Elbow Beach Hotel will tonight culminate a local marketing blitz aimed at increasing its share of business travellers.

The resort, hosting a corporate reception tonight, is playing to its strengths and is intending to mount serious competition against the Princess Hotel and Waterloo House, which together have traditionally seized a huge portion of business travel.

The local Wyndham resort sent corporate team managers to 125 Bermuda companies starting last month, promoting the "Wyn Club'', a business traveller's programme that provides value-added bonuses.

Employees of companies that do a lot of business travel collect points for booking rooms for their business people at the Elbow Beach, points they can later cash in for a host of prizes that range from cinema tickets and cedar crafts to a free trip to another Wyndham resort.

The actual Wyn Club traveller has a list of advantages over the normal traveller including upgrades and special rates. They are also eligible for a number of upgrades if they are members of the American Airlines Advantage programme.

Such business travellers receive miles to add to their frequent flyer programmes and an instant upgrade to the best suite or room available. They also are entitled to a one class upgrade of a future round trip American Airlines ticket and an upgrade from Avis, when renting a car.

The hotel's sales director, Ms Winette Phillips, said, "We've targetted the exempt company business for potential room night revenue and the blitz also included local companies, with respect to targeting food and beverage business, like Christmas parties and summer socials.

"Starting the week of July 24, we did an actual sales blitz of the City of Hamilton. Five teams of our managers paid calls on 125 businesses.

"We've had a good response already, with a number of bookings already as a result. This Wyndham programme exists in all 64 Wyndham hotels and although it has been operating since Wyndham has been here, we haven't really aggressively promoted it.

"Not only does the corporate traveller benefit, but the person who books the room night also benefits. The response has been unbelievable.

Our telephones have been ringing off the hook.

"We don't really have to sell the beach to the business traveller, unless they are bringing their families. Usually, they are here for business meetings.

"We also have an advantage over other business hotels. Women travelling to the Island for business, may like the perception of safety in the main hotel where there are always a number of people.

"But a lot of the men like to be able to come and go as they like, by using one of the cabanas or detached properties like an apartment. That's a real good sell for us when it comes to corporate business.'' Ms Phillips also noted that the flexibility of the programme is that it operates in all of the Wyndham hotels, adding more points to one's credit, no matter the Wyndham city.

She said that tonight's reception marks the end of the three week promotional effort.

She said, "We have invited people from those companies we visited over this period. We can give them a tour of the rooms and meeting facilities. Our general meeting will make a presentation and we will introduce our sales team.'' Ms Winette Phillips