Corporate travel managers make travel arrangements for their teams. They take several things into account, such as destination, length of travel, and time of the year.
On the outside, it seems like all trips are the same – that’s not always the case. When you book accommodations for your executives, they have different expectations than the entry-level staff.
Booking the best properties and transportation depends on your relationships with vendors and hospitality partners.
If you can negotiate competitive rates with hotels, ground transportation providers, and airlines, you can maximize the budget allotted to your department. Then, more members of your company have the opportunity to experience 4- and 5-star lodging.
Travel managers must remain organized and pay attention to the types of trips coming up on the calendar. For example, traveling nurses and construction crews have different needs than those heading to training for three days.
Do you know that the business travel sector continues bouncing back after the forced hiatus of 2020?
We outline seven types of business travel and how to arrange accommodations.
1. Overnight
Booking overnight trips remains relatively simple. It’s easier to find availability for one night instead of three or more. However, you might incur higher prices.
Therefore, do your best to book overnight stays one month before the trip date. Book the room directly with the property if it’s a last-minute trip. Call them and find out what’s available. The same goes for flights and ground transportation.
2. Weekend
Sometimes your team needs to travel over the weekend. For example, they might travel on Saturday or Sunday for a Monday meeting; they may also attend an event held from Friday through Saturday.
Friday remains a busy travel day. Therefore, book weekend trips at least one month before the travel date.
Since you’re booking multiple days, use an online system designed for corporate travel planners. It can help you compare your options and find the best prices. More importantly, an online booking service helps you find availability.
3. Short-Term
Some trips last one week to three months and require more careful planning. The length is typical for road warrior salespeople. Sometimes it’s more cost-effective to let them hit the road and stay in the field for extended periods.
For road warrior salespeople, corporate travel managers must collaborate with them. It’s not always possible to place them in standard business hotels at every stop.
When booking their lodging, let them become your eyes and ears. It’s more efficient to allot your sales team members a budget and allow them to book their stays.
4. Long-Term
Long-term lodging becomes more challenging than short-term stays and overnight trips. It helps to find properties that can accommodate your team without interruption.
Corporate travel managers can use several tools to find the most appropriate accommodations. Booking long-term stays might require you to use specialized websites, services, and platforms.
You might need to find housing accommodations instead of hotel rooms.
5. Traveling Crews
Traveling crews also benefit from housing accommodations instead of hotel rooms. The good news is that the hotel industry has also caught on to this tidbit.
The large chains have scooped up an array of properties and placed them under their brands. The oldest hotel chains still offer standard hotel rooms – they also offer loft and extended stay lodging.
Therefore, your travel construction teams and travel nurses can remain comfortable on long-term assignments.
Book these accommodations through booking services or online websites.
6. Group
Group accommodations can also pose challenges for corporate travel planners. When you need to book blocks of rooms, call the property directly. Properties usually hire professionals who deal with group reservations.
They have special privileges that allow them to set aside more than ten rooms in one shot.
Moreover, group travel can often obtain special pricing. Thus, develop relationships with these hospitality professionals.
7. Executive
Executives have earned the right to stay in five-star accommodations and receive luxury amenities. Moreover, it’s a branding strategy.
Luxury lodging shows that the organization is solvent when your company needs to close a deal or woo an attractive business partner
One way to find lodging for executives is to work with corporate travel agents.
Conclusion
Corporate travel managers receive leeway to find the best and most cost-effective lodging and amenities for their team members. Sometimes, you’ll need to contact the property directly. Other times, you can use a service or website. As a manager, put your mark on your position and use strategic creativity to excel at it.
