With the series of winter storms that have swept through much of the Northeast and Midwest over the past two months, thousands of flights and countless numbers of business and leisure travelers have been stranded or delayed in many cities around the country.

We have seen this same pattern recently. According to a March 6th USA Today story, in a two-week period dating back to February 21, airlines have grounded a combined total 23,433 U.S. flights, and more than 62,355 flights had delays during the same time period.

But for many of us, business travel is part of our jobs. You may have been stranded or delayed yourself if you have tried to travel this winter.

So what can you do if you are stuck at an airport? To ride out the storm, travelers look for basics like food, lodging and ways to pass the time, but business travelers face the extra challenge of trying to stay productive and keep up with their workloads while away from the office.

This is why airport-area hotels offering fast, reliable (and sometimes free) Internet access and WiFi are so important. The tech-friendly hotel becomes their “virtual office” as business travelers check email, access company resources over the Internet, download and share files, conduct conference calls and more – using Internet, WiFi and quiet working spaces.

At the airport, WiFi service can become slow and less reliable as the terminals get more crowded, and airports have fewer comfortable working spaces and lots of noise, so nearby hotels can be a great place to create your own virtual remote office. So, if you are stuck, head to the nearby airport hotels and get productive!

Travel safe everyone!