About Group Travel
When an agency is organizing a group of 10 or more hotel rooms without any type of event services, it makes sense to negotiate for a block of rooms. A preferred hotel must be utilized and the agency should contact the sales department at the hotel directly to negotiate lodging rates and secure a block of rooms. Note that this only applies if the group requires lodging only and the total cost does not exceed $10,000. These groups are processed by the Commonwealth Office of Travel Operations (COTO) and information about the process may be found in the Group Lodging Procedures Guide (PDF).
Question: What if I am organizing a lodging only group and the cost is over $10,000? Or the cost is under $10,000 but includes other types of services, such as meeting space, audio/video equipment, food and beverage, etc.?
Answer: These types of groups must be purchased using the Conference and Event Planning ITQ, which can be found on the Department of General Services ITQ Documents and Information webpage. Questions should be directed to your agency procurement officer or the Department of General Services.
With any questions you have.
