Perfect Hotel RFPs: Insight from Both Sides of the Negotiation Table

Don’t waste days on masterminding, negotiating, and booking team travel.

Kelley Thompson, Head of Growth at Workgrounds, knows the insider approach: which means you can get that time back to focus not on getting to the event, but ways to make it great when everyone’s there.

The problem right now? There’s a huge breakdown in comms between corporate planners and hotels: it’s tough to get on the same page. That means you’re frustrated, budgets get thrown out or ignored, and the employee experience suffers too (because you’re a little too busy sitting on hold and fighting for a good rate to lock in on anything else).

But Thompson knows the solution. Read on to see exactly how she gets better rates, makes hidden fees disappear, and changes a contentious hotel-HR relationship into a collaborative dream. 

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Knock Down the Wall Between You and Hotels

Thompson doesn’t think the RFP process should be a fight, or a tug-of-war, or a concession. After all, if you’re looking to book travel once, there’s a chance you’ll do it again. Why not build a great relationship with a hotel?

You can do that and still make sure you’re getting a good deal.

Thompson said that a good hotel sales team will create better offers when RFPs are more detailed, and include deal-breakers and all important info. (For example: If you need a meeting room for 200, but only need hotel rooms for 75.)
And travel managers who create good RFPs make ones that show they understand the hotel business, and show hotels what they really care about. 

Because Thompson’s been on both sides of the negotiation table, she knows that transparency isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also a strategic choice. If you get how hotels evaluate you, you can send them curated info. Meaning better proposals, better compromises, and a partner instead of an enemy.

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How to Craft a Perfect Hotel RFP

Here's Thompson's 4-step checklist for putting together a great proposal request. 

Step 1: Be Brutally Honest 

When you’re sending out an RFP, think of it like giving a presentation about yourself. 

Be clear about what your events have looked like before, and what you think this new one might look like too.

To communicate your business and event history to a hotel (new or returning), you can approach an RFP like so:

"I can tell you, 'Hey, I brought this meeting to Chicago the last 3 years,” Thompson said. “This is what our pickup was every year. This is why I'm asking for this block, because we just acquired a company and our head count is growing.'" 

You want to be honest because it’s essential that hotels trust the numbers you give them. If they don’t, they’ll pad their proposals. That means: Be upfront about issues and how you’re addressing them now. It’s better for everyone, and best for your relationship.

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Step 2: Map the Experience

Think bigger than four walls — what’s the experience you want to create inside them?

When you figure that out, you can tell hotels how your guests might move through their space. It also helps both sides identify needs: a boardroom, for example, or a team breakfast. 

It’s also an opportunity for you to tell them about sticky or strange particulars, weird requests, or odd ratios (like the earlier example of needing a meeting space for 200 but only needing 75 rooms).

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Step 3: Eliminate the No’s and Save Your Time

Here’s the truth: not every hotel is right for you. And some will try to be, and pretend to be, and waste your time.

Thompson recalled one space that made staff go far afield between meetings and lunch. 

Get rid of the hotels you don’t want right away by putting non-negotiables in your RFP, as well as any deal-breakers for your CEO or staffers. 

Also take a moment to flag anything that matters about location. Whether you want to be near the airport or close to the late-night laser tag bonding event, the hotel should be in the know (and be able to check that box). 

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Step 4: Structure your RFP like a Pro 

"The hoteliers, they just throw spaghetti at the wall, and they offer you a bunch of concessions that you really don't care about, or they're not meaningful," Thompson said.

That's why you need to cover all the essentials in your RFP. Here's what Thompson would include. 

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Dates & Flexibility. Start with your ideal dates, but show your flexibility. Hotels love options — it helps them work around their busy periods. And more flexibility usually = better deals. 

Meeting Space Specifics. Don’t just say, "We need a conference room." Map out exactly how your team will use the space. Also be sure to mention any discrepancies between your room block and meeting space needs, as well as meal space requirements.

Hot Buttons & Deal-Breakers. Every company has non-negotiables. Thompson's seen everything from "vibey hotels only" to "all meeting spaces must be on one floor." Flag what your decision-makers care most about, including location requirements. 

Concessions That Count. Be specific, not generic. List what you care about (like room upgrades, Wi-Fi, staff rooms, meeting space discounts) and clearly outline budget parameters. (Be sure to pad that by 15-20% for surprise costs.)

Search Parameters. Hotels want to know if they’re likely to win your business. A broad 10-city search gets you different treatment than a locked-in location.

Event History. If you’re hosting a recurring event, give hotels the full picture. Thompson recommends sharing what the event used to look like, and how it’s changing. 

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Use our example RFP template to get started: RFP Template