Intro
Most hotel RFP responses are dead on arrival.
Not because your location isn’t great. Not because your rates are off. And definitely not because the company doesn’t need rooms or meeting space.
They fail because your pitch looks just like everyone else’s.
A spreadsheet. A few yes/no answers. A few notes about rates or amenities. Maybe a PDF with uninspiring photos thrown in for good measure.
In the world of corporate RFPs, the decision-makers evaluating your hotel are often staring at 10–20 identical files. If your submission doesn’t spark something — context, confidence, a sense of hospitality — you’re just another row in the comparison chart.
Here’s how to fix that.
🖼️ Paint the Picture — Don’t Just List Specs
Companies don’t just want clean rooms and reliable Wi-Fi. They want confidence. They want to know their guests will be cared for — clients, execs, field teams, you name it.
Here’s what great hotels include that others don’t:
- ✅ Professional, lifestyle photography that shows what it feels like to be on-site — not just empty guest rooms.
- ✅ Your management team’s background — so they know who’s handling their VIPs.
- ✅ Context on location — not just distance to the office, but proximity to food, entertainment, airport, or wellness options that their team will care about.
- ✅ Renovation history or upgrades — framed as part of your commitment to quality.
It’s not fluff — it’s reassurance. And it’s how top-performing hotels win the RFPs that others lose.
🔍 Understand What the RFP Isn’t Telling You
The RFP may look like a spreadsheet of room blocks, meeting space specs, and contract terms. But the company’s decision is based on more than just those numbers.
Here’s what might be going on behind the scenes:
- They’re trying to replace a property that under-delivered last year.
- They’re centralizing vendors to reduce cost and admin time.
- They need closer proximity to a new HQ, client site, or event space.
- They’re expanding international or regional travel volume.
- They’re comparing you to a trusted incumbent property that knows their guests.
If you treat the RFP as a generic pricing exercise, you’ll miss the mark. But if you dig in and tailor your response, you can tap into the story behind the request — and frame your pitch accordingly.
🎯 Tailor the Message to the Client
Use LinkedIn to research the company. Use Kalibri Labs or STR to understand their market behavior. Customize your RFP language. You’re not bidding for a hypothetical client — you’re bidding for them. Act like it.
And don’t stop at ADR.
Kalibri or STR data can also reveal:
- ⚙️ Stay patterns — Is this a Tues–Thurs business traveler or a Sun–Thurs team coming in for trainings?
- 🧩 Production trends — Volume, frequency, seasonality
- 🗺️ Comp set comparisons — How you stack up versus nearby options
This is the kind of insight that turns generic answers into tailored messaging — the kind that actually wins business.
📢 Personalize the Sales Pitch and Keep Following Up
Treat the RFP as a starting point, not the finish line.
- Use ZoomInfo, Apollo or other enrichment tools to understand who you’re selling to — their job title, role, and influence level.
- Personalize the cover letter or intro email. Don’t just say, “we’re a great fit” — explain why.
- Keep the thread alive. Most hotels submit, then ghost. Instead:
- Ask if they need anything else.
- Offer to hop on a call.
- Share updates if you’ve made recent improvements or renovations.
- Circle back before decision deadlines.
And remember: don’t guess if they’ve loaded the rates. Follow up and confirm. If you’re relying on hope instead of verification, you’re doing it wrong.
Use Matrix to Keep the Whole Process Front and Center
Here’s where most hotels break down:
- Sales submits the RFP and moves on.
- The GM doesn’t know if it’s loaded.
- Revenue never confirms if the business picked up.
- No one follows up next year.
With Matrix, that doesn’t happen.
✅ Every opportunity stays visible, tracked, and tied to a revenue goal.
✅ Rate loads and follow-ups are recorded so nothing slips.
✅ Next year’s RFP is already planned because you’ve got continuity — even if your sales manager turns over.
Matrix was built to eliminate slippage in hotel sales.
And RFPs? They’re full of slippage.
Let’s fix that.
Ready to win the next RFP?
Start by managing your sales process like it matters.