Are you planning on reserving a block of hotel rooms?

Reserving a block of hotel room blocks for your wedding guests should be a top priority as you plan your wedding. Many people feel confused about hotel room blocks. But there is no need to feel overwhelmed. Find all the answers you need here and the steps to booking your wedding room block.

How do hotel blocks work?

Hotel blocks consist of a set number of rooms set aside for a set number of days for a specific group. In your case, your family and friends  will be attending your wedding. Typically, the couple or parents will contact a hotel sales manager for groups at a local hotel near the wedding venue. Based on the number of anticipated guests traveling to the wedding and needing overnight lodging, the sales manager will hold a set number of rooms for the group at a discounted nightly rate. A direct link and code are provided to the couple or parents to distribute to their guests. Your guests can reserve these rooms at the agreed discounted rate using the direct URL link or discount code provided.This process allows the hotel to provide an up-to-date guest list at any time, especially helpful at check-in if you would like to offer gift bags.

How many rooms should you block for a wedding?

When reserving a block of hotel rooms, chances are you need fewer rooms in your wedding block than you initially imagined. Some of your guests will stay with family and friends in the area, and other guests will rent a nearby Airbnb cabin or stay at a nearby resort. The rest will want to stay at the hotel you choose, even more so if the hotel provides a courtesy shuttle between the hotel and your wedding venue.

A great place to begin is to ask for six rooms two nights before your wedding, 20 rooms the night of the rehearsal, 20 rooms the night of the wedding, and six rooms the day after the wedding. A wedding room block of this size gives your guests the ability to arrive early or stay late if they would like to enjoy the local sites. A room block of this size will often provide enough rooms for guests who would like to stay at the hotel. The best part is that a block of this size is most often considered a courtesy hotel block.

What is a courtesy hotel block?

A courtesy hotel block is a wedding room block that is not financially guaranteed. The agreed-upon guest rooms are held for the wedding guests. However, you are not financially responsible for any unused hotel rooms. Most hotels are happy to hold up to 20 rooms per night as a courtesy. However, if you feel you will need more than 20 rooms per night for your guests, you may need to look into a hotel wedding room block with an attrition rate.

What is an attrition rate hotel block for a wedding?

Attrition is a term that hotels use to describe the minimum number of paid room nights (typically given in percentage value of the total room nights) required to hold a certain amount of rooms for your wedding party. For example, let’s say you have a 40-room block for two nights booked at your hotel, and there’s an attrition policy in place that requires your guests to secure 80% of those 80 rooms by 30 days before the wedding. In this case, you need your guests to reserve at least 64 of the 80 rooms in order not to be financially responsible. If 30 days before your wedding, only 60 rooms have been secured, you will need to pay for the four rooms not picked up. Attrition rates vary widely among hotels, and many hotels bypass this but may have other ways of guaranteeing a particular number of bookings.

How far in advance should I block hotel rooms for a wedding?

Creating a hotel room block for your wedding could be one of your top priorities, especially if you are in an area with numerous wedding venues. At the very least, you should reach out to a local sales manager at a hotel 6 to 9 months before your wedding date. You can renegotiate your contract with your hotel if you need additional rooms. However, it is best to start making those travel arrangements early to ensure that all of your guests have lodging, especially if you would like for them all to be at the same hotel.

How do you negotiate a block of rooms for a wedding?

Contact a sales manager for wedding groups at a hotel near your wedding venue to contract a block of rooms for your wedding. Preferably you should select a hotel that is within 15 miles of your wedding venue. Choosing a nearby hotel provides easy access for guests  driving to the wedding venue, and also makes it possible for the hotel to give a courtesy wedding shuttle to and from the wedding venue.