Hotel room blocks - the hotel wants us to pay for all the rooms?!

You should look into something called a courtesy room block. And no, you and your FH should not have any financial responsibility.

This definitely doesn't sound right. I'd ask for someone else or review a contract if they have one

You shouldn't have to pay for the rooms first. I reserved 20 rooms and everybody pays for their own. Which ever rooms aren't used by a certain date they go back out to the public.

No, that's not normal. A normal courtesy room block is when a hotel "sets aside" a number of rooms for your wedding guests at a set rate (sometimes discounted rate). If the rooms are not booked by X date (usually a few weeks before the event), they are released to the public and anyone can book them. Look for another hotel if this hotel is making you pay for the room block. That's not right.

We did a courtesy room block at 1 hotel. 5 rooms in the block for a special rate. We put the info on our website n guests reserve their own. Anything not reserved within 2 wks of the wedding gets released...no $ out of our pocket.

We also listed a 2nd hotel but didn't do their block. They required 10 room minimum n if 80% wasn't filled...we'd have to pay the difference....no thanks!

That is weird and i would not use them. then also as a guest i would choose the cheaper hotela even if run down. so either way that hotel loses.

Ideally you can get a courtesy block but there are some hotels I've looked at that have asked for deposits, or that have asked that I guarantee X% of the room block gets filled or pay the difference. It seems like the smaller hotels w not as many rooms are the ones asking for such.

My venue tried to pull that business too! They said that if I wanted to keep a block of rooms, FH and I needed to put a refundable deposit of $100/room down in order to keep the reservation. We said, ok then we're good not to bring business to your establishment. They ended up dropping the $$ requirement on our end. Some places are ridiculous!!

Request to speak to a manager about this. I would expect Hampton Inn to have the option of courtesy block. If not, then do as PP said and threaten to take your business elsewhere.

I looked at a Hampton Inn for our block and they required a minimum of 10 rooms and an 80% room fill guarantee. So if blocked 10 and only 7 were booked we had to pay for the 8th. They wanted a credit card number of file with the blocking. Are you sure that isn't what they meant? We didn't want to do this and they had no courtesy block so we booked a different hotel.

Is your wedding really 12/30? That is a Saturday this year and being right before New Years Eve may complicate the situation. I agree, this is not normal, but holiday weekends and stuff may complicate it

Ooo, good point @karen. When I did sales for a hotel we knew we were guaranteed to fill for NYE celebrations. That does complicate things.

OP: that is definitely not normal, but the holiday makes this less "WTF" and more "drat!" If the hotel won't negotiate on that requirement, then don't have a room block at all. It's not mandatory anyway. Just list some hotels in the area on the website and let people make their own arrangements.

I think the date you are booking has something to do with it because I don't think that would normally be the case.

Okay, yes my wedding is 12/30. So that does make sense that that's how they want to do it because of the holiday weekend. Ugh...oh well. Thanks all for the help.

We had to hold rooms with our credit card and if the rooms weren't rented, they would be put on our card.

Amy, if you feel awkward asking your guests for money, can you tell the hotel you will guarantee the rooms, but could they not tell the guests, and charge them as normal?

Don't do anything other than a courtesy bock. If you can't get a courtesy block, don't do a block. Just give your guests a list of 3 hotels at different price points. They are all adults and capable of booking their own accommodation.

We have a "guarantee room block", each guest pays for their room but we are responsible for any room that doesn't get booked by our guests. I would still ask to speak with the manager and see if each guest can pay for themselves.

I reserved 25 rooms with the Marriott and they didn't charge us. I'd look elsewhere if they won't budge on you paying upfront.

I would suggest only doing a courtesy block for hotel room blocks if available. That way you aren't responsible for paying anything if the block doesn't get filled. I have 2 hotel blocks, and they are both courtesy blocks. Any rooms not reserved will be released back to the public about a month before the wedding I think.