Multi-property pricing comparison — the all-in framework
Comparing hotels by all-in cost (rooms + F&B + meeting + AV + extras) is the only fair benchmark. This framework normalises 6 cost layers across hotels in different cities, tiers, currencies.
Overview
When you receive 8 hotel quotes for the same RFP, comparing them is hard: different bundling, different exclusions, different city pricing tiers, sometimes different currencies. This framework normalises on all-in per-attendee cost across 6 cost layers, with currency conversion and city adjustment, so you compare apples-to-apples.
How the framework works
The 6 cost layers
(1) Accommodation — rooms × nights × rate. (2) F&B — meals + breaks + receptions. (3) Meeting space — room rental + AV. (4) Extras — parking, Wi-Fi, fitness, bag storage. (5) Mandatory fees — service charge, tax, resort fee. (6) Concessions value — comp rooms, upgrades, discounts received as € equivalent. All-in per-attendee = (sum of layers 1-5 minus layer 6) ÷ attendee count.
City pricing tier adjustment
Compare hotels across cities only after normalising city tier. EU MICE pricing tiers: Tier 1 (low cost) — Lisbon, Madrid, Warsaw — index 1.0. Tier 2 (mid) — Berlin, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Prague — index 1.15. Tier 3 (high) — Paris, London, Zurich, Geneva — index 1.45. Adjust each hotel's per-attendee cost by city index for true cost comparison.
Currency conversion
Always convert to a single currency at the same date (RFP send date typical). Use ECB published rate for EUR cross-rates. Don't mix EUR + GBP + CHF in your comparison — it creates ±5% noise that obscures real differences.
Concessions valuation
Hotels quote concessions in different formats: '2 comp rooms', 'free upgrade for organiser', '5% off rack'. Convert each to € equivalent: comp rooms = nights × rate. Upgrade = suite_rate − standard_rate. % off = headline × discount. Subtract from total cost. Hotel offering €8k of concessions on a €60k headline is actually a €52k hotel.
The category-killer table
Build one row per hotel, columns: city tier, accommodation €, F&B €, meeting €, extras €, mandatory fees €, total before concessions, concessions value, total after concessions, attendees, all-in per-attendee, city-adjusted per-attendee. Sort by city-adjusted per-attendee. The cheapest is your headline winner — but check the breakdown to validate scope match.
When the cheapest is wrong
Cheapest sometimes loses on scope: doesn't include AV (you'll pay €5-8k), shorter F&B program, smaller meeting space requiring upgrade. Compare scope explicitly. If Hotel A is €38k and Hotel B is €42k but Hotel A excludes AV, real comparison is €43-46k vs €42k — Hotel B wins.
How to apply it
- Build the 6-layer table as soon as RFP responses arrive.
- Convert all to single currency.
- Apply city tier adjustment.
- Subtract concessions value.
- Sort by city-adjusted per-attendee.
- Validate scope match before declaring the winner.
Common gotchas
- Comparing headline rate without all-in cost. €185/night vs €210/night looks 13% different but the all-in might tell you the higher-rate hotel is cheaper because their F&B is included.
- Skipping city adjustment. €120/pax in Lisbon is not the same value as €120/pax in Zurich.
- Ignoring concessions. A hotel offering €8k of comp value is worth €8k less than the same hotel without it.
- Mixing currencies. Always convert to one base currency at one rate.
Next steps
Combine this with the universal hotel RFP template and the contract review checklist for a complete sourcing workflow. If you'd rather automate this, try Easy RFP free — the framework is built into the product.