It is wise to keep tweaking the methods which you use to negotiate packaged deals with the hotels where your employees stay when they travel. Here are some approaches that may enable you to get the best hotel stay deals.

Draft Evergreen Contracts

The process of negotiating hotel stay contracts is extremely time-consuming, not just for companies but hotels as well. It is therefore helpful for both parties if certain fixed terms, such as the number of hotel locations/properties included in the travel program, are identified. These fixed terms can rollover from one year to another so that what is left is to negotiate the room rates and other variable terms. The time saved by the use of these evergreen contracts can be devoted to other necessary activities.

Consider Alternative Providers

You may be having a growing number of business travelers who have to spend three or more nights at a destination during a trip. This is especially likely with the growth of “bleisure” (business trips with a leisure component tied in). Considering alternative providers, such as apartment providers and hotels that have apartment services, can open opportunities to better deals for those longer stays.

Longer Term Contracts

As already mentioned, the process of negotiating hotel contracts is tedious and time-consuming. Evergreen contracts ease those requirements to a certain extent but still leave you with some work to do each year. Another time-saving option that the experts at CrewFacilities.com recommend is negotiating longer term contracts, such as contracts that last two years. In this way, you will wait for longer before having to navigate the negotiation process. Additionally, the longer term contracts help you to have some predictability regarding your travel spend over a longer timeframe. The hotel also benefits by locking in a defined volume of business for the longer duration. This makes the deal a win-win for both parties.

Pre-Negotiate Rates for Small Meetings

Analyze the travel data from the previous two or more years and identify if there are any destinations where your employees conduct small meetings when they travel. The cost of those small meetings can add up quickly if they aren’t negotiated into the hotel deals you agree upon. For example, two or more meetings may take place at the same venue at different rates. Discussing the terms or rates of these small meetings as you negotiate the night rates for hotel rooms will result in uniform rates being charged for all those small meetings. Furthermore, you stand to get a better deal on those small meetings if you present them as extra business besides the hotel room stays by your employees. The process of negotiating with hotels can be complicated and overwhelming for inexperienced company staff. That is why we, at CrewFacilities.com have made our expertise available to our clients. We negotiate with hotels and use the data of the large number of room nights we handle each year to get preferential rates for our clients. Contact us today and learn how your company can also benefit from our services.

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