Do we have to stay at the same hotel as guests?

No, you don't have to stay at the same hotel as your guests do.

ETA: we didn't stay at the same hotel as our guests and very few people even asked where we were staying. Kind of weird to assume you'll be hanging out with the bride and groom at the hotel honestly.

You don't need to stay at the same hotel. I would it differently instead of telling them the other hotel is nicer. If they ask just tell them you wanted to be closer to the airport and leave it at that.

We specifically made sure that we didn't. We booked a fancy suite a couple blocks away. I didn't need any of my guests seeing me meet the pizza and wings delivery guy in my husbands tuxedo shirt in the lobby at 2am.

No, you can stay wherever you want.

Our venue was a castle with a small number of expensive rooms. We stayed there while our guests stayed at the hotel down the road where we blocked off rooms.

Hahahaha Jeanne.

One of my friends who did stay in the same hotel as her guests forgot her overnight bag, and so did her husband. They had to get dressed in their wedding gown and tux again and a bunch of their guests saw them.

Hahaha oh Jeanne. I am so with you. We did stay at the same hotel as our guests, but I can definitely see not wanting to! Like Samantha said though, I'd just say you want to be closer to the airport.

Rebecca we also rode home in our wedding clothes the next morning since our overnight bags never made it the day before. I wish we had pictures because we still had our pizza and wings and the hotel had a limo for us. It was amazing.

We purposefully reserved a 1 bedroom AirBNB(sp) away from the hotel that has the block. Our bridal party has been talking for months now about hitting up the bar and the after party and drinks all night. Umm, no! I am getting up a 4 or 5am and after the reception I am going back to our room, with my new husband, away from everyone else, for some quality time. LOL! There is not reason for anyone to get offended and I think most people understand when a new husband and wife want to be alone on their wedding night. You can't have your drunk friends pounding on your hotel room door.

If I was your MOH I would just be wondering if you were going to hit up the hotel bar after the wedding w/ me lol. I wouldn't care where you ended up sleeping ::wink wink:: but I love to party and wouldn't want to call it a night at 11pm. Are you going straight back to your own hotel after? Just trying to understand why she would be offended.

Thanks for the responses everyone! We haven't decided if we'd hit up the hotel bar with people (honestly not really even sure that there is a good one, just did the booking today). We're both early to bed people and will be getting up early so we'll see. The wedding will be from 7-12 so that's plenty of party and social time for me I think I'll just want time with my husband to unwind. She is fine now I think it was kind of an initial shock because our other best friends stayed at the hotel with their guests for their wedding a few months ago.

Heck naw. Heck naw at all man. We are very purposeful about making sure we are not staying in the same hotel as any of our guests.

We did and it was good and bad. It was good because while I wanted to sleep, been up since 5am to get hair and makeup done, DH wanted to spend time with family from OOT. So he was able to do that and I passed out. But because of that there was family and friends at every turn. So something that should have taken 5 min turned into 30 because we had to stop and talk and say hello. In your case I would say go stay some place nice and closer on your wedding night. We are putting our honeymoon off until next year so all we did the day after was take people to the airport and dinner with my side of the family. You aren't going to be hanging out too much after the wedding especially if you are leaving the next day for your HM.

Heck no. Matter of fact, we are purposely staying at another hotel.

Absolutely no need to stay at the same hotel as your guests! As Samantha said though, I wouldn't tell people it's because you wanted to stay some place "nicer" or "classier" Just say you want to stay close to the airport, or want some "wedding night privacy" or that there's an awesome suite you sprung for!