There is a significant disconnect between what travel managers say is in their hotels policy and what travellers believe, according to new research from the GBTA, CWT and RoomIt.
The Improving Hotel Programs survey found that while 79% of buyers say their employees must use a specific booking channel for hotels, just 34% of travellers believed they were required to do so. The survey found that buyers and travellers were poorly aligned on many areas of policy, including preferred hotels, rate caps and advance booking requirements, as shown below.
Jessica Collison, GBTA director of research, said, "Travel program goals can be difficult to reach when travel buyers and business travelers are not on the same page. The research identifies where disconnects exist between hotel policy and traveler behavior and provides buyers with areas they can focus on to drive increased cost-savings without necessarily compromising on traveler satisfaction. Ongoing communication to keep travelers informed on policy can go a long way toward achieving program goals."
The research also revealed the hotel amenities travellers would like to use but are not always include in their travel policy.
The chart above shows that areas such as gym and in-room movies may be areas where hotel buyers can negotiate with hotel chains to improve traveller satisfaction.
The results come from two surveys carried out in September and October including 265 travel buyers and 750 business travellers in in the United States and Europe.