Bringing more flexibility to hotel policy management

When it comes to managing travel policies, it can be challenging to balance employee needs with budget responsibility and company standards. This is especially true for large enterprises with complex requirements.

At Spotnana, we are committed to providing travel managers with the tools and visibility they need to manage their programs with confidence. 

We are excited to announce a suite of powerful enhancements to our hotel policy configuration, giving you a new level of control and flexibility to ensure your travelers can book the right property, at the right price, every time.

Smarter policy control for better outcomes

Our latest updates introduce new rules and improved capabilities, allowing you to tailor your travel program to your company’s unique priorities.

• Lowest property rate rule: You can now automatically guide travelers to the most cost-effective, policy-compliant rate at a property. The logic that determines the lowest property rate can be configured by excluding rates with specific attributes, such as non-refundable or prepaid rates. This helps you ensure travelers are guided to the best options that align with your company’s requirements. Clear messaging related to exclusions also helps to explain why certain rates might be out-of-policy, fostering greater transparency.

• Dynamic recommended maximum rate: Say goodbye to rigid, one-size-fits-all rate caps. This new policy rule dynamically adjusts hotel budget limits based on real-time market conditions at the traveler’s destination. You can define a budget buffer relative to the median rate for a search, ensuring budgets are always relevant and scalable in any market.

• Enhanced star rating controls: We’ve given you greater authority over property quality standards. You can now define acceptable star rating ranges and configure specific enforcement actions for violations—ranging from blocking a booking entirely to triggering approval workflows. Plus, you can now set these requirements at the city, country, or region level to account for varying local rating standards.

• Property type restrictions: To better manage liability and align with company standards, you can now restrict specific property types (e.g., hostels, villas, or campgrounds) from being booked. You also have the flexibility to block these bookings or require approvals, while still allowing exceptions for your preferred properties.

Streamlined exception management

We have also simplified how you manage exceptions for the properties in your hotel program. All hotel exceptions have been centralized into a new, intuitive visual user interface.

Instead of configuring exceptions individually for different rules, you can now manage exceptions for all of your rules—from property type restrictions to price caps—in one place. Exceptions can be quickly configured by rule type and by the tier you set for properties in your travel program. With simple “Select all” functionality, you can instantly apply or remove exceptions across your entire travel program, making it easy to exclude preferred properties and create a cleaner, more efficient setup experience.

Meeting the needs of modern travel managers

These updates are just a few of the enhancements we plan to deliver this year to make your travel program more scalable, efficient, and transparent. 

Through granular controls and automated enforcement, it’s our goal to help you reduce manual oversight while ensuring travelers have the guidance they need to make the right booking choices.

To learn more about how these new configurations can elevate your travel program, please reach out to us for a demo today.