Amadeus Warns Hotels Slow Replies Could Cost Them Group Bookings

Amadeus released new research showing that hotel and venue sales teams are entering 2026 with a harder job.

They need better leads, faster responses, and clearer proposals to win group and corporate business. The report is based on a survey of more than 315 hotel and venue sales leaders worldwide.

The report focuses on meetings, events, and corporate bookings.

Lead quality is now the biggest challenge

Amadeus found that qualified demand is the top barrier to growth. In simple terms, hotels do not only want more inquiries. They want inquiries that are more likely to turn into confirmed bookings.

Faster RFP replies can help hotels stand out

An RFP, or request for proposal, is how meeting planners compare hotels. It usually asks for prices, available dates, room blocks, event space, catering options, and contract details.

Speed is becoming more important. Cvent data shows that average hotel RFP response time rose from 4.84 days in March 2025 to 5.08 days in March 2026. Cvent also says many planners expect venues to respond within four business days, especially for smaller and mid-sized events.

Corporate meetings remain a strong opportunity

Corporate meetings are still the biggest growth opportunity in Amadeus’ report. This includes company meetings, training events, conferences, and client gatherings. These bookings are valuable because they can combine rooms, event space, catering, and other hotel services.

The wider business travel market supports this opportunity. GBTA expects global business travel spending to reach $1.69 trillion in 2026, up from $1.57 trillion in 2025. But growth is uneven, so hotels still need to compete harder for the best corporate demand.

Hotels want AI that makes sales work easier

AI is already becoming part of hotel sales. Amadeus found that 86 percent of surveyed sales leaders use AI, mainly for proposals, prospecting, market intelligence, and lead qualification.

But hotels do not want complicated tools. The report shows that ease of use is a top priority. Sales teams want systems that reduce manual work, connect departments, and help them move faster from inquiry to proposal.

Operators are looking for tools that make commercial decisions faster and easier, not just more automated. For example, Cloudbeds’ Ask Signals, a conversational AI tool, lets hotel teams ask questions about operations, guests, and revenue without switching between multiple systems. Together with Amadeus’ findings, it shows that hotel tech in 2026 is moving toward simpler, connected systems that help teams act faster on demand, pricing, and sales opportunities.

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