As you are planning your wedding, room blocks quickly become a lingering thought in your head. As soon as you have the date picked out, guest will start to ask about hotel blocks for the wedding. You have most likely never given hotel blocks for weddings a thought, and here you are with another task that will take up more of your time.
We have partnered with Where Will They Stay? to help make your room block search an easy item to check off your to-do list. The owners of Where Will They Stay are self-professed room block fanatics and create a highly customized, no-cost service that oversees the hotel room block process on your behalf. Their job is simply to make this process as easy and efficient as possible so you can concentrate on the most important aspects of your milestone event.
BONUS: If you mention O’Neil Events in the referral box of the questionnaire, you will receive a special gift!
Our personal review ofWhere Will They Stay?: they make life easier, not harder. We have personally used them and can honestly say they are easy to work with and do all of the hard work that goes into finding a room block. Their customer service is unparalleled. They are able to find better rates that even as a planner am able to find and the best part of all, it’s a free service!
Amy Green, one of the owners ofWhere Will They Stay? has taken the time to be our blogger today to talk about what a room block is, why it’s important to book it early, and how they can help! They are the answers to how many rooms to block for a wedding and what hotels are available in my guest’s price range.
MAKE THE BEST FIRST IMPRESSION FOR YOUR WEDDING WEEKEND
Securing a wedding room block is one of the very first items of the wedding checklist and its place at the top is for good reason.
While you may think that your guests’ first welcome to the wedding takes place when they arrive at the reception, the reality is that their very first perception of the wedding weekend happens when they arrive to their accommodations.
There are so many accommodation options available – from private home rentals to discount travel sites – but the very best choice for setting the wedding vibe, providing convenience for your guests and offering an excellent experience is a coordinated hotel room block.
When the guests are all together at the same hotel, the camaraderie and celebration of the wedding weekend can spill over into all hours of the day and night – pool meet ups, late night drinks, ease of transportation options and many other amenities. This is why we recommend investing the necessary time to negotiate a room block contract that will not only keep your guests together, but also keep them comfortable and happy from the moment they arrive for your special weekend.
So what specifically is a room block and what do you need to know for securing one?
THE BASICS
A room block guarantees a set amount of rooms, at a set price, in a hotel that your guests are free to book. Be sure to start thinking about this to-do shortly after you get engaged. Most hotels will take room block requests one year before the wedding date and many hotels only offer a certain number of blocks per weekend, so your chances of getting what you want, at the best price, happen as soon as their schedules open for booking.
SELECTING THE PROPERTY
Selecting the right location for your hotel can take some work, but with a bit of research and brainstorming, it’s certainly worth the effort. Determine the number of guests that will need an overnight stay while in town for the celebration. Will you need a hotel room or hospitality suite for getting ready? Is there transportation available so guests don’t have to drive to the wedding venue? At the end of the day, you want to choose the property that will make the experience as easy as possible on the guests, and also feels like the tone you are trying to achieve for the overall wedding weekend.
ROOM BLOCK CONTRACTS
Armed with this information, scrutinize any contract you receive. Compare the hotel’s online rates to the contract rates to be sure you’re getting the best deal and don’t forget to ask about attrition… In many cities it is common for a hotel to hold you personally financially responsible for a percentage of the rooms after certain cutoff dates. There may also be extra fees for gift bag delivery, wifi, parking or breakfast. Another important question to ask is if additional rooms could be available to you at the same rate if your initial “room block” fills up faster than expected.
Who should you ask all of these detail questions? Your wedding planner, venue coordinator or hotel sales manager are all good choices. You might also enlist the assistance of a company like Where Will They Stay? that specializes in guest accommodations.
In the end, don’t forget that the “secure a wedding room block” to-do is just as important as all of the others and your time and attention to this detail will truly make a difference to your guests’ experience of your wedding weekend!
BONUS: If you mention O’Neil Events in the referral box of the questionnaire, you will receive a special gift!
Amy Green is one of the founders of Where Will They Stay?, a free service which offers custom room block procurement for engaged couples.
Some links are affiliated links which means O’Neil Events may receive a commission.
