We are getting more and more requests to include hotels in our multi day tours in the UK.
Its not something we have focused on in the past, but it seems though we are going to have to look into this. Just wanting to see if anyone in the Travel Massive community can supply, advise or help with this situation for us 😀
Not a bad one, though. Imo, not only your potential client can get a quicker answer to what they are looking for, but also are immediately launched into anything business relate and up to date with the latest. So, more info = more vfm.
We do many single day tours, but have various multiday offering and also do a lot of custom tours - if you want to check us out before replying here are our current tours bestuktours.com/tours/
We book hotels directly. I reach out to them, ask for STO/Nett rates, book provisional holds for my guests (depending on the destination -- can be 2 weeks to a couple months.
Lots of people use nett and not net. Weird, I know. Here's a sample email that I send - obviously, you'll want to write up a little story on yourself. I know folks are busy, but I also want them to take me seriously.
"Hello - I own a safari company based in Texas and also serve as Malawi's first and only Honorary Consul in the United States. I typically organize trips to Malawi, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Madagascar, (and occasionally, France and the Galapagos) but my clients have been asking me to organize trips to _ _ _ _ Many years ago I visited your hotel I remember the superb service and location. Can you please send me your STO/NETT Rates? I'm looking at organizing a _ _ _ _ next year. Here's my website: mysafari.org
Hi there!! We work directly with each hotel, signing contracts with them. Although, if you have A LOT of requests, it can be faster for you using something like Ratehawk.
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, seems like a lot of people just book direct so this seems to be the easiest way currently, we are not going to have thousands, but will take a look at Rate hawk (assume this is a comparison type site?) we also have an affiliate account with Expedia that we are exploring + an IHG have an affiliet program too, which we will look at too... :-) have you used rate hawk yourself?
Hi James, I have two businesses: a Travel Agency in the UK via the Advantage consortium, and a UK representation agency for Inbound Tour Operators in the UK.
There's three main ways the Travel Agency can access Hotels:
- Direct Contracts - works best when you can get at least 50 room nights per year in any particular hotel - Bedbanks - the go-to: RateHawk mentioned below, but also - BedsOnline, Stuba and Expedia TAAP have a strong UK hotel range - Consortium 'Global Accomodation Programme' - ready to go deals with the chains like Accor, Marriott, Hilton, IHG and in some cases Premier Inn and Travelodge - predominantly used by Business Travel TMCs
When combining with other travel products, they often have package rates.
Potentially a bigger question though - if you're combining with accommodation, do you have the set up ready to go for the UK Package Travel Regulations? My UK representation agency helps global Inbound Tour Operators sell to the UK market - being UK based and place of sale is the UK means its the same solution - happy to chat!
Hi Daniel, that is really really helpful, thank you so much - we wont be booking for big groups, they are usually 4-8 people max at a time - as you mentioned we have an affiliate program with Expedia + just looking at IHG & will check out Bedbanks - bed online and the other you mentioned. would love to have a catch up with you, to be honest maybe this is just something we can pass to you to arrange, that would save us the hassle, if you fancy having a chat fill out the contact form here and the CRM will pick it up and wiz it over to me for a call: bestuktours.com/contact-us/
Tours, retreats, travel coaching, travel advisor, Journeys and Zen Morocco
We also book directly with the accommodations when we do tours in Morocco. I have had an occasional company not want to give us Sto/Nett rates, but most of the time it is not a problem.
Thank for your reply, I'm looking at various hotel booking systems, but seems like a lot just book direct, have you ever used any sort of system like Ratehawk, booking.com etc
Tours, retreats, travel coaching, travel advisor, Journeys and Zen Morocco
I have not used RateHawk. I have used booking.com on several occasions and Expedia. Affilate programs are good, but sometimes it is a lot of work to join everything. For me with small groups and smaller accommodations that are independently owned, it works better to book direct.
In the US, I have worked with companies like IHG and Hilton, and it is relatively easy to get a contract with them if you can meet the requirements. Just read the contracts carefully.
I think working with a travel advisor/agent or advisor as Daniel mentioned above might make it easier to start, especially if there are things within the regulations you are not familiar with. I had to meet with attorneys and insurance representatives to sort things and make sure I was setting things up correctly.
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We are getting more and more requests to include hotels in our multi day tours in the UK.
Its not something we have focused on in the past, but it seems though we are going to have to look into this. Just wanting to see if anyone in the Travel Massive community can supply, advise or help with this situation for us 😀
We usually contract directly with the hotels, or, if it is a chain like IHG/Accor you can request through their groups desk.
