SOURCES SOUGHT
V -- Request for Information - Lodging Services
- Notice Date
- 6/23/2003
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- General Services Administration, Federal Supply Service (FSS), Contracting Division/Office of Transportation and Property Management (FBG), 1941 Jefferson Davis Highway Crystal Mall #4, Arlington, VA, 22202
- ZIP Code
- 22202
- Solicitation Number
- Reference-Number-RFI0001
- Response Due
- 7/17/2003
- Point of Contact
- Van Hale, Contracting Officer, Phone 703-305-7967, Fax 703-305-7946,
- E-Mail Address
-
Van.Hale@gsa.gov
- Description
- As a result of the recent Per Diem Advisory Board?s recommendations to consolidate lodging programs, the General Services Administration (GSA) is issuing this Request for Information to explore industry capabilities to create one overall lodging program to better serve the Federal Traveler. GSA currently manages the Federal Premier Lodging Program (FPLP), which currently focuses on downtown locations in over 70 cities and guarantees lodging rates and room availability. GSA is interested in expanding the program to the next level to take advantage of board recommendations and industry best practices. GSA desires to provide a lodging program that provides worldwide coverage; outstanding lodging services; leveraged markets while providing customer choice; lodging data and spend analysis; integration with government-wide travel initiatives; ease of administration; improved travel management; and is attractive to service providers. GSA is interested in understanding industry capabilities, outsourcing opportunities, acquisition strategies and commercial best practices in developing, implementing, managing and marketing a worldwide lodging program. You are invited to provide information that will assist GSA in understanding the lodging industry. The information you provide will be used to ensure that requirements developed for any future solicitation maximizes efficiencies, competition and adopts commercial best practices and will be kept confidential. Please provide your responses to onthego@gsa.gov by close of business July 17, 2003. Should you have any questions, please direct them to onthego@gsa.gov. 1. For fiscal years 2000, 2001 and 2002, the Federal Government spent $1.5 billion, $1.6 billion, and $1.9 billion, respectively, on lodging. It is, however, unable to guarantee specific volumes to any specific service provider. The Federal Government is interested in obtaining quality lodging services under per diem rates with providers that can deliver the maximum number of rooms possible on a worldwide basis under a single contract. What would you recommend the Government do to make any solicitation for lodging services attractive to bid on given the inability to guarantee specific volumes to any specific provider (e.g., automate the bid process, etc.)? 2. Please identify your company name, point of contact, telephone number, mailing address, email address, and provide a brief summary of the lodging services you provide. 3. Please identify what type of company you are (e.g., hotel consolidator, outsourcing lodging provider, hotel, association, etc.). 4. The Federal Government uses the North American Industry Classification System (NAIC) code to determine a company?s business size. NAICS codes can be found at http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics02/. What is the NAICS code appropriate to your business and are you classified as a small business or large business? 5. What types of lodging services do you provide (e.g., transient, extended stay, corporate housing)? Please define and describe in detail (e.g., corporate housing is usually defined as X+ days and consists of A, B and C). 6. On average, how many providers/rooms do you have in inventory and where are they located (e.g., domestic, international, major metropolitan areas, downtown areas, suburbs, rural, etc.)? 7. Room rates vary by distribution channels (e.g., Internet, travel agent, direct supply, etc.) and affiliate programs (e.g., AAA, AARP, and other membership/loyalty programs). Describe each of these rate ?buckets? and typical terms and conditions associated with their extension. 8. How are room rates priced for your company (e.g., discount off the list price, based on per diem, flat percent off from list price, discount from the rack rate, negotiated contract, etc.) for corporate and Government clients? Are these room rates published and if so, where? 9. How are negotiated contract room rates communicated to the service provider and travel industry providers (e.g., travel agents, automated booking systems, etc.)? 10. Are negotiated contract room rates loaded into Global Distribution Systems (GDS)? If so, which one(s)? 11. Does your company have the ability to offer a direct supplier connection of room inventory? If so, how does this impact inventory and availability? How would such a direct supplier connection be developed into a client?s automated travel management system? 12. Are negotiated room rates commissionable? 13. What types and/or ranges of discounts do you typically offer clients? Compare discounts to commercial, corporate and Government clients and explain any differences in selling terms/conditions. Provide a typical sample agreement. 14. What drives changes to negotiated contract room rates and how often do they change? 15. What fees, if any, are associated with date changes and/or cancellations of the room? 16. What data, if any, is collected on lodging spend for the corporate and Government client? Please list the data elements captured and reported on and their intended purpose/use. 17. Can inventory and spend data be fed into automated travel management systems and if so, how is this normally accomplished and at what estimated cost? 18. The Federal Government contracts for a travel card program with commercial providers (e.g., Mastercard and Visa), and its account numbering sequences are unique to the Federal Government. How would your company use the numbering sequence to ensure that the proper negotiated contract rates are displayed and charged? 19. If a Federal agency negotiates a further reduced contract rate for their employees, how would such a rate be displayed, communicated and subsequently applied? 20. Payment for lodging services does not occur in advance. Generally, the Government?s travel card is used to secure the room and payment for the room occurs upon check-out (usually via the Government travel card). How would your company accommodate this? 21. What is the yearly dollar volume of your Federal Government business, if any? Is the volume concentrated in any one area (e.g., downtown locations, suburbs, etc.)? 22. Are your domestic properties compliant with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines and the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines? If not, why? 23. Does per diem impact your ability to participate in a lodging program? Why? 24. Do you offer outsourced lodging services and would you be interested in providing such services to the Federal Government? 25. If so, please describe what services are provided under an outsourced lodging program; describe terms and conditions of such services; provide a sample agreement/contract; describe what typical fees, if any, are involved in providing such services, both to the corporate client and to the lodging provider? In addition, please identify what type of information is needed from the client in setting up a lodging program and how such a program is managed? 26. Is your company capable of receiving electronic request for proposals? 27. What information do you need from a potential client in order to prepare a bid for providing outsourced lodging program services? 28. What other information would be important for the Government to understand?
- Record
- SN00354907-W 20030625/030623214022 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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