A GBTA survey of European and US buyers found that 83 per cent were prioritising company-negotiated rates, discounts and fixed pricing structures when putting together their preferred accommodation programmes.
Although the location of hotels came in a very close second with 82 per cent of respondents looking for properties near their own offices and 44 per cent wanting to stay in hotels close to client locations.
The GBTA said the survey results showed that travel managers were “working to balance flexibility with financial control”. Dynamic pricing was the fastest growing element of their hotel programmes and was now being used by 77 per cent of respondents followed by chain-wide discounts (74 per cent).
Most buyers (60 per cent) stated that the ideal structure for their hotel programmes would be a “hybrid” model blending fixed and dynamic rates at each property to allow the best savings and adaptability.
The poll revealed that non-GDS channels are becoming more widely used, with 62 per cent of buyers saying they offered lower prices and more options.
There are also signs that travellers are selecting more preferred hotels, with 57 per cent of bookings occurring at properties with company-negotiated rates.
RFP innovation
Buyers would like to see an overhaul in hotel RFP (request for proposal) processes – particularly the ability to have multi-year fixed rates agreements, which 64 per cent were either interested in or already have this kind of arrangement in place.
Other innovations they would like to see within hotel RFPs include spend-based targets (60 per cent) and share-based targets (50 per cent).
Some travel buyers highlighted “gaps” within their preferred hotel programmes in major cities, such as London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and Dubai, with availability and coverage gaps being the most frequent issues.
The survey found that 77 per cent of corporate travel managers expected their spending on business travel in 2025 to be higher or at the same level as it was last year. Most respondents (67 per cent) said this rise was down to higher prices, followed by company expansion (55 per cent) and increased employee travel (54 per cent).
GBTA received responses from 234 travel managers from the US and 18 European countries. The survey forms part of The Evolution of Managed Hotel Programmes report, which has been put together in partnership with the Radisson Hotel Group.
“Travel managers must continue to adapt their strategies in response to shifting business needs, rising costs and changing traveller expectations to be able to build more resilient and responsive programmes for the future,” said GBTA’s CEO Suzanne Neufang.
Johanna Wessman Fresnel, senior director and head of global accounts at Radisson Hotel Group, added: “As personalisation, dynamic pricing and tech-driven expectations reshape the corporate travel experience, we’re here to help businesses navigate the complexity and turn it into opportunity.”
By Rob Gill
