Total accomodations suite gives travellers and travel managers confidence that their programme has the best tools, content and rates, all in one place.
LONDON, FEBRUARY 25, 2020 – American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), the world’s leading business partner for managed travel, today introduced Rest Assured Solutions, an enhanced suite of end-to-end accommodations products and services. Rest Assured Solutions gives travel managers confidence that they are getting the most out of their hotel programme while offering travellers access to the properties they want at the best rates, all in one place.
Introduced at this year’s Business Travel Show in London, Rest Assured Solutions helps travel managers and decision-makers reduce out-of-policy bookings that stem from well-intended traveller behaviour and booking decisions. The importance of choice, cost, location and amenities were just some of the concerns highlighted in GBT’s new Hotel Traveller 360°[1] research, which explores what drives business travellers’ hotel booking behaviours.
Wes Bergstrom, GBT’s Vice President, Hotel Strategy, said: “Travellers want to do the right thing for their companies, and the research shows there is an opportunity to redirect the good intentions of out-of-policy bookers by proactively addressing common misconceptions about getting a better price, choice or experience elsewhere. Education and communication is needed to understand what is included in negotiated rates, such as Wi-Fi, parking, breakfast or resort fees, when compared to booking outside the preferred channel. Driving compliance is key to better data visibility, security, savings – in short, a more effective and centralized travel programme, which is what we are delivering to clients with Rest Assured Solutions.”
Controlling Costs & Payments
According to Hotel Traveller 360° , 73% of global business travellers indicated that saving money was an acceptable reason to book outside of their company’s business travel policy, while 68% cited better hotel choices. With Rest Assured Solutions, GBT customers will have:
- Access to exclusive hotel rates at thousands of global properties through the Preferred Extras™ hotel programme, in all channels including mobile, with discounts of up to 25% and the availability of specially negotiated amenities and extras such as favourable cancellation policies, last room availability, and free Wi-Fi and breakfast.
- Assurance through a new Hotel Rate Guarantee that they are getting the lowest hotel rate at the time of booking and can rebook a lower rate if one is found and receive a refund of the difference. This guarantee is supported by GBT’s Hotel Assurance and Hotel Re-Shop Expert tools, which use automation and bots to monitor and rebook more affordable rates if they become available.
- Wider geographical coverage and functionality enhancements for Virtual Payment Expert™ (VPE), GBT’s virtual hotel payment and reconciliation solution powered by Conferma Pay.
Access to Content
Access to the right hotel content is also a concern for business travellers: on average, 68% of global business travellers cited location as a good reason to book out of policy. Rest Assured Solutions offers:
- Access to an extensive portfolio of properties and rates from multiple sources all in one place, including more than 2 million properties through GBT’s partnership with Booking.com, with highly discounted rates.
- Access to loyalty programme members’ rates from major hotel chains
- Access to more than 6 million non-hotel listings, such as homes, apartments, and fully-furnished corporate apartment units, including partnerships with Booking.com, Expedia and WWStay.
- Strategic consulting with experts that analyse data and trends to get the right mix of content in front of travelers.
Driving Confidence
Business travellers lack confidence in their programs: more than half (57%) believe they can find better rates for overnight accommodations than their company’s travel programmes. Rest Assured Solutions offers several assurances to GBT customers:
- The most comprehensive accommodations content at the best available rates, underpinned by GBT’s extensive expertise in rate negotiation and breakthrough technology.
- Advanced algorithms and historical booking data, via GBT’s enhanced Trip Recommender solution, that generate and proactively offer hotel recommendations based on employee company travel to the same destination.
- Mobile access to hotel reservations through the expanded Amex GBT Mobile app.
GBT began developing Rest Assured Solutions after the acquisition of Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) in 2018, to fully integrate the company’s accommodations solutions, align them with GBT’s traveller-centric service approach, and address the challenges facing travel managers and their business travellers. New innovations will be added to Rest Assured Solutions throughout 2020.
To learn more about Rest Assured Solutions suite, visit https://www.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/uk/rest-assured/.
About American Express Global Business Travel
American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is the world’s leading business partner for managed travel. We help companies and employees prosper by making sure travelers are present where and when it matters. We keep global business moving with the powerful backing of 18,000 travel professionals in more than 140 countries. Companies of all sizes, and in all places, rely on GBT to provide travel management services, organize meetings and events, and deliver business travel consulting.
Learn more at amexglobalbusinesstravel.com.
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American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) is a joint venture that is not wholly owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (American Express). “American Express Global Business Travel,” “American Express,” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express and are used under limited license.
[1] Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the 2019 Hotel Choice Survey (“Hotel Traveller 360) on behalf of American Express Global Business Travel from October 30–November 20, 2019. Qualified respondents were adult business travelers who in the last 12 months had (1) spent at least five days traveling on business trips, and (2) stayed overnight on at least one of those trips. The online survey was conducted among business travelers in seven countries: Australia, France, Germany, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The findings in this study are based on interviews with 2,059 business travelers.