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5 “Tips for Getting to a “Win-Win” with Hotels

Posted on Saturday, June 1, 2019 by Mike Stoupa

Let’s face it. Finding a “reunion-friendly” hotel can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Once you find a hotel who seems like a good candidate, you may encounter some points of friction from what you expect versus what they are offering. Here are three tips to creating a scenario where both you and the hotel’s sales staff can happily agree before signing a contract.

1) Come prepared with an RFP

Reunion planners should come prepared for their intial meeting with hotels. I suggest creating a one to two page Request for Proposal (RFP) outlining details that the hotel will need to know about your group.

These items include:

attendance
host hotels and cities
number of rooms utilized per night
room rates for the past three to five years

Also, it's important to note that including a rough schedule of your reunion and requested concessions (i.e. comp policy, parking, and hospitality space needs) gets the negotiations moving faster than starting from scratch. It also assists the hotel sales professionals in understanding your group’s needs.

2) Have a Plan A and a Plan B

Using your RFP, create a mental list of items which you MUST have and items you are willing to concede.

For example, is the hotel requesting the alcohol be purchased from them?
- Consider asking them if they would charge a set percentage over their cost. They are buying beverages at wholesale rates so, even after a small markup, you may still save money.
- In addition to not having to purchase an ABC permit in certain states, I’ve seen some hotels provide a keg versus bottles and cans for a better quality beverage.

Another example of a plan A and B falls under the much-discussed topic of attrition.
- If a hotel requires attrition, offer to have attrition apply only after a certain date (based on rooms booked up to that point) such as 21 or 30 days prior to the reunion.
- An alternative I’ve seen is to offer to have contracted rooms drop from your block after a specific date. There is bound to be a solution to make both parties comfortable in the final stages of negotiation.

3) Herding cats is not a fun game

If there is one thing that frustrates hotel salespeople more than anything else, it has to be constantly following up with clients to get information. By eliminating this frustration, sales teams feel more comfortable with you when you respond to them quickly. Whether it be a simple question before they quote you a price or asking for a signed copy of the contract back, you can make your group stand out by being prompt and responsive.

Imagine the feeling of pleasant astonishment you’d give a hotel salesperson if you contact them with the payment, deposit, or headcount a week or two before they need it. While a subtle and polite item, you’d be surprised how much time salespeople spend doing small tasks like this. They may even return the kind act if you need something small during your reunion.

4) Understand not all hotels are created equal

Did you get a stellar concession from a hotel last year, such as a complimentary welcome reception or better than average comp room policy? It hopefully should come as no surprise to you that not every reunion friendly hotel is able to offer the same amenities to you each year.

Embracing this should help reduce your stress levels when a hotel politely declines to honor your request for a complimentary light dinner. I refer you to numbers 1 and 2 above and 5 below for ideas to help you with this challenge.

5) Start with the CVB before calling hotels

How many hotels do you call, on average, for each reunion? Sure, there are resources to identify reunion friendly hotels but there is one undisputedly valuable resource for reunion planners: the local Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

The CVB in the destination you’re searching will know which hotels welcome more military reunion groups than others. They can help point you in their direction and can connect you with the sales team for a smooth booking process. Better yet, the CVB can send your RFP to the appropriate hotels on your behalf without you having to make a single phone call.

Author: Mike Stoupa

Mike Stoupa is a tourism sales professional with a distinct sense of humor. While he wishes he could be playing or watching hockey right now, he’s likely thinking about new ways he can help his travel professional clients create relevant, interesting, and distinct experiences for their travelers. A 2007 graduate of Virginia Tech’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program, Mike was the recipient of the 2016 Virgo Award for Sales Manager of the Year for his work with military reunions but he’ll tell you it was a team effort. He’s a proud father of two children, Rylan and Grace, and a could-be-better husband to his wife Ashley. If you have any questions Contact Mike at MStoupa@pwcgov.org

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5 “Tips for Getting to a “Win-Win” with Hotels

1) Come prepared with an RFP

Reunion planners should come prepared for their intial meeting with hotels. I suggest creating a one to two page Request for Proposal (RFP) outlining details that the hotel will need to know about your group.

These items include:

attendance

host hotels and cities

number of rooms utilized per night

room rates for the past three to five years

2) Have a Plan A and a Plan B

Using your RFP, create a mental list of items which you MUST have and items you are willing to concede.

For example, is the hotel requesting the alcohol be purchased from them?

Consider asking them if they would charge a set percentage over their cost. They are buying beverages at wholesale rates so, even after a small markup, you may still save money.

In addition to not having to purchase an ABC permit in certain states, I’ve seen some hotels provide a keg versus bottles and cans for a better quality beverage.

Another example of a plan A and B falls under the much-discussed topic of attrition.

If a hotel requires attrition, offer to have attrition apply only after a certain date (based on rooms booked up to that point) such as 21 or 30 days prior to the reunion.

An alternative I’ve seen is to offer to have contracted rooms drop from your block after a specific date. There is bound to be a solution to make both parties comfortable in the final stages of negotiation.