The Heebie Jeebies: What Every Event Planner Needs to Know About Hotel Concessions

by | Jun 29, 2017 | Catering, Event Experience, Event Planning, Events, Food, Food Truck

[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1621452049988{padding-right: 25px !important;padding-left: 25px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]“Hotels tend to have quite a bit of flexibility on certain perks, but no one asks, so they aren’t always offered.”

Many of my clients have a case of the ‘heebie jeebies’ when it comes to negotiating a hotel contract for their event. They get particularly anxious about asking for freebies or perks (aka hotel concessions). Let’s face it – hotel contracts are intimidating. If you’re not a lawyer all that jargon makes no sense at all!

Navigating your way through a hotel contract or proposal doesn’t have to be a frightful activity.

Here are two of the most common hotel concessions that literally anyone can ask for:

 

#1 – Complimentary WiFi – almost everyone is carrying around a phone, tablet and/or laptop when they travel. WiFi is a hot commodity. Event attendees want to stay connected in their guest rooms, in the meeting space and in the common areas. Don’t be afraid to ask your hotel salesperson for free WiFi! 

 

#2 – Complimentary or Discounted Room Upgrades – Maybe you’re looking to impress your boss or an event speaker or perhaps you need a hospitality suite for social events? Room upgrades are a nice perk and are usually something that is very feasible for the hotel to provide for your event. You can also keep them in your back pocket for when you have a challenging situation with a client or stakeholder that needs smoothing over. There’s nothing like a room with a view to make even the most dissatisfied event attendee a little bit happier!

Curious about what types of other hotel concessions that event organizers can ask for? The truth is there are many concessions you can request as hotels tend to have quite a bit of flexibility on certain things. What is important to remember is to prioritize by asking for the concessions that you really need (and want) for each meeting/event based on the specific needs of your attendees.

The bottom line – don’t be afraid to ask for concessions. What’s the worst they can say?

 

PS – We’ve got WAY more hints on how to negotiate hotel concessions in our eBook or simply set-up a 15-min consultation with me and I’ll walk you through it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]