Include It On The Save
If youre hosting a destination wedding or a wedding where most of your guests are traveling, its a good idea to book your hotel room blocks as soon as possible, meaning shortly after you book your wedding venue. If you have this information before sending out your save-the-dates, definitely include it. The sooner your guests book their hotel rooms, the better .
Am I Charged If One Of My Guests Cancels Their Room
This question is something you should discuss with the hotel. Different hotels have different cancellation clauses. It also depends on whether the reservation the guest makes is nonrefundable, in which case they are still on the hook for the money. Make sure you read the contract for hotel blocks for weddings very carefully, so you are not taken by surprise by details like this.
Why Book A Hotel Block For Your Wedding
all your guests in one placewe provide hotel discounts for booking 9+ room nights
affordable room ratesguaranteed lowest rates at your favorite hotel. if you find a lower rate we will match it.
negotiate the perfect room typeour professional planners will help you get the best room for the best price.
guaranteed rooms
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Book Your Room Blocks Asap
In an interview with Wedding Spot, Thomas Beaman, the owner and operator of professional wedding planning and photography business PA Unveiled, gave this pro tip:
Most hotels allow blocks to open up 1 year in advance. As soon as you have confirmed your wedding date and wedding venue, contact multiple hotels to get rates. Booking your room block early will give you a better chance at locking in a lower rate, and will give your wedding guests more time for planning travel.
He also noted that most wedding room block quotes are only valid for a short period of time, so its good to make your final decision within that frame.
How Should We Share Our Block With Our Guests
Traditionally, you can include an Accommodations card with your wedding invitations that explains where guests can reserve a room. This is usually just an additional insert with your invitation sharing the hotel information with your guests, how to access the group rate, along with any contact information for booking.
However, its often easier to point guests to your wedding website and link to the important information on there. You will likely share your wedding website with your guests before your invitations are mailed. This lets your guests get a head start on their travel plans, and you can edit the information as needed if you are filling your open block of rooms early.
Not every guest will check your wedding website, but they will need to open your in\vitation, so sharing your block information both physically and digitally will be the best of both worlds.
Your VIPs and early birds that are excited to look at your website will feel like they got a head-start on planning, and the Accommodations card insert can be a gentle reminder that they really need to book their room, if needed.
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Confirming Your Wedding Hotel Room Blocks Reservation
If youve made it this far into blocking your guests hotel rooms, congrats! Most of the work is done, but before you bring out the celebratory thank-goodness-thats-finally-over champagne, you need to tie up any loose ends and confirm everything is as it should be. First, make a note on your calendar of the cut-off date, then follow this checklist:
Asking Wedding Guests To Pay For Accommodation
The easiest way to ask wedding guests to pay for their accommodation is to include this on the wedding invite, so it is explicit. Given this information, your guests can then choose to go with an option you recommend/ have reserved or select their own option. For template wording on this, visit the below article.
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How to find the right hotel for your wedding guests
When researching hotels for your wedding guests, it is crucial to put their needs first and consider what you have previously needed when attending other weddings. Use the below criteria when comparing hotels and also visit them to ensure the pictures match the actual quality:
- Location is easily accessible and a short distance from the venue
- Rooms are soundproof so guests can get a decent nights sleep
- Breakfast is included within the room price
- There is a late-night bar for those wanting a nightcap
- There is extensive free parking for guest cars or cheap parking nearby
- Guest WIFI is free
- Early check-in and late checkout
What price range to select for wedding guest accommodation
Weddings are expensive so guests should not be expected to pay more than ã100 for a room. Where possible, the ã60 ã85 bracket will cater for most budgets. If in doubt, it is worth going for a large chain hotel, where wedding guests expectations will automatically be managed from the point of booking.
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Questions To Ask Your Hotel
Once you are ready to give the hotel a call to inquire about the hotel block, you will want to have a few questions ready. Be sure to get answers to these questions:
This will help gauge how many rooms to book in the beginning. We recommend booking a smaller number of rooms in the beginning. Unless they do not charge any penalties for not filling the room blockmost hotels dothis will help you avoid unwanted fines or fees.
