How To Book A Wedding Hotel Block

How to Book A Hotel Block

To make sure your wedding guests have a great experience, it’s important to provide them with a comfortable and convenient place to stay. Setting up a hotel block can help with this by pre-negotiating rates for a group of rooms at an agreed-upon rate. This can save guests time and money and ensure they’re surrounded by other attendees to extend the fun before and after the wedding reception. Even if most guests are local, coordinating a hotel block is still a good idea.

1. Establish How Many Rooms You’ll Need

To start coordinating a hotel block for your wedding, determine the number of rooms you’ll need based on the number of out-of-town guests attending. Aim for about half the number of rooms as the total number of guests who will need them, plus a buffer. Most guests attend as a couple and friends tend to enjoy sharing a room with each other. Have a conversation with the bridal party about accommodations beforehand and be clear about who will cover costs. 

Pro Tip: It’s important to discuss accommodations with key members of your party beforehand. If you want them to be a part of the hotel block, give them ample notice and clarify if you’ll cover the costs or if they’re expected to pay. If you want them to pay for their own room, consider offering an affordable alternative.

2. Establish How Many Blocks You’ll Need

Knowing your room number will help you determine the number of blocks to book. Hotel block sizes typically range from 10 to 30 rooms, with larger hotels offering larger blocks. Corporate chains like Marriott and Hilton usually don’t offer blocks exceeding 25 rooms, while private properties may have blocks of more than 30 rooms.

3. Find The Best Rate

Call three to five hotels in the vicinity to compare rates and find the lowest price. Rates can differ significantly based on factors such as the reputation of the hotel, existing bookings on your wedding date, and ongoing events or conventions. 

Hotels usually guarantee a rate for approximately two weeks, after which it may go up.

4. Read The Small Print

Whenever possible, opt for a courtesy block. A courtesy block means that the hotel is offering a favor to you. With this option, you won’t be held financially responsible for any unoccupied rooms in your block. Instead, the hotel will release those rooms to other guests after a certain cutoff date. However, if you reserve a number of rooms beyond the hotel’s standard block size, you may be asked to sign off on an attrition rate. This means you will be responsible for paying for any rooms up to a certain percentage that do not fill. Attrition rates are typically around 80 percent, so for a 50-room block, you would need to fill at least 40 rooms. Courtesy blocks usually don’t require a hard contract, but the hotel may ask for a contract or payment information if an attrition rate is involved.

5. Spread The News

After securing your hotel block, make sure to add the information to your wedding website. For paper invitations, you can include details on an accommodations card insert. Use the following wording for your announcement:

We have reserved a block of rooms at [HOTEL NAME] for your convenience. To reserve your room online, please use the following link or call the hotel directly at [PHONE NUMBER]. Remember to reference the [LAST NAME] Wedding and book your room by [CUTOFF DATE] to receive the discounted rate.

Key Takeaways

• Book as early as possible
• Find the best rates and negotiate
• Be assertive and ask for perks 

Etiquette For Booking Hotel Blocks

6. How much price difference should there be between my hotel blocks?

If you’re reserving multiple hotel blocks, it’s important to be mindful of different budget constraints. While some guests may prefer a luxurious five-star hotel, others may need a more affordable option. When selecting your room blocks, it’s recommended to have a price difference of at least $40 to $50, particularly if your more expensive hotel exceeds $200 per night.

7. Who Pays?

The person who makes the hotel reservation should be the one to pay for the room. This means that it is not the responsibility of the couple or wedding host to cover the lodging expenses of their guests.

8. What’s the recommended method for distributing welcome bags to guests?

There are two common options for distributing welcome bags:

1. Have the front desk agent give the bags directly to guests during check-in. This is typically free of charge.
2. Have the bags delivered straight to guests’ rooms. While it’s a more upscale approach, it often incurs an additional cost of $3 to $8 per room

Now that you have all intel on how to book a wedding hotel block, start making calls, getting quotes and negotiating the best rates.