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Hotel Negotiating Roundtable Discussion: Buyers Air Dynamic Pricing, Green Concerns.

Article Excerpt
Business Travel News in November discussed hotel negotiating strategy with four travel buyers: Pfizer director of global travel Phil Dunphy; Cynthia Gillen, director of procurement and travel management for BDO Seidman; National Business Travel Association president Kevin Maguire; and Cynthia Shumate, director of travel services for Estee Lauder Cos. In addition to 2007 negotiations (BTN, Nov. 19), participants discussed ongoing corporate hotel trends.

BTN: How will room nights in your hotel program in 2008 compare with 2007?

Cynthia Gillen: We do expect to have more room nights coming through. Our average stay has been creeping up very slowly, and we are targeting to bring more of that volume to our consolidated travel management company. We found that there's an average 13 percent savings on non-negotiated hotels booked individually versus through a travel management company.

Cynthia Shumate: It's hard to tell. I anticipate more international room nights, which is a whole different conversation when it comes to negotiating. The major chains are aligning more so than in past years, understanding that the growth is coming from U.S. travelers. It makes it easier for travelers to not think about where they're staying...

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