If you book accommodation for employees instead of for yourself, you need more than just a desired date and a number of people. A business booking is different from a private reservation – not more complicated, but with a few additional points that should be clarified from the start. Anyone who knows what documents and information a landlord needs for a smooth business booking saves himself queries and comes to a binding commitment faster.
What distinguishes a business booking from a private booking
In the case of a private booking, the name, contact details and the desired period of time are usually sufficient. Additional aspects are added to a business booking: who pays the bill, who is issued for it, and who is the actual contact person during the stay? These three roles do not automatically coincide with a business booking – the employee who moves in is rarely identical to the person receiving the invoice.
A landlord who regularly looks after corporate customers knows this structure and asks accordingly. Anyone who provides this information with the first request will significantly speed up the entire booking process.
which information is generally used
The following information should be available from the start for an uncomplicated business booking:
- Full company name and billing address
- Name and contact details of the contact person for organizational questions
- Names of the actual guests who will move in
- Desired period and number of rooms or apartments required
- if applicable, a sales tax identification number if relevant for invoicing
This information is sufficient for most providers to confirm a booking bindingly and then issue a correct invoice.
Who books – the company or the employee?
A basic decision that should be made before booking: Does the company book centrally or does each employee book for themselves and later submit the costs via the travel expense report? Both variants are possible, but have different consequences for the required documents.
If the company is booked centrally, all communication and billing is with a single contact person – this simplifies the internal organization considerably, especially if several employees are accommodated at the same time. If, on the other hand, every employee books himself, clear internal specifications are required as to how the invoice is then submitted correctly so that the accounting department can process it without any problems.
Why central booking is usually more practical
Can a company book fitter accommodation for employees? Yes, and in most cases this is even the less complicated way. A central booking by the company means: a contact person, an invoice, a clear overview of all current bookings. This bundling pays off, especially with several employees who are posted at the same time or in the case of recurring projects in the same region.
Powers of attorney and internal releases
In larger companies, booking an accommodation is sometimes tied to internal release processes – for example when a certain budget for travel expenses has to be approved in advance. This primarily applies to the internal organization of the company and less to the landlord itself, but should be taken into account in the time planning.
Anyone who knows that internal permits need time should submit the accommodation request early – not only when the release is already available, but at the same time. Many landlords accept a non-binding request for availability check while the internal release is still running and will only finally confirm the booking as soon as the green light has been given.
What to consider for several fees
Some companies distribute the costs of accommodation to different cost centers or projects – for example when several departments send a team together. In such cases, it makes sense to clarify this already at the booking request so that the invoicing can be divided accordingly. Not every landlord can show this without further ado – if you have this need, you should contact him at an early stage.
What follows after the booking confirmation
As soon as the booking is confirmed, the specified contact person usually receives all further information – access data for the self-check-in, the exact address and practical information about the accommodation. This information should be forwarded internally to the actual guests so that the check-in runs smoothly.
For companies, it is advisable to create a short internal checklist for employees: accommodation address, access code, contact person for problems and the most important house rules. This ensures that employees who were not involved in the booking themselves have all the relevant information in good time.
What to do with short-term changes
If the number of people or the period of time changes during the project, the contact person named in the company should clarify this directly with the landlord – not the individual employees on site. This avoids misunderstandings and ensures that changes are correctly taken into account in the invoice.
Clear processes right from the start
A business booking does not have to be complicated if clear responsibilities and information have been defined from the start. Raumschmide Apartments regularly works with companies and knows the typical requirements for invoicing, contact persons and booking procedures. Anyone who delivers the most important key data – company name, contact person, number of people and period of time – with the first request usually receives a binding and uncomplicated booking confirmation.