Business Lodging Cards Cut Costs on Travel

When work crews, project managers, company drivers and small business owners regularly travel the nation’s highways for business, budget-friendly prices and convenience take top priority on the road. Travelers get both when they check in to a hotel with a business lodging savings card.

Savings cards for workforce travel are provided by lodging program management companies that put their business volume to work negotiating hotel savings. Some leading firms serve thousands of clients that book millions of hotel rooms annually. As a result, they can offer corporate lodging discounts for businesses of any size.

Employees who check in with a lodging savings card gain access to deep discounts at a network of thousands of hotels where low, pre-negotiated rates already are in place. Hotel locations typically are along centrally located routes, covering metropolitan areas as well as rural settings. This benefits crews working on installations or repair projects, truckers and pilot car drivers traveling the country’s highways, or specialty businesses attending shows and events.

Presenting a lodging savings card at check-in often guarantees access to any available room, even without a reservation. Walk-in room availability is particularly welcome for rush jobs, unanticipated work delays or route changes that can happen during business travel.

Companies can choose hotels that match their business travel requirements for cost and popular amenities like on-site breakfasts, truck parking and Internet service. It’s easy to find participating hotels when the lodging card provider includes an online search tool to map hotel locations where the card is accepted across North America.

When the workforce lodging program also offers 24-hour traveler support, a handy toll-free direct line always is available for questions. Travelers can call to find out where to stay with their business lodging savings card, get their member rate or seek assistance at check-in.

Many businesses value the account management benefits of business lodging cards, which can make bookkeeping simpler. Companies get e-mail invoices showing what they spent and saved on lodging, and lodging statements remain online for three years for easy reference.

But the most compelling reason to join a business lodging program is all about low, low rates on hotel rooms. In return for a small transaction fee for every room night, employees on business travel can find they are paying less for hotel rooms than rates found anywhere else