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New technology gives travel buyers more insight into hotel rates

February 21, 2012 | Hotel Marketing

Travelers these days have more ways than ever to book hotel rooms, exacerbating the long-standing problem travel management pros face in persuading travelers to reserve lodging through sanctioned channels at preferred hotels. But some new tools can help mitigate the challenge by identifying rate discrepancies.

CheckpointBTS, for example, has developed software that consolidates booking data from global distribution systems, corporate card feeds and expense reporting data to provide a "complete view of the hotel program," said director of business development Joan Kaplan. With that data, buyers and their agencies can check those rates against negotiated rates. "We've found on average that about 25 percent of bookings made at preferred properties are above the negotiated rate," she said.

When travel buyers know about such occurrences, they or their agency can ask the hotel to instead use the proper rate. Should the hotel reject that request, travel buyers can keep track of that noncompliance.

The software assigns a value to such negotiated amenities as Internet access and breakfast, so rates that include them can be compared properly with rates that do not, Kaplan said.

It's not just about uncovering lost savings from travelers booking the wrong rates at the right properties. It's also for determining when travelers book at unapproved properties, or through means other than designated booking channels (typically the agency or an approved self-booking tool). CheckpointBTS can handle such other sources as electronic feeds from hotels with direct bill agreements or even spreadsheets from hotels in developing areas with less sophisticated reporting means.

Get the full story at Business Travel News

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