Berlin, 27 January 2026 – ehotel was awarded the German Excellence Prize 2026 in the "Business Models" category in Hamburg this evening. The company was honoured for its ehotel® RFP tool, a digital solution for the strategic management of hotel tenders in business travel management. CEO Fritz Zerweck accepted the award in person on stage during the official ceremony.
The German Excellence Award is being presented for the eighth time by DUP UNTERNEHMER and the German Institute for Service Quality (DISQ). A high-calibre jury from the fields of business, science and media evaluated the nominations and submissions. The award recognises particularly outstanding projects, while the editorial team at DUP UNTERNEHMER also honours excellent initiatives.
Digitisation instead of Excel and email
The ehotel® RFP tool was recognised for its approach to fundamentally digitising a process that had previously been highly manual and time-consuming. While traditional hotel tenders are often managed using spreadsheets, email chains and fragmented workflows, the tool maps the entire process centrally. From the invitation to the comparison of offers to the activation of the contract.
Automated workflows, transparent supplier evaluations and integrated analysis functions significantly shorten tender cycles and create a reliable data basis for purchasing decisions. Negotiated rates are transferred directly to the booking environment, allowing companies to benefit immediately from the results.
Measurable efficiency and cost benefits
With the RFP tool, companies can speed up their tendering processes by up to 40 per cent and achieve on average 12 to 18 per cent better terms in hotel purchasing. At the same time, compliance and reporting requirements are mapped in an audit-proof manner through integration with ERP and billing systems. ESG criteria such as CO₂ emissions or sustainability certificates are directly incorporated into the evaluation.
"It is a great honour for me to accept the German Excellence Award 2026 for our ehotel® RFP tool. Yesterday's award ceremony in the Elbkuppel at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg was an inspiring event full of innovations and impressive projects. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the jury for this recognition and pay tribute to the achievements of the other award winners. With their ideas and solutions, they demonstrate how diverse and forward-looking the German economy is. For us, this award is confirmation that our tool enables us to make our customers' hotel purchasing strategic, efficient and sustainable," says Fritz Zerweck, CEO of ehotel.
Recognition for innovative business models
In total, more than 100 applications were received in eleven categories. With the German Excellence Award, the jury honours solutions that impress with their innovation, impact and business relevance.
With the RFP tool, ehotel is positioning itself as a technology partner for companies that want to make their hotel purchasing more strategic, digital and sustainable.
