Creating a Hotel Room Block for your out of town guests
If you are not hosting your wedding reception at a hotel and have a good amount of out of town guests attending the wedding, then it is a good idea to set up a hotel room block. Most hotels offer a room block for weddings but others don’t. Demystifying the hotel room block can get tricky at times because some properties will make you liable (as in big $$$) for any rooms that go unused and others will not. Start by calling hotels near the reception site that have openings for your wedding. Second, ask what is the maximum amount of rooms the hotel can provide per night without making you liable for any rooms that go unused. That number usually ranges between ten to fifteen rooms. Finish by asking for the room block rate which usually tends to be $20 to $30 off their rack rate. If you feel this is a good rate for your guests then make sure you ask the sales person to provide you with a contract stating the phone number guests can call to make their reservations, name the room block is under usually it’s the couple’s last names, what is the cut off date for guests to make their reservations and how many rooms are included in the block. Make sure you ask your sales person what happens if you fill up your room block but still need to add more rooms . Chances are the hotel might be able to accommodate you at the same rate but it all depends on availability.
