So, you are looking to get the very best hotel rates, terms and conditions for your tour series or event, but may be short of time or contracting expertise.
Let North Star Travel Consulting do all the groundwork and preparation for you and let us contract the hotels on your behalf. We will offer you hotel choices based on your specifications and provide you rate, confirmed space and market data so you can evaluate which hotels will best meet your needs.
As the old saying goes, preparation is the key to success. Contracting a tour series or event is more than just having locked in rates with big hotel chains or re-contracting with your existing hotel just because it is where you have always booked. It is also not about getting rates confirmed within 24 hours. Anyone can get a fast rate at a non-descript hotel; the key is to get the right rate at the hotel to meet your needs. At North Star Travel Consulting, we take the time to prepare and do everything you would if you had the time or resources to get it done yourself.
Finding, selecting, and contracting the right hotel(s) for your tour series involves multiple factors including:
Room Quality Making sure that the room block you are contracting meets expectations. Taking care to avoid certain floors because they are smoking areas or avoiding rooms that overlook a parking lot.
Location Contracting hotels that are in a location that will delight your clients is a critical step in itinerary planning and delivering a high-quality experience; whether it’s a centrally located, city center hotel or off-the-beaten track gem it’s critical that the location creates a favorable impression. As they say, it’s all about Location, Location, Location! It can make or break the travelers’ experience.
Services & Amenities/Health & Safety Doing the research to ensure that the hotel meets your clients’ expectations. Does it have a swimming pool? Does it have 24-hour room service? What about the latest safety and cleanliness requirements, an increasingly critical factor as we move into the post COVID-19 era?
Star Rating/Reviews Nowadays everyone has access to reviews and social media so there is a greater need than ever to ensure that the hotels you are selecting pass the test of your would be travelers who undoubtedly will do their own online research prior to booking or departing.
Rates plus Terms & Conditions Once you’ve selected the hotels that you may want to contract, ensuring that you have the best rates, terms and conditions is paramount to offering a competitively priced tour plus delivery of profits you work so hard to achieve. Items to consider:
Do you have low cost or no single supplement rates?
Do you have excellent complimentary policies for tour leaders and coach drivers or cumulative complimentary policies?
Do you need rates with or without breakfast and/or included meals?
Do you need meeting space?
Do you have favorable payment policies and cancellation terms you can live with should you need to cancel now that we are in an era of disease outbreak and political instability?
Do you have a long-term option clause for rate and space?
We ensure that you get the best deal possible while maintaining a strong partnership with your hotel vendors. We have a comprehensive hotel contract agreement form that we utilize and provide as needed to create strong yet flexible conditions that meet the demands of today and tomorrow.
Regardless of where in the world you operate, here are just a few contracting best practices to help you contract the right hotel(s) at the best value:
Know your Competition
Nobody wants to see many tour groups in their hotel when they are on vacation. We take the time to do a competitive analysis on which hotels your competitors are using in the locales you need. Whether you are a value or luxury travel operator we offer you a selection of hotel options to consider so you can make the most informed decisions that fit both your clients and your own expectations.
Use Day of the Week and Seasonality to your Advantage
Understanding which days of the week you require will help the hotel to give you the best rates possible. We contract with seasonality: low, shoulder and high. Then we work to ensure you have some dates in each season so you can offer tiered pricing and potentially extend low season to get better value when there are fewer tourists.
Avoid Major Conferences and Fairs
We contact the cities tourist boards or CVBs and get a list of dates ahead of time so you can avoid scheduling your groups over fairs or sporting events where availability is low, rates are high and locations may not be what your travelers expect.
New Builds/Supply & Demand
North Star will check to see if any new builds are coming online so that you can get an introductory rate prior to opening. We can also use new builds and/or more occupancy availability to leverage better rates with your existing properties or with alternative hotels North Star can provide.
Send Dates/Space out ahead of Time to Secure Comparable Quotes
Securing information in advance of any meeting, event or trip is key to comparing hotel options against each other and against their rack rates. We will do all of the necessary homework to make sure we are maximizing opportunities for you.
There’s a whole lot more involved with sourcing, selecting and contracting hotels to secure the best rates, terms and conditions available. North Star has decades of experience in contracting and we have a proven track record of saving companies millions of dollars.
Our experience combined with our long terms and excellent relationships all over the world provides access to superior rates and the best available options. This will generate results for you in terms of improved quality, profit, and repeat business.
So, if you have a group of 10 or more rooms that need contracting, better pricing, quality or new program needs anywhere in the world, let’s talk! North Star Travel Consulting can’t wait to show what we can do for you.
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