I've sent out some emails to the chains so far IHG being one of them - good to know I've started on the right foot thanks Sandra :-)
Try also reaching out via Social Media. In my experience, you'll get the reply faster.
ha ha isn't that the truth, how the world has changed :-)
Not a bad one, though. Imo, not only your potential client can get a quicker answer to what they are looking for, but also are immediately launched into anything business relate and up to date with the latest. So, more info = more vfm.
Hope I make sense. :D
We do many single day tours, but have various multiday offering and also do a lot of custom tours - if you want to check us out before replying here are our current tours bestuktours.com/tours/
We book hotels directly. I reach out to them, ask for STO/Nett rates, book provisional holds for my guests (depending on the destination -- can be 2 weeks to a couple months.
ah ha, that's a good trick of the trade, thank you so much, going to sound awfully professional asking for STO/net rates now :-)
Lots of people use nett and not net. Weird, I know. Here's a sample email that I send - obviously, you'll want to write up a little story on yourself. I know folks are busy, but I also want them to take me seriously.
"Hello - I own a safari company based in Texas and also serve as Malawi's first and only Honorary Consul in the United States. I typically organize trips to Malawi, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Madagascar, (and occasionally, France and the Galapagos) but my clients have been asking me to organize trips to _ _ _ _ Many years ago I visited your hotel I remember the superb service and location. Can you please send me your STO/NETT Rates? I'm looking at organizing a _ _ _ _ next year. Here's my website: mysafari.org
Best Regards,
Jordan Price
Thats super helpful, thank you ever so much :-)
Do you do "city break" type tours? I'm just thinking about my clients with long layovers at LHR?
We do indeed, these are our day trips in the UK: bestuktours.com/tours/discover-the-best-of-england/ happy to jump on a discovery call to see how we could make something mutually beneficial work
Hi there!! We work directly with each hotel, signing contracts with them. Although, if you have A LOT of requests, it can be faster for you using something like Ratehawk.
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, seems like a lot of people just book direct so this seems to be the easiest way currently, we are not going to have thousands, but will take a look at Rate hawk (assume this is a comparison type site?) we also have an affiliate account with Expedia that we are exploring + an IHG have an affiliet program too, which we will look at too... :-) have you used rate hawk yourself?
Hi James, I have two businesses: a Travel Agency in the UK via the Advantage consortium, and a UK representation agency for Inbound Tour Operators in the UK.
There's three main ways the Travel Agency can access Hotels:
- Direct Contracts - works best when you can get at least 50 room nights per year in any particular hotel
- Bedbanks - the go-to: RateHawk mentioned below, but also - BedsOnline, Stuba and Expedia TAAP have a strong UK hotel range
- Consortium 'Global Accomodation Programme' - ready to go deals with the chains like Accor, Marriott, Hilton, IHG and in some cases Premier Inn and Travelodge - predominantly used by Business Travel TMCs
When combining with other travel products, they often have package rates.
Potentially a bigger question though - if you're combining with accommodation, do you have the set up ready to go for the UK Package Travel Regulations? My UK representation agency helps global Inbound Tour Operators sell to the UK market - being UK based and place of sale is the UK means its the same solution - happy to chat!
Daniel
Hi Daniel, that is really really helpful, thank you so much - we wont be booking for big groups, they are usually 4-8 people max at a time - as you mentioned we have an affiliate program with Expedia + just looking at IHG & will check out Bedbanks - bed online and the other you mentioned. would love to have a catch up with you, to be honest maybe this is just something we can pass to you to arrange, that would save us the hassle, if you fancy having a chat fill out the contact form here and the CRM will pick it up and wiz it over to me for a call: bestuktours.com/contact-us/
We also book directly with the accommodations when we do tours in Morocco. I have had an occasional company not want to give us Sto/Nett rates, but most of the time it is not a problem.
Thank for your reply, I'm looking at various hotel booking systems, but seems like a lot just book direct, have you ever used any sort of system like Ratehawk, booking.com etc
I have not used RateHawk. I have used booking.com on several occasions and Expedia. Affilate programs are good, but sometimes it is a lot of work to join everything. For me with small groups and smaller accommodations that are independently owned, it works better to book direct.
In the US, I have worked with companies like IHG and Hilton, and it is relatively easy to get a contract with them if you can meet the requirements. Just read the contracts carefully.
I think working with a travel advisor/agent or advisor as Daniel mentioned above might make it easier to start, especially if there are things within the regulations you are not familiar with. I had to meet with attorneys and insurance representatives to sort things and make sure I was setting things up correctly.