One problem that many couples have when blocking rooms for wedding guests is that they don’t know what to look for. Should they book a higher end hotel, a lower end hotel, one with a pool, or some other amenity.
In order to satisfy most guests, we took a survey and here are the top 6 things that guests wanted. and not surprisingly, they are all about comfort and affordability.
Early Check-in
If you’ve traveled to a wedding before where you had to rent a hotel room, then you know how important this is. Many of your guests are not going to be able to stay the Friday night before the wedding. In many cases, they will only want to stay on Saturday after the party. Hotels can get expensive and many of your guests that have to rent multiple rooms (for families with kids etc) will only want to stay one night.
But the one night presents a problem. Where should they get dressed for the wedding. Most weddings start around 4pm and checkin is not till 3pm at hotels. That leaves no time to get dressed.
Do your wedding guests a solid and ask the hotel for an early check in when you block rooms. Many hotels know that your guests are going to want to check in early and will accommodate it but it does not hurt to have this in writing.
Free Wi-Fi
Can anyone you know live without Wi-Fi access anymore. Well, neither can your guests. Many hotels insist on charging a $10-$15 fee per day to use Wi-Fi at their hotels. That is an unbearable cost for most out of town wedding guests and leads to frustration.
The irony of this situation is that hotels that are mid priced and lower generally offer this for free. Higher end hotels, with their higher rates, tend to charge for it.
Location
Most of your guests want to be at a hotel that is near the wedding reception. They don’t want a long drive there and back. When you block rooms, consider hotels that are within a five mile radius of the wedding reception. This way, many of your guests who don’t want to rent a car can cab to/from the wedding without having to pay an arm and a leg.
Plus, the less travel time the better. The last thing guests want to do is sit in a car for thirty minutes after having spent two hours getting ready.
Free Breakfast
Breakfast generally runs about $10 per person at a neighborhood diner. The cost skyrockets to $15-20 at a hotel.
By blocking rooms at a hotel that offers a free breakfast, you will help save the average traveling family about $50 a night. Those savings mean a lot to your guests.
Pool
You don’t need out of town guests to get bored during the day and the best way to ensure they have something to do during downtime is to make sure the hotel has a pool. Preferably, an indoor pool. It makes for a great way for your guests to bond and provides a good place to park the kids when the adults need some relief:)
Free Transportation
Getting to and from your wedding venue should not be a hassle for anyone. And it can be if your out of town guests have to arrange for transportation on their own. If you can, consider booking rooms at a hotel that offers a complimentary shuttle.
While you may not get all six of the amenities listed above, make sure you select the hotel that is the best combination of price and the things listed above. One easy way to book a block of rooms for wedding guests is to fill out this form. Hotels matching your criteria will email you their group rates in less than five minutes.
What should you do next?
Take a look at our FAQ page where we have listed the most common questions brides have asked about getting a block of rooms.