INSIGHT
4 good reasons to consolidate your hotel spend with one TMC
Competitive pricing, buying power, over 1 million hotel booking options
Most companies ensure that their airfares are centrally booked for full visibility and compliance. But trends are changing. Hotel bookings are getting equal attention and have come on the radar of organisations looking to elevate their hotel programme.
Travel managers, procurement heads, corporate buyers and key stakeholders want more control of their hotel programme, achieve cost efficiency, get visibility and plenty of hotel options.
Here’s why consolidating your hotel bookings with one travel management company (TMC) makes business sense. Partnering with a single TMC for your hotel programme can simplify processes, save costs, and improve the experience for your travellers.
"Travellers book faster, stay happier, and stick to policy when the hotel options are rich, relevant, approved, and always available on one platform. It’s convenience and control in one solution,”
Siddharth Mehta, Vice President- Supply, FCM India.
Here are just 4 reasons to streamline your hotel programme and consolidate:
1. Volume = Savings
When hotel bookings are spread across multiple platforms or made directly by business travellers, you lose out on negotiated rates, bundled deals and other supplier benefits.
TMCs flex their buying power to negotiate impressive discounts on your behalf. They have better relationship with hotels and accommodation providers. You can secure attractive hotel deals at negotiated rates for room nights.
Online booking tools have also moved with the times. They’re fully integrated, so third-party rates from platforms are automatically pulled in so that lower rates can be offered even when corporate contracts don’t provide the best rate.
You can also filter options according to your travel policy, meaning that inflexible, non-refundable deals are weeded out. Say goodbye to suspiciously cheap rates, with a sting in their tail, forever.
2. Cost savings with tax benefits
When you partner with a travel company, you gain from supplier negotiations. Over time, this adds up to significant cost savings, especially for businesses with frequent travel across India and overseas.
Moreover, with GST input tax credit, you can save more! FCM India ensures your GST invoices are handled with accuracy, and you get 100% GST input credit with every eligible booking, saving 12%-18% on bookings.
"A consolidated hotel programme is about better rates, enhanced control, and experience. When all bookings run through one partner, you get on a clear path to reduce leakage and maximise value through data, compliance, and smarter negotiations,” said Varun Sethi, Associate Vice President- Supply, FCM India.
3. Extensive choice
There’s an outdated notion that TMCs stick to rates in more established hotel chains, while other platforms boast millions of different properties.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. TMCs are always looking to expand their reach – and are particularly good at vetting accommodation options in rural or far-flung corners of the world.
Important for multi-national companies with a footprint across the globe. For instance, with FCM, you can choose from over one million hotel accommodations across the world, including 80,000+ prepaid hotels across India. Along with global chains and aggregators, FCM also provides rich and relevant regional accommodation content.
4. Visibility and traveller safety
Okay that’s two reasons in one. But many companies often don’t see the value in mandating a hotel booking policy. Centralised booking is essential for full visibility over your travel programme. In other words, do you know where your travellers are going and how much they are spending?
Hotels booked on third party websites won’t be visible in traveller tracking technology. Bad news in an emergency. And frustrating when you’re trying to analyse your company’s travel behaviour.
By having complete visibility over your hotel bookings you’ll be able to keep a handle on your spend – and know exactly where your travellers are if you need to bring them home.
Ready to take control of your hotel programme?
Whether you're booking hotels in Pune, Paris or Penang, centralising with one TMC like FCM means smarter spending, better experiences, and a more streamlined travel programme.