How to get hotel corporate rates

Hotel costs can normally eat up a significant chunk of your company’s work travel spending. But, just like other travel service providers, hotels such as Holiday Inn can offer their business clientele corporate special rates and discounts. 

These discounts typically start at 10%, but with a bit of shopping around and negotiating, you can often secure a better deal. 

It’s in a hotel’s best interest to offer business travellers more attractive rates in exchange for loyalty and a guaranteed high volume of business.  

In this guide, we will show you how you can cut costs and benefit from some of the best corporate discounts at hotels.

How hotel corporate rates work

Negotiation between parties

Hotel corporate rates are generally negotiated in advance between the hotel or hotel chain and your company, usually via your travel manager. 

These rates are usually based on criteria such as:

• Minimum annual stays

• A predetermined number of employees

• A partnership agreement with the hotel chain

They can be the same all year round or only be applicable when you book your stay on business days or during off-peak seasons. Getting the best rates all depends on what is negotiated between your company and the hotel. 

Booking and check-in steps

1. On the hotel’s website, whilst making your reservation, insert your corporate code into the voucher or discount code box 

2. When checking in at the hotel, be prepared to show a company card or identification to prove eligibility for the corporate hotel discounts

Having good discounted corporate hotel rates helps you stay within your budget and aligns with your company’s travel policy. Quite often, hotel corporate rate agreements could include auxiliary benefits such as more flexible cancellation policies and loyalty points, which could be exchanged for free nights or add-ons.

How to land great corporate rates at hotels

If you’re at a large company, working with a travel agency will give you access to prime hotel rates, but this comes at a price, which not all companies can afford.

We’ve collated some key tips that businesses of all sizes can use to help get discounted rates at hotels.

Use a travel management platform

Direct-to-consumer booking platforms, like booking.com or Airbnb, don’t integrate with each other - yet they’re often a go-to booking tool for employees.  This massively complicates consolidating travel data and keeping track of your budget. 

Why? When employees book through multiple platforms, it can quickly lead to overspending by having employees unknowingly book out of policy. Plus, these leisure-first booking platforms don’t provide tools for tracking and managing your business expenses. In many cases, they also provide benefits and upsells that your business traveller just won’t be using.

A business travel management platform, like Perk, fixes this issue through centralised bookings, easy expense management, and integrated travel policies, all while providing access to a world-class inventory of hotels and apartments. 

With over 25,000 negotiated rates across 150 countries, Perk offers competitive pricing tailored to your company’s needs. It features a golden Perk rate tag, so you can easily spot negotiated rates when searching for accommodation. These negotiated deals on hotels often include added extras such as free speedy Wi-Fi, complimentary parking, and discounts at restaurants and bars.

Shop around and negotiate with your own research

Take the time to see what’s available out there. Speak to multiple hotels and chains that match your needs, compare their rates or the offers that they give you directly. Don’t be afraid to ask them to match the best offer you’ve received so far.

And once you’ve identified a specific hotel or hotel chain that is likely to meet all of your present and future work travel needs, you can consolidate all your hotel bookings with them. This level of exclusivity might get you fantastic rates and benefits. 

Tips for negotiating

• Initiate direct communication - Speak to the manager or the hotel’s booking director to build a personal connection first. A good working relationship means that they’re more likely to go the extra mile for you should you need it.

• Highlight mutual benefits - Emphasise the benefits of starting a relationship between your company and the hotel. Outline what frequency and volume of business you can offer, and if you can’t offer frequency or numbers, find another benefit.

• Read the terms and conditions - Watch out for any hidden costs associated with your negotiated rates. Comb through terms and conditions carefully and look out for any additional tariffs or taxes to avoid any unpleasant surprises when your first invoice arrives.

• Negotiate strategically - Explore opportunities for cost-saving through bundling services or amenities, flexible payment terms, or incentives for early bookings.

