9 Reasons Your Corporate Hotel Contracts Aren’t Producing Room Nights—and How to Fix Them

Corporate hotel contracts aren’t magic wands. You sign the dotted line, the client promises room nights, and suddenly your hotel is fully booked, right? Wrong.

In reality, a corporate contract is nothing more than a polite handshake. It’s an invitation to start building a relationship, not a guarantee of revenue. If you’re sitting around waiting for bookings to roll in, you’re leaving money on the table.

So, why aren’t those contracts delivering? Let’s break it down and, more importantly, fix it.

1. You Don’t Have an Onboarding Strategy

Think of onboarding as the welcome mat to your hotel. If you don’t roll it out, how are clients supposed to know what makes you special?

What to do:

• Create an email sequence that introduces the client to your hotel—highlighting amenities, benefits, and booking processes.

• Host a welcome call or meeting to get everyone on the same page and excited to start booking.

• Send updates to keep your hotel top-of-mind, because out of sight means out of mind.

2. You’re Stopping at the Travel Manager

The Travel Manager might sign the contract, but they might not be the person booking all the rooms. The office manager, workplace experience manager, HR team, or mobility manager are just as important.

What to do:

• Map out everyone who might book with you—then introduce yourself and congratulate them on the partnership with your hotel.

• Host a virtual or in-person walkthrough of your hotel for all the key players.

• Keep everyone in the loop with tailored updates or newsletters.

3. Your Communication Game Is Weak

Let’s be honest—if your only touchpoint was the day you signed the contract, the bookings are not likely to come your way. Relationships take effort, and a few lunches, calls and updates go a long way.

What to do:

• Schedule check-ins—monthly, quarterly, whatever works. Make it consistent.

• Host casual meetups or events to make them feel part of your world.

• Show appreciation with handwritten thank-you notes, small gifts, or exclusive invitations. “Hey travel manager, guess what, we might have a slot available in our spa for next week, would you be interested in a 60 minute treatment?”

4. You’re Not Following Up Post-Signing

The first 90 days post-signing are crucial. This is where you build momentum and set the tone. If you’re radio silent, don’t expect bookings to magically appear. You want the booker to recommend you to all their travellers.

What to do:

• Set reminders to follow up 30, 60, and 90 days after signing.

• Share success stories or guest feedback to keep the excitement alive.

• Troubleshoot proactively—don’t wait for them to tell you something’s wrong.

5. Your Rates Are Invisible

If the Travel Manager or employees at the company can’t find your rates on their platform, you might as well not exist.

What to do:

• Request screenshots from the travel manager to confirm your rates are uploaded and visible.

• Double-check that your hotel description, photos, and amenities look great on their booking platform. We’ve seen countless of examples where photo’s weren’t visible or in completely wrong order.

• Fix any technical issues ASAP—visibility is non-negotiable.

6. You Haven’t Aligned Their Incentives

Here’s the thing: Bookers don’t just want a great hotel—they want perks. Give them a reason to pick you over the competition.

What to do:

• Offer rewards for production milestones (think VIP experiences or room upgrades).

• Celebrate top bookers with thank-you gifts or exclusive perks.

• Make it personal—small gestures, like remembering their favorite coffee, can make a huge impact.

7. You Don’t Know What’s Going On at Their Company

Is the company growing? Are they opening new offices? Are they even traveling? If you’re not tuned into their world, you’re missing opportunities.

What to do:

• Set Google Alerts for company news.

• During check-ins, ask about their travel plans, growth, and challenges.

• Stay proactive—don’t wait for them to come to you.

8. Booking with You Is a Difficult

A complicated booking process is a dealbreaker. If they have to jump through hoops to book, they’ll choose someone else.

What to do:

• Provide clear, simple instructions for booking.

• Test the process yourself—if it’s clunky, fix it.

• Ensure your system integrates smoothly with third-party platforms.

9. You’re Ignoring Feedback

If you’re not asking for feedback, you’re missing out on golden opportunities to improve and strengthen the relationship.

What to do:

• Regularly ask for feedback from bookers and guests.

• Take action—let them know you’ve implemented their suggestions.

• Highlight improvements to show you’re listening and evolving.

Turn Those Contracts into Room Nights

Corporate hotel contracts aren’t automatic revenue machines—they’re relationship starters. With the right strategy, communication, and follow-through, you can turn a handshake agreement into a consistent stream of bookings.

Ready to up your game? Our Hotel Sales Mastery Course dives deep into strategies that drive corporate production. Learn how to onboard like a pro, build long-lasting relationships, and make those contracts work for you.

It’s time to get those corporate contracts to start producing and start filling those rooms. Let’s go!