Wedding planning can be so difficult at times. Overwhelmed by opinions, Pinterest, and the flurry of quick queries from delighted relatives. When it comes to wedding stress, booking hotel room blocks for all of your guests can often feel like the tip of the iceberg. We'll refer to it as the room block issue. After all, your coworker, best friend, and grandmother all have quite varied interests and spending ranges. How will you ever satisfy everyone on your perfect wedding day? We have 13 suggestions to make reserving room blocks a breeze.
Room Blocks: An Overview
A hotel room block is an arrangement for ten or more rooms. A room block has the advantage of saving you time, and money, and guaranteeing that all of your visitors will have a place to stay while attending your event. Group rates typically range from 15% to 40% less than normal rates. Already, the deal is more enticing.
Guessing Your Room Count to Block Is Okay
Concerned about the number of rooms to reserve for your wedding ? The good news is that you don't have to estimate how many rooms you'll need. A ballpark figure will serve just fine. Bonus: Underestimating is preferable; hurray!
The magic period is from 3 to 8 months
Three to eight months before your event is the ideal time to begin making reservations for room blocks. You have plenty of time to make decisions, make plans, and most importantly, become enthusiastic. If you're just beginning your search, you can message several locations at once to ask about room blocks.
But which hotels should you pick?
Are you having trouble deciding which hotels to recommend to your visitors? The hotels in the region will compete to match your pricing once you decide on the location, your budget, and your estimated number of rooms. You can customize your search to look for hotels close to your venue if you don't need a really particular location.
Share the love for all budgets
You don't have to stay at the same hotel as your entire family, extended family, and friends if you aren't paying for their hotel rooms (insert sigh of relief here). You can ask for hotels at various pricing points so that your visitors have choices based on their ability to pay for lodging.
Keep Close to the Venue
Keep Close to the Venue Make an effort to ensure that they are no more than 30 minutes driving from the event (the rule of thumb is no more than 10 miles). Bonus: If you can locate accommodations nearby, your visitors will adore you even more. Your venue still hasn't been decided. You can message venues all at once by searching our carefully selected venue directory by location.
Choose no more than 3 hotels
It will remain easy if you keep it simple and fun. In addition to confusing your customers, choosing too many hotels will make it more difficult for you to fill the reserved hotel rooms. Also, you can get a better rate if you request more rooms per hotel. Score!
Are You Responsible for Paying?
Quick answer: perhaps. Certain hotels, known as a Courtesy Room Block, don't charge you for unbooked rooms (remember overestimating your rooms?). Nevertheless, not all hotels provide this service. Some hotels may charge you for any empty rooms that you initially reserved. In your reservation agreement, there will be an attrition clause that, normally, allows for 20% to 25% attrition, give or take. Read it! Don't worry.
Beware of Room Rate Increases
Look for any significant local events that could push up hotel rates on the day of your event or nearby. Conferences, concerts, peak travel periods, and small towns with few lodging options are all warning signs for hotel cost increases.
Arrival Timing
Make sure to factor in the hotel check-in time so that it doesn't interfere with the time that your wedding will begin. Nothing is worse than having your out-of-town pals get ready in the restroom in the lobby or in a parked car outside the ceremony, after all. There is power in numbers, therefore ask the hotels whether they would permit earlier check-in for a specific number of rooms!
Do Not Forget to Inform Your Visitors
Place all of the pertinent information in a location that is simple to find and remember. An excellent method for disseminating details on the event, hotel, transportation, and other topics is a custom wedding website.
Remember to remind your guests as well!
There will be a deadline for your visitors to book a stay at the discounted group rate. Make sure to schedule a reminder to send a final, courteous text or email to any late guests to guarantee their rate. These cut-off dates, which will be specified in your agreement, are strictly enforced by hotels and often fall between 21 and 60 days before your visitors' arrival.
Highlights:
- Plan Ahead: Start searching for hotels early on in the wedding planning process to ensure you have plenty of options to choose from.
- Identify Your Needs: Determine the type of hotel you need based on the number of guests, location, and budget.
- Research: Conduct thorough research on the hotels you’re interested in. Check out their websites, read reviews from previous guests, and ask for recommendations from friends and family.
- Compare Prices: Check the rates of different hotels to find one that fits your budget.
- Negotiate: Try to negotiate with the hotel to get the best possible rates, especially if you’re booking a large number of rooms.
- Book a Room Block: Book a block of rooms to ensure all of your guests have a place to stay. This will also help you secure a better rate.
- Provide Rooming List: Provide the hotel with a list of guests who will be staying in the rooms you’ve reserved. This will make the check-in process easier for your guests.
- Offer Amenities: Consider offering your guests amenities like breakfast or transportation to and from the wedding venue.
- Read the Fine Print: Make sure you read the hotel’s cancellation policy and other important details before making a reservation.
- Check for Wedding Packages: Many hotels offer wedding packages that include room rentals, catering, and other amenities. Check to see if these packages fit your needs.
- Communicate with Guests: Keep your guests informed about the hotel reservations process and any updates or changes that may occur.
- Follow up with the Hotel: Follow up with the hotel periodically to ensure everything is on track and all your guests have been properly accommodated.
