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.
Determining Number Of Hotel Rooms To Block Off
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So I am in the process of blocking off hotel rooms for my out of town guests. We have a lot of people coming in from out of town. How do I even begin to determine how many rooms to block off. My wedding is not until September 2016, but there is a big convention the weekend of my wedding so I need to block off hotel rooms sooner than later.
I have a count of all people that are coming in from out of town, but it is not guaranteed that all of them will come for the wedding. I will need to have rooms blocked off before Save the Dates even go out.
Is there any magical way to determine how many rooms to block off? I do not want to block off a bunch and then not fill them. Help!!
on December 8, 2015 at 12:15 PM
What If I Reach Out To A Hotel Get Frustrated And Then Decide To Book A Hotel Block With A Service
This is tricky, sometimes the hotels will say I already have this group and not allow a service to work with you because they dont want to be caught giving someone else a better rate and thats okay if there are other hotels nearby, but generally your best bet is to reach out to a service like Kleinfeld Hotel Blocks first and then go from there. If you dont like the service, you dont have to use it, but it puts you in the best position to get the best deals, plus its free so theres no downside.
Also feel free to check out the reviews.
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What If You Have To Postpone Or Cancel Your Wedding Due To Covid Or For Other Reasons
It depends on whether you have a courtesy or a contracted room block. For a courtesy room block, since there was no contract signed or cost associated with booking the room blocks, simply postponing or canceling should be no problem. However, if you have a contracted room block, a postponement or cancellation may be a bit more complicated. Be sure to read your contract carefully before signingtry to negotiate a cut-off date. If you cancel your wedding before the cut-off date, you won’t have to pay a penalty. And if you’ve booked your room block through a service like HotelPlanner, they can handle a postponement or cancellation for you .
Kim Forrest
Kim Forrest has been writing about weddings for over a decade, specializing in etiquette and… planning advice. Kim writes and edits much of the content youll read on WeddingWire, and also manages our team of freelance writers. Kims love of the wedding space first blossomed when she was an assistant editor at Washingtonian magazine in the mid-2000s . She became WeddingWires first full-time editor in 2012. Kim is originally from Long Island, New York and currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband and two children. She loves baking, yoga, ballet, theater, trying out the latest skincare fads, and listening to podcasts on a variety of random topics.
There Are 2 Types Of Room Blocks Courtesy And Contracted
A Courtesy Room Block is a block of a certain number and type of rooms that the hotel has set aside for you as a courtesy. Youll sometimes be given a special rate for these rooms, but not always. You do not have to financially guarantee that these rooms will be booked by you or your guests. If you book them, thats great. If not, its no big deal, because you wont be charged for it.
You may still be asked to sign a contract for the courtesy room block. You wont be charged if your rooms dont book but this adds some weight for the hotel to actually hold this block of rooms for you.
Basically, it outlines that the hotel will hold these rooms and you are aware of it. It will list the rate that the room are being offered at. It also states the date that the hotel rooms will be released to the public, at which point your guests will not be able to book a room at the terms offered in your room block contract.
Hotels will typically offer 10 or so rooms on a courtesy room block but it all depends on the hotel.
A Contracted Room Block requires a contract to pull guest rooms out of the resorts inventory. Youll need to guarantee a certain number of rooms will be sold in that block or youll have to pay for them anyway. The contract will state the rate, the amount and type of rooms, and the consequences of not booking all of the rooms in the block. This consequence is often called an attrition clause.
How many rooms should we block?
When should we set up the room block?
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Hotel Room Blocks For Weddings Explained
Are we speaking a foreign language when we say hotel room blocks? Yeah, I had no clue what these were until I started planning a wedding myself. A room block is a reservation for 10+ rooms, typically created to ensure out-of-town-guests have a place to stay for the duration of a wedding or a no-brainer if youre having a destination wedding and everyone needs a place to stay close by. Youre essentially saving yourself a headache and a half by simplifying the planning process. After all, not knowing where your guests are staying would be a logistical nightmare as far as transportation was concerned. I learned the more I could direct my guests in advance, the less text messages Id receive with questions about the weekend. PRAISE!
Why book a room block?
Not only will do guests love the opportunity to mingle with one another, but they especially love the perk of a room rate discount typically provided with room blocks. Group rates can be anywhere from 15-40% lower, which lets be honest, can be a real cherry on top for anyone traveling for a wedding. Need we bring up the simplified transportation again too?
How and when to reserve a room block
Negotiating your room block contract
Photo by Stacie Flinner at The Greenbrier
1. Not learning how to speak the language
So lets get down to business! Here are a few of the biggest terms you should know:
Deposit Amount: Hotels will typically have a set deposit amount that needs to be paid at the time the contract is signed
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Letting Your Guests Know About The Hotel Room Block
Once everything is booked, let your guests know. The best way to do so is by using your wedding website. This way, they can find all of the information with the click of a button. If guests are coming from out of town, its also nice to include directions on how to get to the accommodations from the airport.
If you are not using a website and have yet to send out your invitations, you can also add the information to the invites. Its important that you guide your guests through the booking process. Let them know that when booking the hotel, they should use a certain link or call the hotel directly and refer to the wedding by name. Youll also want to remind them to book before the cut-off date if they want the discounted rate.
