How does reserving a block of hotel rooms work?

Every hotel's policy is different. For mine I just had to tell them the date and number of rooms I wanted to block. Guests have until 1 month before the wedding to book and then the rooms get released. I have no obligation to pay for any rooms.

You just need to call around to different hotels to see what they require. Some do require you to use a certain percentage of the rooms or pay for unused rooms. But many hotels don't require this as well.

I was wondering about this myself! Hopefully I'll be able to find a good place here in St. Pete for our OOT guests.

We actually scheduled a tour at the hotel we wanted to use, so I could see the rooms and meet the staff personally. We're also planning on using the banquet hall for our rehearsal dinner, so this was necessary anyway.

Basically I told them how many rooms I wanted and what kind of room (single bed, two doubles, etc) and they reserved a block. The hotel policy was max 20 rooms, but I needed 30 so they went ahead and did it for us. The contract shows the 30 rooms, the agreed upon rate for each of the rooms, and states that if the rooms are not booked within 30 days prior to arrival date, they will be released from the block.

You should NOT have to pay for unclaimed rooms, but make sure you get that in writing on your contract.

Contact a few hotels near your venue. UNDERESTIMATE the number of rooms you'll need but make sure the hotel is large enough to accommodate the total needed and make sure to negotiate the price. We did our block so far in advance our rate is $109/night and the normal rate at that hotel for the night is $269. Also, you might want to consider two hotels at two price points.

Good Morning! This is actually what I do for my job! :-) The other girls are right, you should NOT pay to hold these rooms or pay for any unused rooms. There are plenty of hotels out there that should do a courtesy block for you, where they hold the rooms until 30 days out, and then release the extras. A few things to ask: 1 - if someone calls after my rooms release, do they get a regular rate? or will they still get the discount? - many hotels operate both ways. 2- What happens if my block fills up, can I add rooms to the block? Like Future Mrs. M said - some hotels have a max #, but may add on tho the number once the block starts to fill up. 3. I would set up an appointment to go in and see the rooms if you're around. Also, check out the value if they include breakfast, wifi, etc etc. 4- ask if they include a room for the bride & groom if so many rooms book. A lot of hotels do this! :-)

Great questions to ask ^^^ thanks!

Good post Tiffany. Thanks Watts, great to hear what to ask.

My mom found us one and blocked out rooms.. we get a free suite the night of the wedding if 10 or more rooms book, and as others have said, it basically locks in a lower rate for your guests as long as they book by a certain date. it also lets the hotel know so they don't totally book up before then.

Yes, like the ladies said, each hotel is different...do with the one you like best that doesn't make you sign a contract saying you will pay the excess...I've known someone who has to pay for a few rooms....

A room block is when you reserve a number of rooms at a hotel for out of town wedding guests. The main reason you do this is that hotels will give a discount when all the rooms are blocked at one hotel. Room blocks are nice because sometimes the hotel will give you a free room with 10 rooms booked. So you can get your room for free.

you don't have to block rooms with a deposit if you get a courtesy room block. THis kind of block is where the hotel holds rooms for your guests up to 3-4 weeks before the wedding. Then they release them if guests have not booked. Here is more information on getting one: http://grouptravel.org/wedding/what-is-a-courtesy-room-block-do-i-need-one-for-wedding-guests/

The easiest approach to guarantee that your guests have a place to stay near your reception is to book hotel room blocks. In addition, hotels frequently offer you a room rate discount, which you can then pass on to your guests.

While booking hotels is not difficult, it is time-consuming, and there are certain key aspects to consider. However, there is a shortcut: utilize a room block booking service like https://www.pleasantviewbb.com/ , which is a fantastic and simple-to-use online booking tool.

Thanks for this post, I was wondering about this myself. I was also thinking about booking a (airbnb) for my wedding party so that way it would be cheaper and easier for them to all be in one place since they are all related and have children.