Corporate Hotel Rate Negotiations for 2018 Forecast – Both Buyers and Sellers Have Positions of Strength

Bjorn Hanson, PhD | October 6, 2017

October 5, 2017 By Bjorn Hanson, PhD, Clinical Professor NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism As the corporate and contract rate negotiation season is about to begin, the outlook for corporate rates is for sides to negotiate with positions of strength. The sellers' position of strength is based on the highest occupancy percent for the US since 1984 - 65.5 percent for 2017 (about the same as it was for 2016). The buyers' position of strength is based on slowing US hotel room rate growth (approximate 3.0 percent in 2016 and between 2.0 and 2.5 percent in 2017) and increased use of alterna...