Now you know the basics for setting up a hotel room block! Not sure what else needs to happen before your wedding day? Check out our ultimate wedding planning guide to make sure you dont miss a step.
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How Do I Tell My Guests About The Hotel Block
Once you book a hotel block most hotels will provide you with a link that you can put on your wedding website so guests can book online. You will also receive a code that guests can use if they prefer to call and book a room.
Your hotel information can be sent to your guests in various ways. We recommend a website which you can reference when you send your save-the-dates and invitations by saying something like For hotel information go to our wedding website: X but if budget allows, many weddings include a separate card with their wedding invitations that lists the hotel block information.
What Does All Of This Language In A Hotel Room Block Contract Mean
Before signing a contract to block hotel rooms for your wedding, make sure to read the terms closelyand ask about any phrases you dont understand. One of the most-used phrases in hotel room block contracts is the attrition rate or attrition clause. This refers to the percentage of rooms in the reserved block youre promising to fill, usually between 70 and 90 percent. If you dont fill that percentage of rooms, youll be charged. You may also see the phrase allowable shrinkage clause which refers to the percentage of rooms that can be left unfilled. Especially during the time of COVID, you’ll want to find out if there are penalties for a postponement or cancellation.
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When Should You Block Hotel Rooms For A Wedding
We recommend blocking hotel rooms for your wedding shortly after booking your venue, at least six months before your wedding. If youre getting married during a busy time of year in your wedding location and are particularly concerned about hotels filling up, its not uncommon for couples to reserve room blocks nine months before the big day.
Determine How Many Blocks Youll Need
Once you know your room number, you can figure out how many blocks to book. Block sizes vary from hotel to hotel, but theyre usually between 10 and 30 rooms, with larger hotels offering larger blocks. Per Ayers, blocks at corporate chains such as Marriott and Hilton typically dont go above 25, and she rarely sees anything above 30 unless its a privately owned property.
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Do We Have To Pay For A Wedding Group Block At A Hotel
This is entirely dependent on your hotel’s contract terms. Some hotels offer courtesy holds on group bookings until a particular date , while others require a deposit from the couple or a penalty charge, or attrition rate, if not all of the rooms are booked. It’s very important that you read your hotel block contract thoroughly and ask questions about anything you don’t understand.
Block Hotel Rooms For Your Stay
Having a wedding at a nearby venue? Need accommodations for relatives and friends attending from out of town? Reserve a wedding block of hotel rooms or suites for the bride and groom, wedding party, family, and friends.
Lancaster Arts Hotel provides a unique and inspirational atmosphere, as well as a prime location for picture-taking. Featuring an eclectic mix of rooms and suites with historic brick walls, inspiring artwork, and furniture made by local Pennsylvania artisans, coupled with modern amenities, our hotel is a one-of-a-kind experience you and your guests will treasure on your special day and beyond.
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Q: How do I figure out how many rooms to block for my guests the night of the wedding? Our guest list is set, but I havent sent out invitations yet.
A: Without a list of RSVPs to guide you, planning hotel accommodations can often prove to be a challenge. Luckily, Octavia Watson, who coordinates wedding blocks at Center Citys Hotel Palomar, has a strategy that doesnt require a fixed guest list. Start by tallying up all the out-of-town guests and divide the number by half, given that most attendees will share a room a a couple or family, she says. And you might even want to ask around to your in-town friends, to try and gauge who of them might opt to spend the night close to the party. While its too early to calculate an exact number, this estimate will allow you to get a jump on securing an allotment of rooms at the hotel.
Watson also recommends that couples arrange two separate wedding blocksone at a higher-end hotel and the other at a lower price point, says Watson. Giving your guests the option of different room rates makes your Big Day affordable for everyone attending.
Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Philadelphia Weddings’ guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.
Negotiating Hotel Room Blocks: 5 Things You Need To Know
As soon as youve got the ring on your finger , visions of white dresses, stunning cakes, and blooming flowers start dancing through your head. Unfortunately, sometimes wedding planning isnt as much fun as it is an exercise in negotiation. One of the most necessary and, of course, frustrating aspects of planning your wedding can be negotiating your hotel room block. To ease your nerves and prevent you from signing a contract out of frustration, weve complied a list of key tips that will help you ace your negotiations.
First Things First
Before we go any further, we need to ask: are you sure you need a hotel room block contract? Many hotels offer courtesy room blocks for groups under 30 rooms. The best part is, with this kind of room block, there are usually no deposits or contracts. Plus, hotels often still offer a discounted rate on these rooms.
If your party is too large to qualify for a courtesy room block, youre moving into the interesting world of contracts. No matter how badly you want to cross this off your wedding planning checklist, dont sign a contract without looking over the fine print. By reviewing the following terms, you can make sure that you end up with a contract that makes you and your hotel happy.
Deposit Amount
Attrition Rate
Shrinkage Clause
The allowable shrinkage clause is attrition’s other half. Instead of telling you the percentage of rooms you need to fill, some hotels will tell you the percentage of rooms that are allowed to go unbooked.
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