Have you heard of the term “Have your cake and eat it too?”. That pretty much sums up what a courtesy room block is.
While just about every hotel offers it, most do not advertise it
They would much rather offer you a regular block of rooms because it requires some kind of financial commitment on your part.
In this article you will learn
- What a courtesy room block is,
- Why it’s better than getting a regular block of rooms,
- And how to get one at any hotel for free.
So What Is A Courtesy Room Block?
Traditional room blocks require the hotel to put aside a set of rooms until a certain amount of time before your wedding. The hotel will “block” these rooms from being sold just so your guests can make their reservations. For the privilege of blocking these rooms, a hotel will require a guarantee in the form of deposits or attrition clauses in your contract.
A courtesy room block is a bit different
This is the kind of room block that is specifically designed for small social groups like weddings.
Most couples don’t know how many out of town guests will be able to make it so they are apprehensive about guaranteeing a certain number of rooms. For these kinds of smaller groups, a courtesy room block is ideal because it is exactly the same as a room block but without any deposits or attrition fees (i.e. you are not responsible for unused rooms).
Once your courtesy room block is set up, you can give out the “group code” to your guests who can book rooms at a discounted rate up until the cut-off date where the rooms are released.
The only disadvantage is that most hotels will not offer you a courtesy room block if you need more than 30 or 40 rooms per night. But there is a way around that too. If you need more than 30-40 rooms per night, get a courtesy room block at two hotels. You can learn more about setting up two courtesy room blocks here.
Why A Courtesy Room Block Is Better?
- You Don’t Need A Deposit
- Unlike a traditional “closed’ room block, arranging a courtesy room block at a hotel requires no deposit so it won’t cost a single red cent to get one.
- There Is No Financial Risk
- Generally speaking, hotels won”t require a contract when you get a courtesy room block since none of the rooms are being “held” for your group. There are no attrition clauses or cut off dates for you to worry about.
- You Still Get All The Perks
Most hotels will still offer some of the freebies as if you had booked a regular room block. You can expect a free room for the bride and groom if your wedding guests reserve more than 250 or 30 rooms at the hotel. Other perks could also be free Wi-Fi, free breakfast or even a complimentary shuttle to the wedding venue.
So How Do you Get A Courtesy Room Block?
Blocking rooms at a hotel is simple. Don’t bother calling hotels asking for rates individually (It will take forever). Get group rates from the same hotels emailed to you. Just fill out a group hotel rates form (It’s free). When filling out the form, copy and paste the following in the comments section:
“We need a hotel near [Enter location]. We will give preference to the hotel that offers us a courtesy block for our wedding guests. A free room for the bride and groom will also be much appreciated. Thank you”.
Once you submit the form, hotels from your chosen location will email group rates. The offers are presented side by side for easy comparison. Decide on the hotel that best serves your needs and you’re done.
Having your cake and eating it too has never been easier. Just remember to save us a piece.