Marriott’s recent acquisition of Starwood is set to shake-up the hotel industry with serious implications on corporate travel buying, according to Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s (CWT) latest white paper, cei.asia reports.
The Hotel Industry Consolidation report suggests the Marriott/Starwood merger will have significant global effects and recommends corporate travel buyers start planning now for future negotiations.
CWT executive vice president and head of global supplier management, Scott Brennan, says: “Consolidation in the hotel industry isn’t new but the Marriott/Starwood tie-up is likely to change the way corporate travel is bought and sold. Everyone has to think very carefully about what this means for negotiating corporate travel deals.”
In 14 of the world’s top 20 cities, the merged hotel group will have nearly a third of the corporate travel hotel spend, rising to half in some destinations. Also, CWT’s analysis suggests Marriott, more than any other chain, has chosen not to take part in corporate travel RFP processes.
Brennan says: “The implications are potentially huge. We think the new Marriott/Starwood group is going to have a lot of say in the market, which could alter the way corporate rooms are bought and sold. We don’t yet know the full impact and because the new group won’t be finalised in time for the negotiations this year, we won’t know until the 2017 negotiating season, in September next year.”
CWT’s analysis also highlighted travel policy compliance and the non-compliant hotel spend linked to loyalty programmes as a potential issue, showing 22 per cent of non-compliant spend is with Marriott and nine per cent is with Starwood.
“The combination of the new Marriott’s increased market share and the pulling-power of its loyalty programme means it will be in a very strong position,” says Brennan. “After all, volume drives the discussion in the hotel industry. On top of that, where a player the size of the new Marriott goes, others will follow.”
CWT advises event planners and corporate travel buyers to start planning now for future travel programme negotiations, suggesting the following four steps:
- Assess key markets: look at share by top chain within key cities or areas within a city, assess alternative hotels and potential savings
- Prepare to have a more flexible approach for 2017, incorporating alternative suppliers as required
- Adapt your travel policy to ensure compliance
- Communicate to travellers, engage them in corporate objectives, and create shared ownership in the results
CWT’s Hotel Industry Consolidation white paper is available here.
Read more here.
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