Corporate Hotel Programs: How to measure value?

Corporate hotel programs play a critical role in managing travel spend and supporting the traveler experience.

However, many organizations still measure success using limited metrics such as cost savings or booking compliance. While these indicators matter, they do not tell the full story.

To understand true value, businesses need a broader view. One that considers performance, traveler needs, and long-term outcomes.

What is value?

Value does not always mean securing the lowest rate.

A lower rate may come at the expense of location, service, or amenities. Over time, this can reduce traveler satisfaction and impact productivity.

Well-being also plays a role. Travelers who are well-rested and supported are more likely to perform effectively and deliver better business outcomes.

Balancing cost with traveler experience

Organizations are increasingly using their buying power to improve hotel quality, not just reduce costs.

By consolidating hotel spend, businesses can negotiate better rates while also improving the traveler experience.

Many companies now focus on reducing friction across the journey. A smoother experience supports employee satisfaction and strengthens the overall value proposition.

Location, convenience, and cost control

Location has a direct impact on both cost and experience.

Hotels close to offices, project sites, or event venues reduce travel time and improve productivity. They can also eliminate the need for taxis or ride-share services, lowering incidental spend and supporting sustainability goals.

Choosing the right hotel type

Hotel options have expanded significantly in recent years.

Businesses now need to decide which types of accommodation best suit their travelers. Options may include:

• Full-service hotels
• Apartment-style stays
• Boutique or independent properties

Each option offers value, but not every option suits every traveler or trip.

Matching accommodation to length of stay

Length of stay also influences value.

For extended trips, apartment-style accommodation may offer better outcomes than traditional hotels. These options provide more space, kitchen facilities, and flexibility for longer stays.

Aligning accommodation type with trip duration improves both cost efficiency and traveler comfort.

Sustainability and long-term parternships

Sustainability is becoming a key factor in hotel selection.

According to the 2022 CTM Global Customer Survey, 57% of respondents look for environmental features when choosing accommodation.

Many organizations now prioritize suppliers that align with their sustainability goals. Long-term partnerships with like-minded hotels can deliver both value and consistency.

Duty of care and safety considerations

Safety remains a priority for travel programs.

Organizations often include hotel security standards and cleanliness protocols as mandatory requirements.

These factors influence supplier selection and play a key role in protecting travelers while on the road.

Using travel feedback to measure value

Traveler feedback provides valuable insight into program performance.

Surveys, reviews, and direct feedback help organizations assess whether suppliers meet expectations.

This information allows businesses to refine their hotel program and improve alignment with traveler needs.

Maximizing value through CTM hotel programs

CTM supports customers with access to negotiated rates, benefits, and preferred supplier networks.

The CTM Global Hotel Program includes more than 48,000 properties across 205 countries. It offers exclusive rates and value-added inclusions.

CTM’s global supplier relationships allow customers to secure competitive pricing and access benefits not available through independent bookings.

Driving compliance through technology

Technology plays a key role in program success.

CTM’s Lightning platform helps drive adoption and policy compliance through a simple and intuitive booking experience.

Policy settings ensure that only in-policy hotels appear in search results. This reduces out-of-policy bookings and strengthens supplier negotiations.

Using data to unlock savings

Data helps organizations identify opportunities to improve performance.

Understanding travel patterns, booking behavior, and spend trends allows businesses to make more informed decisions.

With the right insights, companies can optimize supplier selection and uncover additional savings.

Improving hotel negotiations

Strong supplier negotiations are critical to program success.

CTM Account Managers work with customers to:

• Analyze supply and demand trends
• Forecast room night volumes
• Consolidate spend to increase buying power
• Secure value-added benefits

They also identify the right timing for supplier negotiations to maximize outcomes.

Maintaining program performance

Hotel programs require ongoing management.

Regular reviews help identify pricing changes, supplier performance issues, and new opportunities.

Tools such as CTM’s Rate Assurance technology automatically rebook lower rates when prices drop. This ensures savings are not missed.

Ongoing audits and supplier reviews help maintain program alignment and performance.

 

Delivering value for travelers and the business

A well-managed hotel program balances cost, compliance, and traveler experience.

By taking a strategic approach, organizations can offer better choice, improve satisfaction, and secure long-term savings.

This ensures the program delivers value for both travelers and the business.

Using insights for benefits

Understanding the customers’ travel profiles and preferences is the key to identifying savings opportunities.

This includes how many nights they are booking, when and where those bookings are taking place and any incidental expenditure.

Having the right level of expertise and experience in negotiating with hotel suppliers is paramount for achieving the best possible savings for customers. This includes understanding the ideal time of year to launch requests for proposals for accommodation suppliers to capitalize on market over-supply.

CTM’s Account Managers and Supplier Relations team have extensive experience and influential supplier partnerships, and work with our customers to develop  corporate hotel programs that will maximize savings while delivering value to their business.

CTM’s tips to better hotel negotiations

When working with customers to review and rationalize their hotel spending, CTM’s dedicated Account Managers consider several steps, including:

• A thorough understanding of the current accommodation supply chain and how that supply and consumer demand will determine the rates available for the contracting period
• Hotel rate caps may need to be reviewed due to unprecedented demand in some areas meaning hotels that were once preferred partners may no longer be viable
• Consideration of the entire scope of travel including meetings and groups and extended stay. This not only supports increased buying power but will also help towards travel compliance
• Reviewing and forecasting achievable room night volumes per destination/location based on current demand trending
• Consolidating room nights across fewer hotels to maximize buying power
• Reviewing benefits for frequent travelers
• Negotiating discounted or value-adds for accommodation incidentals like meals
• Leveraging CTM’s Global Hotel Program and allowing wider hotel content options (including Booking.com & Expedia) for destinations where customers may have reduced volume or no preferred suppliers
• Requesting dynamic rates (discount off BAR) where hotels are unable to provide value via traditional corporate negotiated rates
• Negotiating longer fixed-term (12-24 month) agreements to further drive savings.

CTM’s tips for maintenance of corporate hotel programs

Hotels change their daily rates based on market conditions and occupancy, so regular reviews and auditing can assist in identifying more competitive rates and opportunities to evaluate suppliers.

• Where dynamic discounted rates have been applied via the CTM Preferred Hotel Program, this will assist to achieve cost savings across peak and low demand periods.
• Utilizing CTM’s Rate Assurance technology will instantly rebook hotels as the nightly rates decrease resulting in no missed savings.
• Schedule rate audits with your CTM Account Manager to ensure negotiated rates are always visible in the online booking tool.
• Are there new hotel openings that may provide greater value than your current preferred suppliers? Compare by product, service, location, rates, amenities, environmental and sustainability practices, cleaning protocols, and diversity and inclusion policies for example.
• Where possible, schedule on-site hotel reviews and inspections with your CTM Account Manager to monitor the hotel product and service offering. Viewing the hotel first-hand will provide a clear picture of what your travelers will experience and also what points of convenience there are for them in the local area i.e transport, cafes and restaurants etc.

Providing your travelers with the rooms they want, while driving the value your business needs

With a carefully curated and strategic hotel program, you can offer your travelers more choices, secure the savings your program needs and ensure a duty of care for those who are on the road, delivering value to both travelers and business.