While this is an option that many companies try, be mindful that it requires a lot of time and effort. This may not be ideal for growing businesses that often have limited resources or don’t have a dedicated travel manager on board, and you might be better placed using a travel management platform like Perk.

Ask for extended stay discounts

If you’re staying for more than five nights, you can ask for what is known as an extended stay discount. This might not be advertised openly on the hotel’s website, but it is common practice to ask for it.

Examples of extended stay discounts

Last updated December 2025

While a business trip may not warrant your traveller staying with the hotel for five nights, their bookended leisure travel might. It’s a good idea to specify your company’s stance on bleisure in your travel policy. Make it clear to employees that the company sees value in extending business trips for personal and professional growth. 

Not sure if allowing bleisure trips is right for your organisation? Here are some stats from our recent business travel and wellness survey results: 

• 40% of travellers say travelling for work is great for their personal and professional growth

• 25% of Millennials say that travelling for work has helped them get a promotion

• 23% of Gen Z, 18-24 year olds report an increase in productivity at work after a business trip

• 43% of travellers say travelling for work has helped them develop new skills, 31% feel more passionate about their jobs, and 23% say it has helped them find more purpose

• 21% of 25-34 year olds say travelling for work has helped their mental health

When possible, opt for non-refundable rates

Non-refundable rates provide discounts for travellers who are willing to pay upfront and commit to their reservation without the option to cancel or modify it later. 

If cancellation flexibility isn’t an important factor for you, you can opt for a non-refundable rate. Hotels offer these discounts as incentives for clients to pay up front. In some cases, hotels could offer a discount of up to 15% here, such as this advance purchase booking offer from IHG Hotels.

And if you do find yourself needing to cancel a trip, then FlexiTravel from Perk guarantees an 80% refund on all cancelled trips within our notice period.

Consider corporate credit cards and loyalty programmes

Many credit card providers offer corporate or business credit cards. Using these cards to pay for your hotel stay can get you company hotel discounts, the occasional free night, or even some add-ons like free meals. Corporate credit cards usually come at a cost, but can be worth it if used frequently enough.

Alternatively, some hotels offer their own loyalty programs, such as Marriott Bonvoy, which awards returning work travellers with rewards, discounted rates, and free stays.

IHG One’s loyalty program

Members of IHG One (including hotels such as Holiday Inn) can customise their benefits throughout the year. Starting at 20 nights, additional rewards become available for each subsequent ten nights, such as:

• Suite upgrades

• Bonus points

• Late checkout

• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards Upgrade

Use a client’s corporate code when visiting

If you’re travelling to meet with a client, there’s a chance they might have their own corporate codes or pre-negotiated company hotel discounts with a nearby venue. Check with your client before booking anything, and see if you can use their corporate code if they do. 

Just keep in mind, you’ll likely need to prove you’re staying to visit the client, which will be harder to do as you’re an external to the company and won’t have a company ID to show. Make sure you’ve got this cleared up before arriving!

Book your accommodation in advance

Try to prioritise booking accommodation in advance to secure the best possible deals. Hotels cater to a huge range of guests, from work travellers to leisure visitors, and can sometimes be entirely booked out if there are any events in the area too. 

Everything from private events like weddings, through to concerts or expos, can stop you from getting your perfect stay. These aren’t seasonal, so don’t presume a hotel will always have space, even if you’re booking ‘out of season’. 

While last-minute deals may be tempting, they often come with limited options - or none! Try to book in advance as soon as you know you’re travelling.

How Perk can help you get great hotel corporate rates

Using Perk for your travel management needs means that you get access to 25,000 negotiated rates in 150 countries, which is hard to beat. We have negotiated some of the most competitive corporate hotel rates for our customers, including major hotel chains around the world. 

Finally, Perk also offers a VAT recovery service, which makes it easier to claim your VAT refunds on your hotel spending, helping you to save up to 25% on business travel expenses.

Take complete control and visibility over your company's travel expenses with Perk. Sign up today for a free demo.