Top Hotels For Business Travelers Pascale Le Draoulec, 11.17.08, 04:00 PM EST From San Francisco to Singapore, the spots with the most modern conveniences.

On a recent business trip to Hong Kong, Kevin McNulty, chief marketing officer at the global ad agency Momentum, stayed at the new W hotel in Kowloon where, he says, it took some getting used to the laid-back language of the young Chinese staff.

"They were definitely using American lingo, complete with hand gestures like the 'thumbs up' sign," says McNulty, who is based in New York City.

McNulty queried a hotel manager, who told him the staff had indeed been briefed on colloquialisms to make their American clientèle feel more welcome.

In Pictures: Top Hotels For Business Travelers

By the end of his stay, says McNulty, "I was into it. It did make me feel more at home"

As did the boutique hotel's hip "business center," more cozy lounge than satellite office--a trend that smart business hotels of all sizes are embracing universally.

"When I'm on business, I like to take time out to check personal e-mails and the baseball scores, just like I do at home," says McNulty. "I don't enjoy doing that in a corporate room where someone wearing a lapel pin is monitoring a fax machine."

McNulty is one of a dozen die-hard road warriors asked about their favorite business hotels around the world. We also consulted those who work in the travel industry but have no affiliation with the hotels on this list.