Best Booking Engines at Hotel Chains for Business Travelers in 2026

You land at O'Hare at 9 PM with a client meeting at 8 AM tomorrow and discover your hotel reservation doesn't qualify for Bonvoy points because you booked through an OTA that routes through a third-party aggregator.

Now you're watching elite status credits evaporate on a reservation that won't count toward your next upgrade. 82% of business travelers value loyalty programs, but most OTA bookings don't qualify for points or elite benefits.

The right booking platform preserves your Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt elite status while maintaining company policy compliance. This guide compares five business travel platforms based on how they handle hotel chain bookings, loyalty program integration, and pricing models for small to mid-sized companies.

Platform Reviews for Hotel Chain Bookings

Each platform below targets different business priorities while providing different booking experiences at major hotel chains.

1) Navan: Best for Mid-Market Companies Needing Integrated Travel and Expense Management

Why it stands out: Navan combines travel booking and expense management in a single platform, eliminating the reconciliation headaches that come from using separate systems. Navan earned the #1 spot in G2's Fall 2025 Travel and Expense Software category across all company sizes, with verified users giving it a 9.5/10 ease of booking score.

Business travelers appreciate Navan Rewards, where employees earn personal points for booking in-policy options. Navan's booking engine connects directly to Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt properties, preserving loyalty program eligibility while enforcing company travel policies.

Good to know: Navan's many features create a learning curve during the first few weeks. The platform works best for companies with 100+ employees who need policy enforcement as they scale. Navan requires custom pricing for companies over 200 employees, so startups under that threshold can access the free tier.

2) Otto the Agent: Best for Business Travelers Who Want AI-Powered Booking Without Traditional Forms

Why it stands out: Otto the Agent functions as an AI booking assistant that lets business travelers book flights and hotels through conversational chat rather than traditional search forms. Instead of filling out departure cities, dates, and passenger details across multiple fields, you tell Otto "I need to visit the Austin office next Tuesday" and Otto asks clarifying questions.

Otto monitors your calendar and learns from your booking patterns, like always booking nonstop on Delta or choosing right-side window seats when flying east. Otto prioritizes direct bookings at hotel chains, automatically storing your Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, and World of Hyatt numbers to ensure every reservation qualifies for points and elite status credits.

Good to know: Otto presents 2-6 curated options sequentially through conversation rather than displaying search results with hundreds of flights. You can't process group bookings or manage complex rate structures through the AI. Otto's focus on loyalty-qualifying bookings at hotel chains means you'll always get direct rates, though occasionally third-party aggregators offer slightly lower prices that don't qualify for points.

3) TravelPerk: Best for Startups and Small Teams Prioritizing Speed and Simplicity

Why it stands out: TravelPerk delivers a consumer-grade interface that requires zero training, earning a 4.6/5 rating from 391 verified G2 users with 94% recommendation rates. The platform targets startups and growing businesses needing quick implementation, with most companies live within 1-2 weeks without IT involvement.

TravelPerk's booking engine displays both direct hotel chain rates and aggregated third-party options, with clear indicators showing which bookings at Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt properties qualify for loyalty programs.

Good to know: TravelPerk's per-booking fee structure gets expensive quickly for high-volume travelers. Companies booking 50+ trips monthly may pay $35-40 per transaction. At hotel chains, TravelPerk shows both loyalty-qualifying direct rates and non-qualifying third-party options; travelers must actively select the direct booking to earn Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG, or Hyatt points.

4) SAP Concur: Best for Established Companies Needing Enterprise Integration and Compliance

Why it stands out: SAP Concur maintains the strongest position in enterprise travel management, earning recognition as a 4-time IDC MarketScape Leader for travel and expense software. The platform handles complex multi-level approval workflows across departments and regions, with deep integration capabilities for SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, and other enterprise systems.

Concur's booking engine maintains direct partnerships with major hotel chains including Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt, enabling companies to enforce travel policies while preserving employee loyalty program benefits.

Good to know: SAP Concur's many features come with significant complexity. Verified users gave it a "C" grade for ease of setup and an 8.0/10 ease of use score. Implementation takes 6-12 months for companies over 1,000 employees, requiring dedicated project management and technical coordination with existing systems.

