed Wi-Fi and an early breakfast before a big presentation to a great location and a comfortable place to unwind afterwards.”

The report identifies journalists and tradespeople as the most frequent business travellers, with energy and renewables professionals enjoying the highest hotel budgets of at least £200.

Other sectors typically receive about £140 per day for accommodation.

Nearly half of respondents (48%) said that the best business travel destinations are those that make it easy to blend work with leisure time—a trend known as “bleisure.”

London, New York, and Paris were named the top cities for combining business and pleasure.

The busiest months for business travel are now May and September, while Gen Z employees are leading the way in redefining the business travel experience.

They travel more often for work than any other generation and are more likely to change their behaviour on the road, use hotel laundry services, and switch hotel brands.

In contrast, older generations are noted for their punctuality and hotel loyalty.

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When it comes to hotel perks, free breakfast was the clear favourite, valued by 51% of business travellers.

This outranked room upgrades (32%) and flexible check-in options (26%).

The Hotels.com business travel feature aims to streamline the booking process while allowing travellers to earn rewards on both business and personal stays.

Will you be using Hotels.com new feature? Let us know in the comments.

The UK’s Met Office has revealed the storm names for 2026/27, selected from more than 40,000 public suggestions.

The scheme is run in partnership with Met Eireann in Ireland and KNMI in the Netherlands, and the list starts each year in September to reflect the beginning of the autumn storm season.

This storm season includes names such as Austen, Boelo and Chloe and each has a story behind its nomination.

Staying safe during a thunderstorm

Names were submitted in honour of children, pets and even characters like Shaun the Sheep, as well as in memory of loved ones and meteorological trailblazers.

Under naming conventions used for storms in the North Atlantic, the list runs alphabetically, missing out Q, U, X, Y and Z.

Chloe, the third name on the list this year, was nominated more than 120 times.

One suggestion came from the mother of a five-year-old described as being “fascinated by the weather” who can also “create a storm by herself” when tired.

Other names have similarly personal backstories.

Finn was put forward for a two-year-old described as “wild and a force to be reckoned with”, while Ivy was nominated in honour of a nine-month-old Labrador puppy affectionately called “the absolute destructor”.

Nicola was suggested as a tribute to a mother who has “weathered many a storm and only come out stronger”.

Some names reflect a wider cultural reach.

Shaun, selected following a public vote, was included as part of a collaboration with Aardman, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, to help raise awareness of storm preparedness.

Scattered showers moving eastwards this afternoon, some heavy and perhaps thundery ☔

Turning drier and fresher in the west, with sunny spells ⛅

Cloud and rain returning to the northwest later 🌧️ pic.twitter.com/0s2Je7rraP

— Met Office (@metoffice) August 31, 2026

The list also honours figures in meteorological history.

Met Eireann chose Austen in tribute to Austen Nagle, the first director of the Irish Meteorological Service as it marks its 90th anniversary.

Evelyn was selected in honour of Evelyn Murphy, the first woman to present weather forecasts on Ireland’s national broadcaster, RTE.

Why are storms named?

The scheme began in 2015 and aims to improve public awareness and response in the face of severe weather.

Last year, four names were used from the list, reaching Storm Dave in April.

The UK was also affected by three additional storms named by other European meteorological services: Benjamin, Claudia and Goretti.

The Met Office said names are reviewed for pronunciation, potential meanings across different languages, connections to public figures and any risk of controversy.

When is a storm named?

A storm is named when it’s expected to cause medium or high impacts in the UK, Ireland or the Netherlands.

Wind is the primary consideration, but significant effects from rain or snow are also taken into account.

Met Office confirms storm names for 2026/27

This year’s names, and the country they came from, are:

• Austen (Ireland)
• Boelo (pronounced Boo-loh) (Netherlands)
• Chloe (UK)
• Dano (pronounced Dah-noh) (Netherlands)
• Evelyn (Ireland)
• Finn (UK)
• Gwendolyn (Netherlands)
• Heather (Ireland)
• Ivy (UK)
• Jade (Netherlands)
• Kilian (Ireland)
• Laoise (pronounced Lee-sha) (Ireland)
• Miriam (Ireland)
• Nicola (UK)
• Olaf (Netherlands)
• Phelim (Fay-lim) (Ireland)
• Ruban (UK)
• Shaun (UK)
• Theo (UK)
• Vesna (Vehs-nuh) (Netherlands)
• Wende (Vhen-duh) (Netherlands)

Holly Clements, Met Office head of warnings and guidance, said: “For more than a decade, storm naming has helped us communicate the risks from severe weather more effectively.

“A named storm provides a clear focus for forecasts and warnings, helping more people understand the potential impacts and take action to protect themselves, their families and their property.”

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Eoin Sherlock, Met Eireann head of forecasting division, said: “We know that naming storms makes it easier for people to track important and up-to-date forecast and safety-related information as we can see from the levels of traffic and activity through our website and across social media platforms during storm events.

“2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Irish Meteorological Service and we are proud to be able to recognise some of the significant contributors to our history in the list of storm names this year.”

Which names would you add to the list of storm names? Let us know in the comments below.

Charlie Matthews appeared at Oxford Crown Court on August 27.

The 25-year-old is charged with two counts of rape.

The allegations are said to have taken place in Oxford in April and October 2021.

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The complainant for both counts is the same woman.

Matthews, of Langney Road, Eastbourne, pleaded not guilty to both counts.

A trial date, with a time estimate of four to five days, was set for August 21, 2028.

Judge Ian Pringle KC said that this is some seven years after the offences are alleged to have taken place.

The judge said: “Unfortunately, that’s the situation.”

Matthews was released on bail, with the condition not to contact the complainant.