How To Negotiate A Discounted Corporate Hotel Rate
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Corporate discounts are a one of the biggest benefits hotels offer to business travelers. All major hotel groups offer corporate discounts including IHG, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Best Western, Wyndham, Omni, Choice Hotels and more.
Related: Our full guide to hotel corporate codes and discounts
Hotel corporate codes are special discounted rates provided to employees and authorized users affiliated with that organization. They are negotiated directly with each hotel and offer benefits to employees on business travel.
In addition to a discounted rate, hotels will generally offer perks such as free breakfast and flexible cancellation as part of the special rate. Make sure to check each hotels policy as they will vary across networks.
If your company does not currently have a corporate rate with hotels you can negotiate one. Here is how you can go about getting your own corporate rate.
Understand where you want to travel
The most important consideration is what locations you and your employees will be frequently visiting. Just like hotel rates vary widely by location so do corporate discounts.
If you are traveling to major cities like New York, London, or Paris, you can expect hotels to be expensive and you will need a lot of nights to get a good discount. However if you are traveling to less popular cities and more rural locations you can expect great rates from various hotel groups.
Determine your most important benefits
Many are quick to just pick a discounted rate, and while that is important, there are many other benefits you can negotiate with various hotels. In our experience the most common additional benefits include free wifi, breakfast, and at times more flexible checkout.
Another major benefit in booking with a corporate rate is the ability to cancel up until the last minute. Hotels will typically offers the ability to cancel any corporate rate booking until 11:59 PM local hotel time the day before. This is a huge benefit as often plans change and allows you to make bookings without having travel plans fully confirmed.
Negotiate a rate directly with a hotel
The process is a bit informal but starts by sending an email to the corporate-programs office or directly to a hotel manager if you are a frequent visitor. The process for joining may vary by hotel but generally involves filling out an application indicating number of employees, expected stays, and additional details.
Once agreed you will obtain a code that will enable you to see discounted rates on a hotel website and app when booking.
Alternatives to a corporate rate
If you don’t want to go down the process of negotiating your own rate there is a still a way to get added benefits at hotels. Consider using a corporate travel agent that can provide you with many of the same benefits a corporate rate does such as flexible booking, dining credit, and late checkout.
Many business still use travel agents to help facilitate their company travel and there are tons that offer this service specifically for corporate travelers.
Summary & Takeaways
Hotels tend to prefer business travelers for the consistency and frequency they travel to a property. If you are an employee or own a business it is always beneficial to see if you can get a discounted rate or other benefits when traveling.
Need help negotiating a corporate rate? Reach out to us at [email protected] and we will do our best to guide you through the process.
