Booking accommodation – do you get the best rates?

When booking a large event, where attendees are paying themselves, it is standard practice to book a block of rooms at the hotel the event is taking place, or if it is a venue that doesn’t have bedrooms, then take some rooms at nearby hotels for attendees to use.

As an organiser, we expect that these rooms will be cheaper than the advertised rates because of the volume of bedrooms we are booking and if the event is in the same hotel, there is the overall benefit to them of profitability from the meeting space, food and beverage and additional attendee spend.

Taking a room block is a substantial undertaking for an event organiser. They will probably have to guarantee a minimum number of bedrooms, there will be a cut-off date and attrition. Bookings need to be closely monitored to avoid penalties.

Transparency is essential from the hotel. It’s quick for an attendee to look online, at the hotel’s website or a 3rd party accommodation booking site and if the rooms are offered more cheaply then they will book elsewhere and there will be a complaint. Also, it’s easy to compare rates with hotels nearby. Increasingly event attendees are looking elsewhere for accommodation to obtain better value for money, particularly in cities where Airbnb has plenty of options of a comparable standard. So, what can you do to secure accommodation at the best rate and make sure attendees use it?

• A large event or an event on less popular days of the week or in low season will get better rates than a small event at a peak time. The hotel will need the booking more if it fits in well with their other bookings (business and leisure) Using the hotel for multiple events will improve your ability to negotiate
• Ask for a guaranteed, better-negotiated rates and make sure this is in the contract
• If your event is at a Congress Centre, then they can help, particularly if there are several hotels involved
• Similarly, for a city-wide event the Convention Bureau will be able to help
• Monitor the bookings closely to make sure you achieve the required numbers
• Keep checking the hotel rates offered on their website and through 3rd party sites to make sure they rates haven’t been reduced lower than your agreement
• Be aware that nearby hotels can and will offer discounted rates on the date of your event

Of course, there will always be delegates who want to book the hotel where the event is being held, particularly if there is a dinner and drinking. Securing and holding accommodation is less of a problem to the event organiser in a large city, where there are more hotels in walking distance or a quick taxi ride from the event venue.

If you would like help or EDGEvenues to book accommodation on your behalf, please call 01780 484051 or email [email protected].