Need a Hotel Reservation for a CDOT Trip?
Look No Further than CDOT’s State Lodging Program!
By Vivi Engen, Process Improvement & Change Management Intern
September 10, 2018
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has over 3,000 employees, many of whom travel across the state for important meetings and trainings. With those trips come overnight stays, and with that, hotel rooms to book. Prior to April 2018, the Procurement Department would submit a separate bid every time a CDOT employee required group hotel accommodations in excess of $25,000. The process was repetitive, laborious, and above-all, time-consuming.
CDOT’s State Lodging Program
Procurement supports the Maintenance Training Academy where they have 80 – 100 CDOT employees attend each week, serving between 1500 and 1800 employees each year. Travel is required for many employees attending the Academy. After arranging rooms for the 2017 CDOT Maintenance Training Academy attendees, David Musgrave and Patricia O’Neal from procurement took a step back and decided there had to be a way to make the hotel bidding process more efficient. “We knew there was a need for hotels across the state,” explained David, “so we went out with a state-wide bid for all interested vendors to generate a hotel list for our employees to use.”
The result? A formalized CDOT State Lodging Program with a list of over 60 hotels with pre-negotiated rates that CDOT employees can choose from. Deborah Atchley, a purchasing agent IV from Grand Junction, is a happy customer after using the new program. “I’m not familiar with the Denver area, let alone the new location of the CDOT Headquarters building, so the list of trusted properties was really helpful,” she explained. “The hotel list laid out all the options right in front of me and made the decision about where I was going to stay easy and stress-free.”
What does this program improve?
Booking group hotel rooms (over $25,000) for CDOT employees is more complicated than meets the eye. The property must be awarded through a competitive solicitation process that complies with the procurement code (in statute). This process would take place every time a block of rooms were needed for CDOT employees. Sounds tedious? David and Patricia thought so too.
In the new CDOT State Lodging Program, properties have already completed the bidding process, so booking group hotel rooms is fast and easy. CDOT employees contact the hotel directly to make a reservation, instead of going through the Procurement Department. CDOT travelers booking individual rooms are also able to use the list when traveling for CDOT. This helps CDOT procurement understand the lodging needs and helps CDOT leverage better rates and encourage more hotels to participate in the program.
Additionally, there are certain requirements a property must meet to ensure the highest standards for CDOT employees. For starters, “rates have to be at or below GSA (Federal) rates to ensure a fair value for CDOT,” David explained. “We also took inventory of not just amenities, rates and locations of the hotels on the list, but considered factors like safety of the area and interactions with the hotel staff when considering candidates for the program,” he continued.
When CDOT uses properties on the list, it also gives procurement greater leverage with the hotels to ensure a good experience for CDOT employees. “We want the properties on this list to provide a high level of service,” David said, “which means more than just a convenient location and a continental breakfast.” For example, if a CDOT employee experiences an issue during their stay, procurement can work directly with the property to solve the problem. Typically, the issues are resolved quickly, because if they persist, the hotel will be removed from the list.
What does the future hold for this program?
“We’ve invited the entire hotel community to participate in the CDOT State Lodging Program,” said Patricia, “and we are already getting additional interest from other properties.” Down the line, procurement hopes to leverage the volume and negotiate better rates with hotels and offer additional properties as the program generates additional interest.
For now, the focus is on getting CDOT employees to understand what the CDOT State Lodging Program is, and all that it has to offer. “The challenge is spreading awareness that this hotel list exists and that while it is in every CDOT employees’ benefit to use the list when booking a hotel stay, choosing a property from that list is optional,” explained Patricia.
“Ultimately, the success of this project is about engaging with people who use hotels,” added David. Is your favorite hotel missing from the list? If so, let David and Patricia know!
David Musgrave: David.Musgrave@state.co.us
Patricia O’Neal: Patricia.O'neal@state.co.us