酒店集团通过并购不断取得扩张，虽然这并不是一个全新的话题，但在过去两年内并购潮确实愈演愈烈。该趋势对企业差旅管理将带来怎样的影响？对酒店行业的新格局，企业差旅管理项目又该如何应对？通过嘉信力旅运解决方案部 近期发布的《酒店整合白皮书》，我们希望给予企业差旅管理人员一些见解与建议。
作为全球发展最快的差旅市场，各大集团酒店在中国市场的竞争非常激烈。嘉信力旅运解决方案部《全球主要酒店集团在中国》的报告中指出：在整合了中国市场的数据后发现，中国各省级行政区中，东部沿海地区拥有最多的国际集团酒店。华东区域（六省一市及台湾）分布着40%的样本酒店，酒店最多的前5个城市分别是: 北京、上海、成都、广州和福州。
备注：
· 样本选取截止时间为2016年6月
· 选取的九大国际集团样本为: Hilton, Carlson, IHG, Accor, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood, Shangri-La, Wyndham
同时，根据酒店品牌在国际酒店等级中的划分标准，样本酒店被区分为经济型、中档型、超中档型、高档型、超高档型和豪华型酒店。对各个酒店初级房型平均房价的抽样调查显示，房价按酒店等级呈连续递增趋势，而且从高档型酒店开始价格上升势头异常明显。因此，企业需要根据差旅住宿费的标准谨慎 选择公司协议酒店的等级，并在调整标准时审慎参考市场变化。
虽然两大酒店集团的整合通常需要12至18个月的时间才能完成，万豪与喜达屋近期的合并可能要到2018年才会对企业协议酒店的洽谈产生影响。但是嘉信力旅运解决方案部 预计新的万豪酒店集团也可能针对特定市场迅速进行策略调整，导致某些市场的改变可能近在眼前。企业差旅经理可能需要立即开始采取一些行动：
分析主要市场：在主要城市或城市的主要地区了解酒店品牌的使用分布情况，分析其它可能的备选酒店以及可能产生的费用节省。经过深入研究，嘉信力旅运解决方案部 近期完成了《全球主要酒店集团在中国》的报告，可为差旅经理提供更多有价值的信息。
变的更为灵活：差旅经理需要准备好在2017年的酒店项目中应用更为灵活的策略，并在可能的情况下引入备选酒店。
所有买家都应该尝试网罗更多的酒店供应商：其他酒店供应商深知这是他们吸引公司客户的绝好机会，因此买家可能有望收获意外的惊喜。
尽早开始价格谈判，确保有足够的时间应对不尽如人意的酒店答复。
对于那些已被旅行者普遍接受和认可的酒店项目，可能需要更积极、深入地引导与沟通，以明确未来的各种可能性。
改变企业差旅政策，提高合规。
提高合规比以往任何时候都重要。
直面节省成本的首要需求，考虑至少在短期内强制执行企业酒店项目。
对经济涨落做好应对准备。当经济态势表现良好时，企业政策可以相对宽松以确保员工留存率和满意度。当经济不景气时，企业适当压缩差旅项目也不失为精明之举。紧跟经济潮流、反应迅速至关重要。
与差旅人员沟通，鼓励员工参与企业目标的执行，并创造一个成果共享的氛围。
确保员工知晓和理解差旅政策。大多数旅行者都愿意服从公司政策，特别是当这些规则比较浅显易懂之时。政策决策背后的前应后果非常重要，确保旅行者理解这些缘由可能是项目成功与否的关键。
内部沟通团队的参与，强调合规的重要性。展开各类活动将旅行者团结在公司共同的目标之下。
长期运用旅行者反馈渠道，确保员工关心的问题在公司做出整体项目决策时能够得到适当的考虑。
差旅经理在2016年优先考虑事项与上年相比有所变化，“推广移动应用程序以提高差旅人的效率”从2015年的第4位跃居至2016年的第1位。由于智能手机在差旅行业中的应用得到快速普及，这一变化也就不足为奇。
如需更多了解《全球主要酒店集团在中国》研究报告，或希望就酒店采购策略与规划进行咨询，欢迎联系嘉信力旅运解决方案部 在中国的酒店专家。
请点击【阅读原文】或登陆www.carlsonwagonlit.com.cn下载嘉信力旅运全球研究《酒店整合白皮书》的完整报告
下期刊物连载：“中航嘉信商旅视点 ” 第六期 — 差旅提前审批成本分析，敬请期待！
Hotel groups continue to grow through consolidation. Whilst it is not a new trend, consolidation of hotel properties has certainly increased over the last two years. CWT Solutions Group's recent white paper, 'Hotel Industry Consolidation', aims to provide an understanding of the implications that merging hotel groups may have on corporate travel programs, along with recommendations on how to prepare a program in this new hotel industry landscape.