Image by Karra Leigh Photography
Why Every Wedding Needs A Room Block & How Elovaire Can Help
If youre expecting several out-of-town guests to attend your wedding, booking a hotel room block will be a game-changer for everyone! What exactly does that mean? A hotel block is an agreed-upon amount of room that the hotel will hold for you and your wedding guests to reserve at a discounted rate.Youll likely need to request group rate proposals from multiple hotels, which can be a time-consuming and arduous process.
Thats where Elovaire can help! With the goal of finding dreamy accommodations for your dream wedding, Elovaire connects you with hotels that fit all your wedding needs. The process is easy and efficient from start to finishplus, its free! So, read on for all the reasons why every wedding needs a hotel room block and how Elovaire can help!
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Book Wedding Room Blocks At Multiple Hotels
Beaman said that booking 2-3 hotels has two main benefits:
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Price. Give multiple options for your guests to choose from so they can choose the work within their own budget. The price should be a difference of least $50 between the lowest price and the highest price hotels, Beaman said.
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Perks. Many hotels offer a free room or suite to the couple if they fill up their room block, Beaman said. By getting a room block at a second or third hotel, you increase your chances of getting these same perks for parents or grandparents if those blocks fill up.
But again, when booking, make sure you know the hotels policy. Know the minimum number of rooms required to book contract details, such as cancellation policies and any perks the hotel may offer for booking a room block. Bring up your concerns and questions before committing.
Wedding Room Blocks: The Ultimate Guide
Wondering how to book wedding room blocks at a hotel or other venue? It turns out that this seemingly simple process actually has an art and a science behind it. Wedding Spot interviewed a handful of experts from the wedding, travel, and hotel industries to give you insider tips on how to perfect this process. Keep reading to discover the steps you need to get the best possible rate and avoid headaches from common mistakes.
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How Many Hotel Rooms Should You Block For A Wedding
This is one of the first things that our team at Wedaways determines when chatting with our couples or planners. There are a number of factors that help us to determine the right number of rooms to be blocked. These factors include the number of guests attending the wedding, whether the room block must be guaranteed or if it is complimentary, the number of rooms in the block that can be canceled, the book-by date of the hotel and the travel style of the guests. As you now realize, there is much to consider and it can be confusing if you dont have the experience. This is why we love taking over this task in order to simplify your wedding planning experience.
Find One Or Two Local Hotels
Youll want to choose hotels that are reasonably close to your wedding venue. It makes transportation easier, whether youre arranging group transportation or letting guests drive themselves to and from the wedding.
If you have rewards status with a particular hotel chain, then you probably want to set up a room block there. You may get extra perks, and you might also be able to earn points.
Choose hotels that are in the proper budgetary range for your guests. Just because you usually stay in a luxury 5-star hotel when you travel doesnt mean all your guests will be able to.
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Do I Need To Pay For The Hotel Rooms
No. If you want to pay for them or pay for some of the rooms you can but its not a requirement. Guests dont expect you to pay and neither do the hotels.
In most cases what youd be booking at the hotel is called a courtesy room block or a courtesy block, which means that rooms are being held on your behalf without any financial obligation. Guests will call on their own and book their own rooms. Youre only giving them the link to book and the code to mention if they choose to call.
Can We Negotiate For Added Perks
Some hotels will be able to offer complimentary nights, room upgrades, parking, wifi, and more based on the type of block you have and how many rooms youre able to fill.
When securing a block, you can ask if there are any special concessions based on the pickup. Most will know what this means, but dont automatically expect something in return.
Again as with all of your vendors, make sure you read and understand your contracts when agreeing to anything.
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Wedding Hotel Room Blocks: Information For Your Guests
Once you have your rooms blocked, its time to get the word out to your wedding guests. Inform them as early as possible so they have ample time to choose and pay for a room. You can include hotel block info on your save-the-dates, wedding invitations, and wedding website.
Aside from the basic hotel information, you can also inform guests on how to get to the venue, if transportation will be provided, and any contact numbers/emails that guests can reach out to should they have questions.
How Many Rooms Should I Reserve For My Hotel Room Block
Once your guest list is set, you will want to run through your list and check off those who are traveling for your wedding. From there, you should be able to see how many rooms you will need to include in a hotel room block. Keep in mind, hotel room blocks are booked by the room rather than by the individual, so take note of which guests will be staying together. Calculate the number of rooms you will likely need before contacting the hotel.
