From 120 to Under 5 Minutes: How Althoff Hotels Digitized Travel Expenses and Scaled Internationally

Until the end of 2023, processing an expense report at Althoff Hotels could take up to two hours in accounting. Employees submitted expenses via Excel, receipts had to be collected and verified, and Finance manually prepared the data for CSV export to FibuNet.

With approximately 1,300 employees, multiple hotel locations, and a growing international structure, this process was no longer scalable. Althoff needed a solution that digitally captured travel expenses, standardized approvals, transferred booking data to FibuNet in a structured manner, and accommodated country-specific rules for Germany and Switzerland.

Since its go-live on January 1, 2024, Althoff Hotels has been using Circula for travel expenses, out-of-pocket expenses, and corporate cards. The result: nearly 15,000 submitted receipts, €1.86 million in exported travel expense volume, an NPS of 76 from 33 responses, and processing time per report reduced from up to two hours to under five minutes.

The Challenge: Two Hours Processing Time Per Report

Before Circula, expense reporting at Althoff Hotels was managed via Excel. Employees manually recorded their expenses, collected receipts, and then submitted the information for further processing. In accounting, the data had to be verified, prepared, and transferred to FibuNet via CSV.

This process was cumbersome. A single report could take up to two hours to process. For Finance, this meant high manual effort, many recurring verification steps, and limited scalability with increasing receipt volumes.

Additionally, there was a lack of central overview. Expenses across various hotel locations could only be managed with limited transparency under the old process. Accounting did not always have visibility into which reports were open, which receipts were missing, or which costs had already been prepared for export.

The international structure further complicated the process. Althoff had to incorporate travel expense rules for Germany and Switzerland, including per diems and mileage rates. An Excel-based process could only support these requirements with additional manual verification.

The challenge, therefore, was not just to replace Excel. Althoff needed an expense management process that reduced accounting effort, simplified submissions for employees, provided cross-location visibility into expenses, and integrated international rules on a single platform.

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The Requirements: Less Effort, More Overview, and International Scalability

For Althoff Hotels, it was clear: The new solution had to do more than just digital receipt capture. It needed to simplify the entire process from submission to transfer to FibuNet, while also fitting the hotel group's international structure.

Six key requirements were identified.

1. Significantly Reduced Processing Effort

The previous Excel process consumed too much accounting time. A new solution needed to reduce manual verification steps, standardize recurring processes, and prepare reports faster for export.

2. Standardized Export to FibuNet

FibuNet remained the designated accounting system. Therefore, Circula had to provide data in a way that allowed verified reports to be structured, exported via CSV, and further processed in FibuNet.

3. Central Overview of Expenses

Althoff needed more transparency regarding travel and out-of-pocket expenses. Finance should no longer have to track which reports were open, verified, or ready for export using Excel files and manual lists.

4. Support for Multiple Entities

The hotel group operates with multiple legal entities. The solution needed to be able to reflect this structure without each entity operating with its own isolated system.

5. International Rules for Germany and Switzerland

With locations in Germany and Switzerland, different travel expense rules had to be considered. These include country-specific per diems, mileage rates, and invoicing requirements.

6. Company Cards as an Automation Lever

In addition to digital submission, the payment process also needed to be modernized. By integrating Pliant company cards, certain expenses were to be directly linked to cards and more systematically integrated into the travel expense process.

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The Results: Less Processing Time, More Automation, High Acceptance

Since going live, Althoff Hotels has submitted nearly 15,000 receipts via Circula and exported a travel expense volume of €1.86 million. The figures show that Circula was not just introduced as a new tool, but is now an integral part of the ongoing finance process.

1. From up to 120 Minutes to Under 5 Minutes

The most significant impact is seen in processing time. What used to take up to two hours per expense report in the old Excel process is now handled in under five minutes.

For Finance, this means significant relief. Expense reports no longer need to be reviewed from Excel files and manually prepared for FibuNet. Instead, the data is structured within Circula, checked in the system, and then exported in a standardized way.

The process also becomes simpler for employees. They no longer have to track receipts in Excel or collect them physically, but can submit their expenses digitally.

2. Nearly 15,000 Receipts and €1.86 Million in Travel Expense Volume Processed

Since going live, nearly 15,000 receipts have been submitted via Circula. In total, €1.86 million in travel expense volume has been exported.

This demonstrates the scalability of the process. Althoff now processes a high volume of receipts via a central platform, with clear status overview, digital receipt capture, and standardized export to accounting.

For a hotel group with multiple locations, this transparency is crucial. Finance can centrally review expense reports, better track open items, and manage expenses across different entities more systematically.

3. Touchless Rate increased from 24% to 53%

In addition to time savings, the touchless rate also shows that the process is becoming increasingly automated. Between June 2025 and May 2026, it increased from 24% to nearly 53%.

This means: A growing proportion of expense reports goes through the process without manual correction. For Finance, this reduces queries, correction loops, and rework before export.

An additional automation lever is the integrated Pliant corporate cards. A portion of the expense reports now originates from card transactions, which appear in Circula and can be linked to receipts there. This makes expenses visible earlier and allows for more structured processing.

4. NPS 76 shows high acceptance

The introduction of a new expense management process affects not only Finance but also all employees who submit expenses. Therefore, user acceptance is a key success factor.

At Althoff, the NPS is 76 with 33 responses. This is a strong signal that the digital process not only works in accounting but is also positively rated by users.

This is particularly relevant in the hotel industry, where employees do not always work in traditional office structures. An expense management process must be simple, mobile, and easy to understand to be adopted in everyday use.

5. Germany and Switzerland on one platform

With the expansion to Switzerland in October 2025, the setup proved its international scalability. The Althoff Hotels Schweiz GmbH was integrated into Circula, including specific Swiss meal allowances and mileage rates.

This allows Althoff to manage expense rules for Germany and Switzerland on a single platform. For Finance, this means: no separate silo solution, no divergent manual special processes, and more consistent control across national borders.

The expansion shows that Circula has not only replaced the original Excel process but can also grow with the international structure of the hotel group.

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Conclusion: An expense management process that scales with the hotel group

Althoff Hotels replaced its Excel-based travel expense process with a central digital workflow using Circula. The effect is particularly evident in processing time: what used to take up to two hours per expense report now takes less than five minutes.

Since the go-live on January 1, 2024, almost 15,000 receipts have been submitted and €1.86 million in travel expenses exported. At the same time, the touchless rate increased to 53%, and the NPS of 76 with 33 responses indicates high user acceptance.

With the expansion to Switzerland in October 2025, the process was further scaled internationally. Althoff can now manage travel expenses for Germany and Switzerland on a single platform, including country-specific allowances, corporate cards, and standardized export to FibuNet.

Thus, for Althoff, Circula is more than just a tool for digital receipt capture. It is a scalable travel expense process for an international hotel group.

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