£9b spent by businesses on UK hotels

UK businesses spend £9b a year on hotel stays for staff, according to new research conducted for booking agent Business Services International (BSI).

The survey, carried out by Research for Travel, asked more than 1,800 people about their company's travel booking policy in the UK.

It found that just over half (51%) didn't know if their chosen method guaranteed the best rate, and nearly a third of customers (30%) typically booked direct with the hotel.

One in four companies hadn't reviewed their hotel expenditure in the past two years, and 20% of those surveyed said their employer didn't have a travel policy at all.

BSI concluded UK companies are wasting up to 50% of their hotel expenditure budget a year as a result.

By Chris Druce

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