Accor has insisted that companies who can plan ahead and improve staff compliance for their travel policies will be the big winners from a new pricing structure unveiled by the hotel group.
Under the new Flexible Corporate Pricing Solution, Accor will offer fixed or dynamic rates until 14 days before arrival, after which only a dynamic rate will kick in.
While the hotel industry has moved towards dynamic pricing, many businesses still like the certainty of fixed rates, Accor said.
Director of corporate and government Elizabeth Ford said the structure would benefit companies and hotels. “It enables companies to budget for corporate travel more effectively and will encourage compliance by employees,” she said.
“Advanced travel bookings are what compliant travel programs aim for and we are about rewarding those companies who can truly deliver on this.
Ford revealed that 70% of Accor’s corporate bookings are made on variable rates, which, she said, provide access to rooms “when they want, where they want”.
“But of course they would prefer to book as early as possible and get rewarded for that,” she said. “But we still need to help companies with fixed rates get access in the key cities because in many cases they wouldn’t get the same access as those on variable rates, which is why we’ve come up with this new corporate pricing option.”
It will provide firms with more booking options and greater access to rooms at the last minute, she added.
“Naturally they pay higher rates for later bookings but they will still receive a negotiated discount on these rates,” Ford said.
