Hotel Contracting & Rate Negotiation Manager

Position: Hotel Contracting & Rate Negotiation Executive / Manager
Department: Contracting / Purchasing
Location: Delhi/NCR
Industry: Inbound Tourism / DMC
Experience: Minimum 5 years in Inbound Travel / DMC
Reports to: Management
Fixed Salary: ₹50,000–₹60,000 per month + performance incentives, depending on experience, hotel network and negotiation capabilities.
Performance incentive: ₹5,000–₹15,000/month or quarterly
Job Summary
We are looking for an experienced Hotel Contracting & Rate Negotiation professional with strong experience in the inbound travel industry and an established network of hotels and hoteliers across India.
The primary responsibility of this role is to negotiate the best possible hotel rates and commercial conditions for each confirmed travel file on a case-by-case basis.
Once a travel booking is confirmed by the client, the candidate will review the hotel requirements, approach the relevant hotels, negotiate rates and conditions, finalise the best available commercial terms, and hand over the complete details to the Operations Team for booking and confirmation.
This position is focused on hotel rate negotiation and supplier coordination. It does not involve managing the complete tour operation or making the hotel booking itself.
Key Responsibilities
1. Hotel Rate Negotiation
Receive confirmed travel files from the Sales/Booking Team.
Review the complete itinerary, including:
Destinations
Travel dates
Number of travellers
Number of rooms
Room categories
Meal plans
Special requests and requirements
Identify the appropriate hotels for each destination.
Contact hotels individually and case by case for each confirmed booking.
Negotiate the best possible net hotel rates for the specific booking.
Negotiate special rates, upgrades, complimentary services, meals, early check-in, late check-out and other value additions wherever possible.
Negotiate special conditions for FIT, families, groups and other booking types.
Use established relationships with hoteliers and hotel sales teams to obtain preferential rates and conditions.
Compare negotiated rates with existing contracted rates and available market rates.
Ensure that the final negotiated rates are commercially competitive and support the company's required margins.
2. Hotel Relationships & Supplier Network
Maintain strong professional relationships with:
General Managers
Sales Managers
Revenue Managers
Contracting Managers
Hotel Sales Teams
Utilise existing hotel relationships to obtain better rates and value additions.
Develop new relationships with hotels and hotel chains where required.
Maintain an updated database of hotel contacts and supplier information.
Keep up to date with hotel pricing, seasonal rates, promotions, new openings and market developments.
3. Finalization of Rates & Conditions
Before handing the file to Operations, ensure that all relevant details are clearly confirmed, including:
Final negotiated room rate
Room category
Meal plan
Taxes
Supplements
Child policy, where applicable
Extra-bed charges
Cancellation policy
Payment terms
Check-in/check-out conditions
Complimentary services or upgrades
Any other special conditions
Obtain confirmation from the hotel in writing wherever possible.
4. Handover to Operations
Once the negotiation is completed:
Prepare the final hotel rate and conditions.
Share the complete information with the Operations Team.
Ensure Operations has all information required to proceed with the hotel booking.
Clearly communicate any special conditions or deadlines.
Support Operations with further clarification or negotiation if required.
Ensure that there is no discrepancy between the negotiated rate and the rate used by Operations for the booking.
5. Rate & Negotiation Database
Maintain a proper record of negotiated hotel rates.
Record hotel contacts and negotiation history.
Maintain information on seasonal rates and special offers.
Track negotiated rates against standard/contracted rates.
Build a database that can be used as a reference for future bookings and negotiations.
Identify hotels and destinations where stronger rates or alternative suppliers may be required.
6. Commercial Responsibility
The candidate should have a strong commercial understanding and focus on:
Achieving the best possible purchasing price.
Improving hotel-related margins.
Obtaining value additions when further rate reductions are not possible.
Identifying cost-saving opportunities.
Negotiating favourable cancellation and payment conditions.
Ensuring that hotel quality is maintained while achieving commercially competitive rates.
Working Process
Confirmed Booking
↓
Receive File from Sales/Booking Team
↓
Review Hotel Requirements
↓
Contact Hotels Individually
↓
Negotiate Rates & Conditions
↓
Compare & Finalize Best Commercial Terms
↓
Obtain Written Confirmation
↓
Handover to Operations
↓
Operations Makes Hotel Booking
Important Scope of the Role
The person will not be responsible for the complete tour operation.
The primary responsibility is:
To secure the best possible hotel rates and commercial conditions for each confirmed travel file and provide the final negotiated details to the Operations Team for booking.
The Operations Team remains responsible for making and managing the actual hotel booking and the overall execution of the travel file.
Ideal Candidate Profile
We are looking for a candidate with:
Minimum 5 years of experience in an inbound travel company, DMC or tour operator.
Strong practical experience in hotel rate negotiation and purchasing.
An established network of hoteliers and hotel sales contacts.
Strong knowledge of hotels across India and neighbouring countries.
Experience negotiating FIT and group hotel bookings on a case-by-case basis.
Strong understanding of: Hotel rates, Seasonal pricing, Room categories, Meal plans, Supplements, Cancellation policies, Payment terms, Hotel contracts
Good knowledge of major Indian tourist destinations and their hotel markets.
Existing relationships with hotel sales managers and key hotel contacts.
Strong commercial and negotiation skills.
Ability to negotiate quickly and effectively when confirmed bookings have short deadlines.
Excellent communication and relationship-management skills.
Good attention to detail.
Good knowledge of MS Excel/Google Sheets and email communication.
Key Requirement
A strong existing network within the hotel industry is highly important for this position.
We are looking for someone who can use their existing relationships with hoteliers and hotel sales teams to obtain better rates and conditions, rather than someone whose experience is limited to maintaining a hotel rate sheet or sending standard rate enquiries.
Key Performance Indicators
The performance of this role can be measured through:
Savings achieved through hotel negotiations
Improvement in hotel purchasing margins
Competitiveness of negotiated rates
Value additions secured for bookings
Speed of completing negotiations
Accuracy of negotiated rates and conditions
Quality of hotel relationships
Development of new hotel contacts
Reduction in hotel purchasing costs

Work arrangement
No