If you planning a trip for a group of friends, an official delegation from work going to an exhibition, or there is a family or school reunion then you be be surprised when the hotel asks you to sign a contract before agreeing to book all your rooms.  If you are making group travel reservations for more than eight people, then booking your hotel online and receiving an immediate confirmation may not be possible.  This is because hotels deal with a “Group” in a different way to individual bookings.

 

Why do some hotels manage group travel sales differently?

Group travel brings the hotel greater $$$ but also a greater risk should they decide to cancel.  The larger the hotel block that is reserved, the larger the risk.  The hotel can require a contract to be signed on behalf of the group, a deposit to be paid and can also enforce quite strict cancellation penalties should you decide to change your travel plans.  As a group you do have some leverage, as along with risk comes $$$, so the hotel may well be open to some negotiation!  Something else to bear in mind is that depending on the hotel there is sometimes a different tack taken with leisure group travel, compared to corporate, but there are no hard and fast rules.

Why are group hotel block rates always higher than the rates on the internet?

Hotels will allocate a set number of discounted rooms to companies such as Hotel Desk and Expedia, with the rest being held back by the hotel for groups and corporates.  Some hotels believe that the added services and risk of looking after a group warrant an increased price.  Group check-in, multiple changes to dates, special requests etc are the some of the services offered.  If the hotel has a group on one side and an individual who booked on the internet on the other, both waiting to have their rooms assigned, guess who will be seen first.  You may find that when it comes to group travel, paying extra means that you are first in line to have your rooms within the hotel block automatically upgraded too.

As time passes, if the hotel doesn’t think it is going to sell all their rooms on a particular night then they will transfer more discounted rooms to the likes of Hotel Desk and Expedia.  If they are selling their rooms well at their full rate, then they won’t transfer any.  This is why it is rare to find a cheap hotel room during exhibitions such as London Book Fair or the Farnborough Airshow if you go direct to the hotel.  If the hotels know that they will sell their rooms at their higher rate…  why would they discount!

 

Your options when booking group travel

• Book multiple groups of up to 8 rooms through your online Hotel Desk

The first option is to take advantage of the discounted rates available online and book multiple times for your group.  You will need to be well organised to do this, and ensure that you keep track of exactly who has been booked against which booking reference.  This can be the cheapest way to book groups as you are using the hotel’s internet discounted rates, not their full rates.  Remember that as you begin to book the rooms availability will automatically change and you may have to split your group across multiple hotels and also that your group may pay varying rates.

• Negotiate rates for a room block direct with your selected hotel

By working with your chosen hotel you will be able to not only negotiate your rate, but also the terms of the booking.  They may ask you to sign a contract to cover the room block, but don’t worry, cross out any clause that you don’t like, alter the cancellation penalty, change the deposit schedule.  In fact, push the hotel as far as you can, this is where your negotiating skills comes in handy!   Think of what you would like the end goal to be and negotiate towards that.  If you find that you are lost within the group travel contract then drop us a line, we are always happy to assist in your contract negotiation.

• Use a Group Travel Manager / Group Travel Consultant

Any travel agent worth its salt will have a group travel manager on hand to assist you in managing a room block at your chosen hotel.  They can handle the negotiation, the contract, payment and all cancellations and changes that may occur too.

This article was written by the team at Hotel Desk - The Hotel Desk Series provides an online hotel booking service to exhibitors, delegates and individuals across the world. The Hotel Desk Group Travel Manager is available to assist with the handling of the room block and all aspects of the group travel management.

 

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