Are you making some (easily fixed) mistakes when you are booking for business projects and meeting spaces or accommodation?
Roomex’s dedicated Projects & Meetings team specialise in booking group rates for 9+ people per night, setting up project rates for crews, and finding suitable accommodation for long stays - so we asked them about the mistakes that they fix in a flash for businesses just like yours!
Booking for business projects and meetings without a clear scope
It can happen to the best of us. That you get what you think is the green light to make the company travel booking, and you get ahead of the game by booking. Suddenly, the project shifts, mutates, and in some cases - vanishes.
Plans change, and when they do, the last thing you want is to be searching through email confirmations or calling hotels. It’s a whole host of wasted time that actively costs the business money.
Or, you book the rates with your favourite chain, only to discover that a new agenda means the meeting rooms or hotel venues aren’t appropriate for what’s been planned. Or, maybe you use a booking engine for speed - only realising that it wasn’t actually business critical and that you could have negotiated a great group rate.
The dream solution is to wait for everything in ink. Just like in any business deal, you need a contract, or as close to that as possible before you start the company travel booking process. But, we know that’s not always reality - so we also suggest using a platform where you can check, change or cancel your bookings whenever you need to, or can speak to a team who can help.
In just one hour we can have a proposal in your hands, giving you ample time to check it with each stakeholder. You’ve not wasted any time, and only given our team a quick brief - and while saving time, you also know you’ll be getting the best negotiated price, all with one easy invoice.
Your travel management company charges sneaky fees
We analysed the top travel management companies to see just what you might not know when you make a business booking, and you do need to look carefully at what’s included. Some only analyse a couple of hundred thousand hotel rates (we offer over a million!) or you might be stacking up some sneaky fees - many charge for every booking that’s made and if you want a consolidated single invoice, you’ll have to pay extra for it.
When you have a crew project for the long term, or if you need multiple rooms across multiple dates with different team members, those extra pounds all add up.
Some platforms can’t input any company travel booking corporate rates which you have negotiated with your favourite hotels either, and if you’re busy - it can be easy to forget to check each one!
If that sounds familiar - now might be the time to analyse the platforms you are using and see if they still meet your needs when booking for business.
Focusing just on the cost
Cost is king, and we can’t deny that. We also know that if you’ve had a run of repeat offenders ‘bending’ the travel policy when booking for business, it’s likely that you have lots of eyes on your budget and your bookings, However, it’s key to approach each project with fresh eyes.
Whether you have a team of 30 needing project space regularly for a short period or one event with 100 team members coming from all corners of Europe or the UK, you need to focus on lots of variables. Distance, location, safety, flexibility, inclusivity, alignment with your CSR goals - and that’s just the start! Focusing on cost at all expenses can leave you vulnerable to other far bigger headaches later on.
Booking for business without any support
We know that booking for business is no easy feat - and whether you book 250 rooms a year or 25,000 a year - you need that support. Many of the best travel managers find that they look up and suddenly realise how busy their jobs are.
They can no longer phone in that quick favour, spend 30 minutes negotiating down an event room rate or analyse what happened with that one wild expense bill. We have a great product with Roomex, but we love the human touch.
That’s why we made the whole team dedicated to handling these bookings and dilemmas - a team who could be on hand within an hour to solve problems. Don’t go it alone! If you’re a Roomex user you can click ‘Help’ and get connected to our Projects & Meetings team.
Leaving company travel bookings down to employees
One downfall some companies have is from letting employees have too much control over bookings. There can be a period of calm where it appears that employees are simply booking in line with guidance, logging their expenses and maintaining their receipts…but then there’s the reckoning!
This is when the unlucky travel manager is greeted by sacks of receipts, emails requesting clarification, and it’s revealed not everyone was aware which accommodation types were in (or out) of the company policy.
In short, there’s a lot of cleaning up to do….
At the very least you need a really robust expense policy. (Why not use our free template?)
We always say that the best long-term solution is clear visibility for everyone who is involved or part of a business booking. Using a smart platform like Roomex means everyone can see the ins and outs of the bookings- and all the rules.
It helps keep things organised, centralised and digitised - all the ingredients to a peaceful travel manager’s day.
Roomex has the largest network of workforce-suitable hotels available on our platform, helping you find the right accommodation at the right price, wherever your team go.
Our Projects & Meetings team are here to handle your next company travel booking:
- We can ensure the best available rates, peace of mind, and most importantly, traveller safety.
- Our free, catered service has a one-hour response time where you’ll be in contact with one of our Hotel experts
- Our Hotel Experts will help you source, negotiate, and book both rooms and meeting rooms that best suit your needs - saving you time and money
- Keep track of spend and travellers quickly and easily with Roomex Analytics and Duty of Care features.
May 12, 2023
