Many couples make the mistake of thinking that they should block rooms for wedding guests at just one hotel. And if they need less than 20 rooms, then one hotel is just fine.
But if you are looking to block anything more than 30 rooms per night, then you should be looking at blocking rooms at more than one hotel.
Why block rooms at more than one hotel?
Because when you try to book more than 30 rooms at one hotel, they are going to need a guarantee that you will use all the rooms blocked. Hotels need to have guaranteed revenue so they can’t hold rooms without an expectation of a certain amount of revenue.
If you need more than 30 rooms per night, most hotels will make you sign an attrition clause which holds you responsible for unused rooms.
Many a bride has been burned by signing these clauses so stay away from it.
Instead of blocking rooms at one hotel, consider blocking 20-30 rooms at multiple hotels. The important thing is that you make sure that each hotel is offering you a courtesy room block.
This is the kind of block where there is no deposit and you are not responsible for unused rooms. So if less people show up to your wedding than you originally expected, then you will not be responsible for their rooms.
We’ve known couples that did not heed this advice and they ended up paying hotels thousands of dollars in attrition fees after the wedding.
So how many rooms should you block at each hotel?
50+ Rooms
If you need 50+ hotel rooms per night, consider booking a room block at two to three hotels. Keeping your room blocks under 25-30 per hotel is advisable since anything larger will require a massive deposit.
30-50 Rooms/Night
If you need to block 30-50 rooms per night, then you can go either way. Just compare either scenario (One hotel vs. two hotels) and see which deal ends up providing the best value for you and your guests. Make sure to take into account all amenities offered (Free Wi-Fi, free breakfast, Indoor pool etc.) and whether each hotel is offering a courtesy room block.
20 rooms or less
If you need less than 20 rooms per night, you’re better off selecting one hotel so that all your guests are together. This way you can negotiate a better rate for everyone and still be able to get some additional perks like a free bridal suite.
Finally, if you are not sure how many people are coming, then use the add-on technique. Start by reserving a block of rooms at one one hotel. If that block fills up, either add to it or reserve another block of rooms at an additional hotel.
When selecting more than one hotels, keep the following things in mind.
Budget And Quality
If your wedding guests are from varying economic backgrounds, then booking two tiers of hotels can be beneficial. Select a two to three star hotel for those who just want a basic hotel, and a four to five star hotel for those who want to travel more luxuriously.
What Amenities Do Your Guests Need?
What kinds of guests are attending your wedding? Is it a lot of couples, families, or is a mix of the two? Both these demographics will not be happy in the same hotel. The families will want a free breakfast, indoor pool, double beds and pull out couches.
The couples may be looking for something that provides more of an “experience”. A boutique hotel may be more to their liking. If you have a lot of out of town wedding guests, consider blocking hotel rooms at both a family friendly hotel and a boutique or trendy hotel
Proximity To The City And The Venue
If your wedding is in a downtown location, block rooms at a nearby hotel (more expensive with less free services) and one that is in the suburbs or close to the airport (less expensive with more free services).
The rooms at the downtown hotel will be reserved by couples and the other hotel will be great for families that need multiple rooms.
Once you think about the factors mentioned above and take into consideration what mix of people (Families vs. couples) are attending your wedding, you will be able to decide easily whether you need more than one hotel for your wedding guests.
So how do you block rooms at more than one hotel?
Step 1
You could call a bunch of hotel one by one or request group hotel rates here (The service is free). It shouldn’t take more than five minutes to fill out this form.
In the comments section, copy and paste the following:
“We are looking to get two room blocks. One of the hotels needs to be near [Location] and the other needs to be near [Location]. We need XX rooms at each hotel. Preference will be given to the hotel that requires no deposit and is willing to offer a free room for the bride and groom”
Once you submit the form, hotels in your desired location will email group rates based on the number of rooms requested and the time of year of the wedding.
Step 2
After you get over the shock of how many hotels responded to your request, select as many hotels as you would like and click the button that says “Contact hotel”.
The image below is a screenshot of what you will see.
Once you click on the “Contact hotel” button, you will be provided the name, email address, and telephone number of the person at the hotel that provided the rates.
Call or email to let them know that you are ready to book. Get started now.