Competition among major hotel chains is fierce in China, where the business travel market is the fastest growing in the world. As CWT Solutions Group points out in its report Key Global Hotel Chains in China, integration on data about the Chinese market reveals that, in China, the international hotel chains mostly gather in the coastal areas of Eastern China. Eastern China (including six provinces, one city and Taiwan) houses 40% of the sample hotels. The five cities that have the largest number of hotels are Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Fuzhou.
Notes:
· Sampling ended in June 2016.
· The nine major international hotel chains sampled were Hilton, Carlson, IHG, Accor, Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood, Shangri-La and Wyndham.
According to the international classification of hotel brands, the sample hotels are categorized as economical, mid-range, super mid-range, high-end, super high-end, and luxurious. A survey on the average price of the basic room type of each hotel indicates that the price goes up according to the class of hotel, with prices surging from the high-end hotel category. Therefore, companies have to choose hotels carefully against their standards for business travel accommodation. They also need to take market changes into consideration when adjusting their standards.
Typically the integration and alignment of two hotel chains requires 12-18 months, so the impact of Marriot and Starwood's recent merger is only expected to hit in the 2018 negotiating season. However, CWT Solutions Group anticipates that, in some cases, the change will take effect sooner as the new Marriott will in fact be targeting specific markets as soon as possible. Buyers should therefore take some key steps now:
Assess key markets: look at market share by top chains within key cities or areas within a city, and assess alternative hotels for potential savings. Buyers can find more valuable information in CWT Solutions Group's recently published research paper, Key Global Hotel Chains in China, which takes a deep dive into the Chinese market.
Be more flexible: buyers should prepare to have a more flexible approach for 2017 to incorporate alternative suppliers as required.
Cast a wider net: other hotel suppliers know this is their opportunity to attract new corporate business and buyers may find they are willing to offer better value.
Start negotiations early to ensure ample time to respond to unfavorable responses from hoteliers.
Programs that have been complacent with generally happy travelers are not exempt and may need to engage proactively at an even deeper level to understand future options.
Adapt your policy: ensure compliance
Compliance matters now, more than ever.
If cost saving is the priority, be direct about it. And consider mandating the program, at least short-term.
Be prepared for economic ebbs and flows. When economic times are good, policies can be more relaxed to encourage employee retention and satisfaction,however when times are tough, it is wise to enforce stricter corporate travel programs. It is important to stay ahead of these cycles and react quickly to economic changes.
Communicate to travelers: engage them in corporate objectives, and create shared ownership in the results.
Make sure employees are both aware of and understand their policy. Most travelers are willing to do the right thing, particularly if the rules are easy to access and understand. It's also important to have good rationale behind policy decisions. Ensuring travelers understand reasons for the policy can make all the difference.
Engage the internal communications team to emphasize the importance of policy compliance.
Use the traveler feedback channel on a routine basis to ensure travelers' concerns are factored into broader program decisions over time.
There was some movement in the travel managers' priorities for 2016, with promoting mobile apps to improve traveller efficiency moving up the ranks from number four in 2015 to number one in 2016. This comes as no surprise given the rapid adoption of smartphone usage in the travel industry.
For more information about Key Global Hotel Chains in China, or to discuss hotel acquisition strategy and planning in more detail, please contact CWT Solutions Group's hotel experts in China.
Please click【Read more】or visit www.carlsonwagonlit.com.cn to download CWT Solutions Group's complete white paper Hotel Industry Consolidation.
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