5) Ramp Travel: Best for Cost-Conscious Companies Wanting Travel Integrated with Corporate Cards

Why it stands out: Ramp combines corporate card programs with travel booking and expense management in a single platform, eliminating the reconciliation overhead that comes from managing separate vendors. The platform's integrated approach is particularly attractive for cost-conscious startups seeking to consolidate their financial operations.

Ramp captures transactions automatically through its integrated corporate card system, providing real-time spend monitoring with automated policy enforcement.

Good to know: Ramp's travel features are part of the broader Ramp Plus tier at $15 per user monthly, so a 50-employee company pays $9,000 annually even if only 10 people travel regularly. When booking at hotel chains through Ramp, the platform may default to showing lowest-cost options first, which sometimes includes third-party rates that don't qualify for Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, or World of Hyatt benefits.

Comparison at a Glance 

This summary covers pricing models, hotel chain loyalty support, and key limitations across all five booking engines.

Navan

• Best For: Mid-market companies needing integrated travel and expense
• Starting Price: Free under 200 employees; custom pricing above
• Hotel Chain Loyalty: Direct connections to Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Hyatt preserve loyalty
• Key Limitation: Complex for small teams; learning curve during first 2-3 weeks

Otto the Agent

• Best For: Business travelers wanting AI booking without forms
• Starting Price: Free (commission-based)
• Hotel Chain Loyalty: Stores loyalty numbers; prioritizes direct bookings at hotel chains
• Key Limitation: Can't handle group bookings or complex scenarios via AI

TravelPerk

• Best For: Startups prioritizing speed and simplicity
• Starting Price: Free for 5 bookings/month; 5% fee after
• Hotel Chain Loyalty: Shows loyalty vs non-loyalty rates; requires manual selection
• Key Limitation: Expensive for high-volume travel; limited inventory in smaller cities

SAP Concur

• Best For: Enterprise companies needing compliance and ERP integration
• Starting Price: Custom pricing required
• Hotel Chain Loyalty: Hotel chain partnerships; requires loyalty configuration
• Key Limitation: 6-12 month implementation; outdated interface; expensive

Ramp Travel

• Best For: Cost-conscious startups building corporate card programs
• Starting Price: $15/user/month for Ramp Plus
• Hotel Chain Loyalty: Direct bookings available; cost optimization may prioritize cheaper non-loyalty rates
• Key Limitation: Charges per user not per booking; expensive for dedicated traveler teams

Pricing and features current as of December 2025. Verify details on official websites before committing.

How to Choose the Right Business Travel Platform

Your travel pattern, company size, and hotel chain loyalty priorities determine the right booking engine. Consider these scenarios when evaluating platforms.

If you have frequent travelers in your 50-person company: You can benefit from consumer-grade interfaces with 1-2 week implementations, while growing companies (100-500 employees) need policy enforcement without enterprise complexity. Prioritize booking engines that automatically route through hotel chains rather than requiring manual selection between direct and third-party rates.

If you book your own travel frequently: Platforms offering conversational booking eliminate the form-filling friction that wastes time on mobile devices. Look for booking engines that remember your Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, and World of Hyatt numbers permanently.

If your finance team needs budget visibility: Platforms combining travel with expense management provide real-time spend tracking without waiting for month-end reports. Ensure the booking engine's cost optimization doesn't sacrifice hotel chain loyalty benefits by defaulting to non-qualifying third-party rates.

Preserve Hotel Chain Loyalty With the Right Platform

Business hotel booking comes down to three needs: earning loyalty benefits at major chains, finding properties near your meetings, and avoiding repetitive data entry.

Enterprise platforms serve Fortune 500 companies. OTAs prioritize leisure travelers. Direct booking preserves loyalty but requires starting from scratch each trip.

Otto stores your Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, and World of Hyatt numbers permanently and routes bookings directly through hotel chains so you earn points on every reservation. When your flight gets delayed and you need to adjust your hotel, Otto presents alternatives at nearby hotel chains while you focus on your meeting. 

Sign up with Otto to stop losing loyalty benefits on business travel.