The answer lies in showing your worth in the right way. Whether you’re booking a conference center, planning group travel, or just reserving a block of rooms, hotels prioritize the business that looks like the best fit. When you frame your event thoughtfully, you increase your chances of better rates, more perks, and stronger partnerships.
Here’s how to make hotels want you.
Lead with Clarity, Not Confusion
Hotels see countless RFPs every day. A vague, incomplete, or overly broad request is easy to push aside. If your RFP looks like it came from a third-party form generator or lacks detail, hotels may assume you aren’t serious or that your group isn’t worth the effort.
Instead:
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- Be specific about your needs. If you don’t require a large ballroom, highlight your food and beverage minimums or breakout sessions instead.
- Avoid unnecessary asks. Don’t request extra space, AV, or meal service unless you truly need it. Inflated RFPs often backfire.
A clear, thoughtful request signals professionalism and helps hotels see how your group fits into their business model.
Highlight Your Food and Beverage Spend
Hotel profit margins aren’t just about rooms. Banquets, catering, and receptions often carry higher profitability than sleeping rooms. If your group will host multiple meals, coffee breaks, or a big gala, make sure you emphasize this in your proposal.
Even if you don’t need a massive meeting space, showing strong food and beverage demand can position your event as high-value.
Show Flexibility Where It Matters
Hotels juggle multiple groups, leisure travelers, and corporate guests. The more flexible you are in certain areas, the more likely you are to get favorable terms in others.
Examples of flexibility:
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- Room types. If attendees are fine with a mix of doubles and kings, say so.
- Arrival/departure patterns. If your group can arrive on off-peak days (Sunday–Wednesday), mention it.
- Meeting layouts. Can your breakout sessions adapt to different configurations? That’s helpful for hotels managing multiple groups.
By showing where you can bend, you’ll strengthen your case for where you can’t.
Emphasize Group Reliability
Hotels value groups that make planners look trustworthy. Share details that help you stand out:
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- Past pickup history (“Our groups consistently meet or exceed their contracted block.”)
- Demographic details (“Corporate travelers with strong expense accounts,” or “Association attendees who extend stays for leisure.”)
- Long-term potential (“We rotate cities annually and would consider returning.”)
When hotels believe your group will actually materialize and pay out, you move up their priority list.
Position Your Event as a Partnership
Hotels aren’t just selling rooms and space—they’re balancing a business mix. The best way to stand out is to position your event as a relationship, not a one-off transaction.
Ways to do this:
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- Be transparent about your goals. (“We want to create a walkable experience for attendees.”)
- Mention repeat potential. (“If this goes well, we’d love to return every two years.”)
- Frame your group as a good cultural fit. (“Our attendees seek full-service properties with wellness amenities, which aligns with your brand.”)
A hotel that sees you as a collaborative partner will work harder to win and retain your business.
What Not to Do: Common Mistakes That Hurt Your Value
It’s just as important to know what not to do. Some missteps can instantly downgrade how a hotel views your event.
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- Submitting a “Frankenstein” RFP. Copy-pasting from multiple past events or including asks you don’t really need makes your group look disorganized. Hotels see right through it.
- Lowballing your pickup. If you know you’ll need 200 rooms, don’t put 120 on the contract hoping to “look small.” Hotels would rather see a realistic projection with data from past years.
- Ignoring food and beverage. A room-only event with no F&B can be tough to sell. If meals aren’t part of your program, highlight other benefits (extended stays, strong bar business, or repeat potential).
- Being inflexible. Rigid demands with no room for negotiation—like insisting on all double rooms or free AV for every breakout—may get your RFP dropped.
- Radio silence after submission. Hotels want to know you’re engaged. Not responding to follow-up questions or sending conflicting details raises red flags about your professionalism.
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Avoiding these traps makes your group look reliable, transparent, and worthy of priority placement.
Conclusion
Hotels are always weighing opportunity costs: which groups bring in the most revenue with the least friction. When you make it easy for them to see your value—whether through strong F&B, proven reliability, or flexible details—you’re no longer just another RFP. You’re a partner worth competing for.
By telling the right story and avoiding common mistakes, you shift the balance of power in your favor.
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