Don’t overlook hotels when pursuing SME travel supplier partnerships. Hotel corporate rates could prove beneficial to your travel budget.

Last month, we introduced a new series on SME travel supplier partnerships. We’re focusing on how you can obtain these valuable partnerships, even with relatively small travel spend. Throughout this series, we’re looking at how you can secure partnerships with airlines, car rental providers and hotels. Today, we’re starting out with the lowest-hanging fruit of them all: hotel corporate rates.

You may initially overlook hotel partnerships, as they may not seem as financially lucrative as airline partnerships. After all, look at where you spend the majority of your travel budget and airfare likely accounts for a large chunk of your spend. However, airline partnerships, though not out of the question, are more difficult for SMEs to secure. If you’re new to negotiating travel supplier partnerships, you’re going to find that hotels are your easiest and most accessible entry point.

Key Takeaways

• Hotels are more open to negotiations with SMEs than other travel suppliers, as SMEs provide a clear and straightforward ROI.
• Approach hotels with data regarding your travel spend, room nights booked, etc.
• Use a formal RFP process for hotel negotiations for a more streamlined and ultimately beneficial process.
• Look for other ways hotel suppliers can benefit your Travelers, through extras like additional amenities, priority booking and more.

Why Hotels are More Open to SMEs

There are a few reasons why hotels are more open to working with SMEs than, as mentioned, an airline.

Any travel supplier partnership is going to come with a spend threshold. Suppliers want to know that you can bring them a certain amount of business. Airlines may set this threshold relatively high and out of reach for an SME. However, hotels may be much more flexible and willing to work with you.

Additionally, you can provide a visible ROI to hotels. With airlines, you really do have only a handful of options. Even if an airline doesn’t provide your SME with a partnership, you may end up having to fly with them regardless.

That’s not the case with hotels. In most cases, you’ll have many more options to book with, in any given destination, beyond just a single hospitality brand. By partnering with an SME and offering hotel corporate rates, hotels can secure business that they may not get otherwise, providing a clear ROI through partnership-based incremental revenue.

Furthermore, hotels are recognizing that SMEs really are both the present and future of business travel. As Business Travel Executive reported, SMEs are responsible for almost $900 billion in global business travel spending, making up nearly half of the corporate travel market overall.

How to Negotiate Hotel Rates for Small Businesses

Just because hospitality brands may be open to offering hotel corporate rates to SMEs, though, you still will want to approach hotels appropriately. Give yourself the best chances possible when you approach the negotiations table.

First and foremost, you’ll want to be able to provide that all-so-crucial data regarding your travel spend and what hotels can expect if they partner with you. How many room nights are you good for per year? Do you visit the same locations repeatedly? How many employees could you add to their corporate loyalty program?

Then, consider what other additional value you might be able to entice hospitality brands with. Can you also include meetings and events, and similar MICE travel, within the partnership? If so, that might be beneficial to both parties.

Lastly, make sure you’re using a formal RFP process. As data from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) found, while informal hotel negotiations can take place, they’re not necessarily ideal. They result in a lack of standardization, misunderstandings regarding contract terms and other issues.

Additionally, as Suzanne Neufang, CEO at GBTA, stated in an August 2025 press release, “Our research shows that strategic sourcing is essential for Travel Managers to build resilient, future-ready travel programs. The role of RFPs has advanced beyond just securing better rates—they’re now helping ensure organizations can maximize employee satisfaction, better manage risk and meet carbon emissions goals in an increasingly complex global landscape.”

Other Benefits of Hotel Supplier Partnerships for SMEs

Along these lines, beyond just securing those hotel corporate discounts, you’ll also see many other benefits when you strategically negotiate with your hotel suppliers—benefits that directly impact your Travelers and their satisfaction.

In many instances, for example, you can also secure added amenities for your business Travelers when negotiating with hotels. Priority booking, free WiFi, room upgrades, early or late checkout, etc.—it can all go toward making the business travel experience more seamless and enjoyable, every trip.

Plus, you may just find that Travel Management on your end overall becomes easier when you’re working with a specific, singular partner for nearly every booking. Your travel policy becomes easier to control, which increases your ability to provide necessary duty of care to your Travelers.

Start with Hotels as the Foundation for Your SME Supplier Partnerships 

If you’re looking to expand your SME supplier partnerships in 2026, start by going after those hotel corporate rates. Not only is it the easiest entry point for Travel Managers, but it also comes with a wealth of benefits that go beyond merely cost savings.

Get started with the RFP process now, with our handy guide.

Then, keep an eye out for the next article in our travel supplier partnerships playbook series next month. We’re covering everything you need to know to feel confident pursuing SME airline discount programs.

Can’t wait for more business travel management tips and inspiration? Check out the JTB Business Travel Waypoint blog.

Northstar Travel Group is a JTB Corp company.

JTB Business Travel may reference reporting or research published by Northstar; however, all commentary and recommendations in this article are independently developed.