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How Many Rooms Will We Need
This question is a little more difficult for me to answer for you, because it depends a LOT on YOUR guest list.
As a starting point, I recommend looking at your guest list and seeing which guests are a) likely to attend and b) traveling more than 30-45 minutes to your wedding destination.
If your guests are more local, some people still prefer to get a room to have a nice night out and keep the party going. But not as many rooms will be needed compared to when a majority of guests are doing a lot of traveling.
When counting, youll want to count couples and families as one room as they typically stay together. So two guests who are partners = one room. Dont forget to count yourselves and any parents, immediate family, wedding party, and VIPs who will need a room for getting ready.
While you can set up an open block for more rooms than you think youll need, I dont recommend asking for a block of 40 rooms if you know youll only need 10. If youre choosing a guaranteed block, Id opt for as close of a number needed as you can estimate to keep your budget for other priorities.
Photo by Asya Photography of Ali and Matts Logan Hotel Wedding
Be Clear On Your Agreement
Go with a courtesy block whenever possible. A courtesy block is just as it sounds, says Ayers. A courtesy that the hotel is offering you. With a courtesy block, you wont be financially liable for any rooms in your block that dont fill. After a certain cut-off date, the hotel will release the unsold rooms from the block and make them available to other guests. If you ask to reserve a number of rooms well above the hotels allotted block sizelike, say, 50 when the standard block size is 25the hotel may ask to sign off on an attrition rate. In this case, you will be financially responsible for any rooms up to a certain percentage of that larger block that doesnt fill.
Attrition rates vary, but, per Ayers, they typically hover around 80 percent. For a requested block of 50 rooms, that would mean your party would be required to fill 40. If your party only fills 35, you, as the creator of the block, would be required to pay for the remaining five rooms. Courtesy blocks typically do not require a hard contract, but a hotel may opt for a contract or they may take down your payment information if an attrition rate is involved.
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Everything You Need To Know About Wedding Hotel Room Blocks
Hotel room blocks might not sound like the most exciting topic – in fact, its probably up there with creating a budget and travel insurance – but like those things, learning the ins and outs of blocking hotel rooms for your wedding is worth the effort.
Feeling a bit clueless about blocking hotel rooms? Dont sweat it! Many couples have gone before you and learned what to do and what not to do, and there is plenty of info and tips for you in this post to help guide you during this point in wedding planning.
So lets get started with the basics, like whats a hotel room block, anyway? And are hotel blocks necessary?
Understanding Terms & Conditions
A courtesy room block offers the most flexibility and does not leave you financially responsible for the room block. Typically, the only restriction on a courtesy room block is the cutoff date, which limits the time frame in which guests can book a room and receive your special rate. Pending hotel availability, if your block is fully booked before the cutoff date, hotels will generally add rooms to the block to accommodate more guests.
Guaranteed room blocks require you to sign a contract with binding terms and conditions and may require a deposit. If one party is paying for all rooms, or you are confident your room block will fill, this may be a good way to save on your room rate or get extra amenities from the hotel.
When to comes time to put pen to paper, Elovaire will make sure youre comfortable with what you are signing!
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Does The Bride And Groom Pay For Hotel Rooms
Bride and groom paying for hotel rooms is a question that often comes up during wedding planning. The answer is, it depends.
bride and groom are typically responsible for their own hotel room, though sometimes the wedding party or parents of the bride and groom will cover the costs. If the couple is getting married out of town, they may need to reserve a block of rooms at a discounted rate. In some cases, the bride and groom may choose to stay in a different hotel than their guests.
If the wedding is taking place at a location where the bride and groom need to stay overnight for a rehearsal or other event leading up to the wedding, the hotel room will likely be covered by the wedding planner or venue.
If you have any specific questions about who is responsible for hotel rooms, be sure to speak with your wedding planner or venue.
Does It Cost Anything To Have A Room Block
Most properties will offer a courtesy hold or special rate that expires months prior to your event date. However, there are hotels that will require a contract indicating a minimum number of rooms booked. Read the agreements carefully as they can financially leave you on the hook for rooms not acquired. The fact is that on average 30% of people will book outside of the reserved block so it will take time and attention on your part to make sure your guests fill your block first.
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