Media Release 27 September 2005
Smart Negotiation Provides Big Savings on Hotel Costs
Companies could slice 15 per cent off their total hotel bill through the clever use of technology, combined with skilled
negotiation with a large range of hotel partners, according to FCm Travel Solutions, the first Asia-Pacific based travel
and expense management specialist.
The cost of laundry, meals, internet access - even drinks from the mini-bar - can be negotiated down if the travel
manager has the right tools and skills, according to Greg Hamilton, FCm Travel Solutions General Manager (NZ).
“At FCm Travel Solutions we have both the tools and the skills to save our clients money, often around the 15 per cent
mark, which in one case added up to $360,000 on annual hotel costs,” he said.
“These are mid-sized enterprises with a mixture of domestic and international travel, taking advantage of our global
reach.”
The group is the only travel management provider in the Asia Pacific region to utilise Uversa technology - the leading
global procurement system for negotiation of hotel rates.
And unlike other travel management companies in the region, FCm Travel Solutions has partnered with a broader range of
hotels, to offer clients the benefit of greater choice, flexibility and cost efficiency in accommodation.
Rachel Grier, General Manager of the Global Hotel and Client Program at FCm Travel Solutions, said the combination of
new technology with powerful industry alliances and negotiating expertise, gave companies the greatest total
accommodation value, as opposed to simply the best room rates.
“Hotel expenditure is a key area of focus for procurement managers and CFOs and they’re increasingly looking at value,
not price,” Ms Grier said.
“Sharp-eyed cost controllers are looking more closely at the total hotel spend by travelling staff, to see what
economies they can achieve with smart negotiation.
“Using the Uversa technology, FCm Travel Solutions can negotiate with hotels on the total spend by its clients, and can
do a cost benefit analysis of each offer to establish where the true value lies for a particular client,” she said.
“We can negotiate with hotels on everything from breakfast/dinner deals, to laundry, internet web access, even mini-bar
charges, and make a recommendation to the client on which hotel offers the best value.
“We are one of the leaders in using this technology to negotiate, solicit and benchmark these types of components.”
Ms Grier said FCm Travel Solutions also partnered with smaller, boutique size properties (as well as the major hotel
chains) because they often provided the best fit for clients.
The group currently works with more than 14,500 hotels globally, and is in the process of contracting approximately
40,000 hotels for 2006.
Mr Hamilton said technology and negotiating strength have enabled FCm Travel Solutions to deliver significant and
measurable accommodation cost savings for clients, large and small.
“We had an Australian corporate client who negotiated a $195 room rate at a particular hotel group. Our team closed the
negotiations with the same hotel at $165, valid to 2006, with upgrades and other value-adds such as breakfast.
“Considering breakfast is usually $30 in a hotel, at 6,000 room nights (the total required by the client), we delivered
a saving of $180,000 in food alone, and double that when you include the saving on the room rate,” he said.
Mr Hamilton said hotels were coming to terms with the new era of cost accountability and the days of making up on the
extras what they might have discounted on the room rates were drawing to a close.
“Hotels do have to compete. But some also take the bigger picture view that negotiating with us, to provide our clients
with a better value deal, will win them more business,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Our travel cost management services and tools are all about achieving substantial savings through the complete travel
process, from travel booking through to expense management.
“Our technology also creates measurable outcomes. It provides sophisticated management information reporting that allows
clients to track, monitor and control their spend ‘at a click’,” Mr Hamilton said.
FCm Travel Solutions offers small, large and multinational companies travel solutions in more than 50 countries around
the world. Services and benefits include streamlined travel management, world-best fares of the day, unprecedented
control of travel expenditure and policy compliance, and 24/7 emergency assistance worldwide.
ENDS
About FCm Travel Solutions
FCm Travel Solutions is the first Asia-Pacific based, global corporate travel and expense management specialist,
proactively delivering industry-best solutions and measurable cost reductions for companies of all sizes. FCm Travel
Solutions provides a global network of local expertise, state-of-the-art technology driving time and cost savings, and a
flexible business model that enables services to be tailored to every client. It is the corporate travel flagship of
Australasian-based travel company, Flight Centre Limited, which has been awarded in many countries for its travel
industry leadership and innovative people development. For further information visit: www.fcmtravel.com