How to Block Off Hotel Rooms For Your Wedding

A hotel room block can be a great way to help your guests save money on their stay and make it easy for them to plan. They can be a great option for destination weddings or any wedding where there is an abundance of guests traveling from out of town. But how do you go about coordinating a room block?

1. Decide How Many Rooms You Need to Reserve

The number of rooms you need will depend on the size and location of your wedding, but most couples will start with at least 10 rooms. Once you have an idea of how many rooms you need, reach out to the hotels that are closest to your wedding venue and request a block of rooms for your guest’s stays.

2. Determine the Dates You Need Your Rooms For

Generally, you’ll want to reserve your rooms for at least the night before and the night of your wedding. This will give your guests plenty of time to make their travel plans and will ensure that your reception isn’t delayed or affected by hotel room availability issues.

3. Negotiate the Price

Depending on your budget, you might be able to negotiate with the hotel for better pricing or special perks like complimentary nights, room upgrades, parking, WiFi and more. This is especially helpful for large events where the hotel rooms can get booked up fast.

4. Check for a Contract or Courtesy Room Block

Some hotels have contracted or courtesy room blocks, which means that they hold the rooms you’ve requested at the rate you’ve been quoted and will release them to the public after a specified cut-off date. This is a good option for larger hotels where there isn’t much room left, but it can be a hassle to coordinate.

5. Share Your Room Block Information

The best way to get people interested in booking a room in your block is to communicate it widely across your social media and other channels. Often, this will lead to bookings from people who wouldn’t have otherwise heard about your event.

You can also email all your guests individually to inform them of the hotel block and share your cut-off date. This will also help your guests be notified of any changes to the dates or times of your event so they can make their travel plans accordingly.

6. Know the Terms of Your Hotel Contract

The terms of your hotel contract will vary, but typically include things like a deposit (usually 30%), an attrition rate and a cancellation policy. This should be reviewed and understood by all parties before the contract is signed, as it can impact your hotel room block.

7. Choose the Right Type of Hotel for Your Block

A courtesy room block is a great way to avoid any financial responsibility should your block not fill up, so it’s a good choice for smaller hotels that don’t offer a contract or aren’t sure how they will react to an attrition rate.