Room for Savings: Optimizing Hotel Spend - Carlson

Contents
Introduction
Overview ...................................................................................................................................................3
Research objectives...............................................................................................................................4
About this research................................................................................................................................5
Key findings in brief...............................................................................................................................8
A complex market...............................................................................................................................................12
Key findings explained
1. Hotel spend is often underestimated although it represents nearly 40 percent of
the total travel budget .......................................................................................................................21
2. Companies can save 21 percent of hotel spend by adopting best practices...........26
3. Seven steps enable companies to optimize hotel spend ..................................................31
Consolidate data..................................................................................................................................32
Understand traveler needs and behavior ...................................................................................37
Design an effective hotel policy .....................................................................................................47
Optimize the preferred hotel program ........................................................................................62
Negotiate effectively ...........................................................................................................................80
Improve traveler compliance........................................................................................................110
Track performance............................................................................................................................123
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................................................133
Appendices
Glossary ..............................................................................................................................................134
List of companies researched in case studies......................................................................135