Hotels not cooperating for room blocks?

Bumping...

Aww I'm sorry this is happening! Mine wasn't like this at all. They actually reached out to me after getting the info from my venue. Is there another major chain nearby? eta: im also in NJ. Is there something big going on that weekend I dont know about?

Try the weddingwire room block service at http://hotelblocks.wedding/ -- i was able to get blocks through them from places that i couldnt get through other blocking services or just by calling.

I asked for information from two hotels and couldn't get them to stop contacting me after that. That isn't normal, and I'm surprised she's not getting back with you. Perhaps she already sold out those rooms and is avoiding you??

I'm not doing a room block because they require payment before the date and I don't feel comfortable enough with our RSVPs to lay my CC on the line. I will be recommending to guests that they find a hotel and book early (verbally, it's not on my invites or anything).

Yeah, the one's on the east coast are. I had problems because I was getting married a town or 2 over from Salem, MA., 2 weeks before Halloween. The only block they would give me was a minimum 2 night stay. Nobody was going to want to stay for 2 nights. And, same thing. I called one hotel 13 months before and there were rooms available, but they told me I had to wait until the next month for next years rates, and to call back in a month. I got super busy with stuff, it was the holidays, a year before my wedding, the hotel calls me in a month, and I didn't respond to the voicemail. He emailed me a contract, I didn't address it, it was the holidays, I thought I had time, could do it next month, when I save my STDs - well, January came, and the block was no longer available. And the hotel wasn't returning my calls. UGH. I ended up going through Kleinfeld room blocks or something, I'm sorry I can't remember the exact name, but try them. They helped me find something.

Kristina, I have no idea. I'm trying to get the Hampton Inn in Flemington and they said there's some sort of baseball thing? No idea :-/ Niki I did try that, and nothing yet other than some weird gross hotel that isn't even that close to my venue lol. I just signed up with Jetaport through TK, so maybe I'll luck out there. Hopefully.

Thanks Rhonda, I'll try that too

We ran into a lot of trouble with this. We picked a busy weekend, and even a year out we weren't able to get a block anywhere. What we were able to do was reserve chunks of rooms under our names and we're having people let us know if they want a room. More steps, but we were able to hold 24 rooms that way.

That's a bummer that you're running into it. I'm a group sales coordinator for a Hampton Inn in Western MA. There is an online way to request a group block through Hampton. ( http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/events/room-blocks.html ) While the Hampton name is part of the Hilton brand, most of the hotels are actually individually franchised by local hotel groups. Hopefully you are able to figure it out.

I had a similar problem. I found that if it's a busy weekend and they are pretty much booked you really have to chase after them. To them they are going to get the business either way. We ended up not getting a block of rooms and just let our guests know where we'd be staying and invited them to book a room there as well. I also provided the names of other hotels in the area on our wedding website. Hope that helps!

I had to book my room block a year in advance due to Spring Training in the month of March. Im so glad I did that early. Im sorry you are not having any luck with yours.

Call the hotel manager and tell them your calls are going unanswered and that this needs to be resolved.

I ran into the same problem a couple months ago. There is a huge softball tournament in my area the weekend of my wedding that takes up every hotel room in my county. I knew nothing of this but luckily called just in time to block off 10 rooms at one of the hotels, none of the other hotels would give me any! I don't think we will need more than 10 and I'm sure hoping we don't. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that you can get your 12 rooms blocked off. Good luck!!

I've been having the worst time with mine in Fort Lauderdale. I am able to get ahold of them but more than once the online daily rates have been lower than my block which is CRAZY!!! This is apparently a "glitch". Then when I say I won't use the block they remind me that I signed a contract. I've also had problems with the type of rooms blocked and our private booking website. I honestly think they know they are the ones in control and they just take advantage of that. If this wasn't a destination wedding I would have rather not done a block (to avoid a contract) and just list hotels nearby on the invitation. Good luck!!

Just wanted to share WW's room block service again Thanks @Niki!

Check it out: http://hotelblocks.wedding/

The WW service is totally free to use, guarantees the best rate, and reaches 100% of available hotels (not limited to certain chains). Why not give it a try? Make someone else do the work for you

^^ I actually used it for my wedding too, so I can for sure second WWLynnie and Niki's comments!

I actually manage contracting room block with hotels (not a vendor for weddings lol) but for insight you were likely speaking with front desk reservations or even central reservations. They don't know much about this stuff. When you call ask for the group department as a start. They'll connect with sales & hopefully lock it all in quickly for you!

Good luck!

Hotels are in it to make a buck... if they've got business that weekend, they don't need to make deals. It's a real inconvenience but that's life

Any decent options on Air BnB? Maybe a little rental house you can reserve?

What's the hotel chain? I had that issue... big convention in my hometown the weekend of the wedding. Hotels were filled up 1 year before. We got 10 rooms at 3 different hotels. 1 of the hotels was being bought by another chain and there were so many issues including: switching POS systems cancelled our block... and whenever I called it went to voicemail. I tried every number (desk, manager, housekeeping) and got no one. I finally sent my mom over in person!

I had a similar problem. Apparently Oct 1st is popular or something. 4 hotels said they were all booked and they were huge chains. I think I called maybe 8 or 9 hotels before finally finding one that was able to get us a block and they were the best people to. We got real lucky. I was about ready to pull my hair out.