As the hotel industry enjoys a prolonged seller’s market -- for now
-- major brands are holding most of the cards in group contract
negotiations. With high demand and limited supply, many are holding fast
to terms including reduced commissions for third parties and
non-negotiable fees.
Meanwhile, as the big players get bigger,
independent hotels are touting their freedom to be nimble and flexible
to meet clients’ needs. That’s the sweet spot for Danielle Bishop,
president and founder of HB Hospitality, a membership-based community of luxury independent properties and meeting-planner clients.
In this week’s episode of Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals, Bishop discusses:
- The benefits of working directly with independent hotels;
- Why the industry should simplify the current business model so that it’s more transparent;
- What selling a home has in common with booking a room block;
- How hotels are going beyond room product to differentiate their offerings, and
- How planners can ask more of their hotel partners