There are a few ways to talk about business travel’s prospects. Some news articles quote sentiment surveys — do business folks plan to travel more or less, spend more or less on trips, loosen up on restrictions? Some highlight mid- to long-term forecasts by economists and the like. Many discuss uncertainty, but booking trends have…
“The pandemic has had a huge impact across the payments space,” according to Visa Business Solutions senior director Ryan Grabau. “People want to be more digital, for sustainability or because everyone is working remotely. They want to pay contactless. Organizations want more control in managing expenditures and cash flow.” Grabau spoke here last month during…
Some say instant booking for small meeting space and associated guest rooms is poised to replace the request for proposals process in many instances. Cvent a year ago announced a partnership with Amadeus to develop this, but according to sources, some big chain hotel companies are not on board. They’re pushing such capabilities on their…
An inhibitor to the wide adoption of virtual payment for hotel stays is that front desk check-in processes haven’t caught up. Payment forms other than traditional plastic can trip up property staff, many of whom these days are barely trained on standard operating procedures, much less atypical ones. Marriott International and Grasp Technologies said they…
That they see the lodging sector as a seller’s market right now means many corporate travel buyers are waiting until later than usual to start rate negotiations for the coming year. It also means the dynamic discount model hotels began pushing well before the pandemic — which then served as a component of the dual-rate…
Corporate travel buyers and travelers have lost some confidence in the services and quality to expect at hotels, but Marriott International doesn’t see that making its way into contractual relationships with corporate accounts. “It’s only come up a couple times, and we have actually tried our best not to engage in those conversations,” said Julius…
The hospitality industry’s labor issues make it hard to provide the services many corporate travelers expect. According to hotel company execs, service levels are recovering but at different paces depending on location. Travel buyers understand the staffing dilemmas facing many properties and try to ensure travelers know what they’ll encounter. Beyond the immediate term, some…
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