Booking A Wedding Room Block: Everything You Need To Know
2024-10-31

There’s a lot that goes into planning a great wedding experience, and ensuring your guests are well taken care of makes up a big part of it. This is especially important if you’re getting hitched somewhere that attendees aren’t too familiar with and will thus need help finding a convenient and comfortable place to rest. While you could always choose to play travel agent for all your loved ones, there’s a much better way to go about this task, and this is through wedding room blocks. Whether you’re having a local or destination wedding, this guide should prove useful in clarifying one of the key aspects of your wedding planning checklist.

What are wedding room blocks?

A wedding room block is a reservation of a group of rooms located close to or adjacent to one another in a hotel or other venue. The wedding planner or the couple themselves are typically the ones responsible for reserving the block and pre-negotiating the rates. It then falls on the guests to book and pay for their individual rooms. 

Utilising room blocks is highly recommended as it saves your guests time and money while attending your special day. Moreover, having them reside all in one place allows the wedding planner to quickly address any issues they may run into during the weekend of the wedding. Beyond these, wedding room blocks provide plenty of other benefits, such as:

• Provide guests with a home base to rest at the end of the night.
• Seamless organisation of transport to and from the wedding venue(s).
• Allows guests to socialise and bond outside of wedding events.
• Easier tracking of attendees by checking which guests successfully booked a room.
• Ensure the timely arrival of guests and secure their attendance without unnecessary hiccups.

Last but not least, booking a wedding room block may even come with some perks for the couple if they’re staying in the same hotel, such as getting their room for free or receiving an upgrade to their current accommodations.

Pro tips to simplify your wedding room block booking 

Keep these expert tips in mind once you’re ready to get started with the booking process. 

1. Get to know the different types of room blocks

Room blocks come in two main categories: courtesy and guaranteed blocks. The former option features a no-commitment policy and involves anywhere between 10 to 20 rooms that a hotel sets aside for your guests until a specific cut-off date. The key advantage of these blocks is that you’re not financially responsible if some or none of them get booked. There is a tradeoff, however, which is that the hotel may release the unbooked rooms 30 to 60 days before the date to other guests, hence the importance of securing them early.

This is the opposite for the latter type, as the room blocks become closed or confirmed and generally require a contract that includes penalties or additional fees for cancellations. The contract also stipulates how much of the block must be booked, with the average being at least 90%. If the confirmed bookings don’t reach that threshold, the client will have to pay for the remaining rooms.

2. Book as soon as possible 

Many hotels open up room blocks a year in advance. Therefore, it’s best to get in touch with multiple hotels the moment you confirm your wedding date and have found an affordable wedding venue. The earlier you are, the better your odds of locking in a lower rate.

3. Get an estimate of the number of guests who’ll need accommodations

Having a clear estimate of the attendees who want to use your pre-arranged accommodations saves you the stress of potentially over-filling or under-filling the room block. A Google Form or other polling service should suffice to get everyone’s opinion on this matter. 

4. Strategise your outreach

When asking a hotel sales representative about their room blocks, take note of the following to get the best rate:

• Stay tight-lipped about your budget
  Don’t disclose your wedding budget when they ask about it. By saying you’re still figuring things out, you avoid their upselling schemes and can quickly gather information regarding their full range of services offered.
• State your intention about comparing deals
  It’s always a good idea to casually let them know that you’re actively reaching out to other places to find the best rate. Ideally, you should mention this right from the start; otherwise, it may come off as a bargaining tactic and reduce your chances of persuading them to give you a good offer. 
• Price match their competition
  Ideally, you should exhaust all possible accommodation options and list down the initial rates and perks of every hotel you reach out to. Checking on more than a few hotels lets you uncover better deals and helps your guests save more money for little effort on your part. 

Key considerations for choosing a hotel for your wedding room blocks

When choosing a hotel for your wedding room blocks, keep these factors in mind:

1. Hotel size and capacity: Ensure the hotel has enough rooms to accommodate all your guests.
2. Amenities: Look for facilities like a gym, pool, and dining options that can enhance your guests' experience.
3. Location: Choose a hotel close to the wedding venue or local attractions for easy access.
4. Cost: Check for reasonable room rates and any available discounts for your guests.
5. Extra fees: Be aware of any extra charges related to the room block, such as service fees or minimum booking requirements.
6. Cancellation policies: Confirm the hotel’s rules regarding cancellations and refunds to provide your guests with more flexibility.
7. Additional services: Inquire about services like shuttle transportation or complimentary breakfast that could benefit your guests.

Start your block booking process on the right foot by getting a quote today!

Effectively navigating the journey of booking wedding room blocks requires a bit of negotiation prowess and tons of research to find the best deals. Hopefully, the contents above prove useful in helping you secure the rooms and rates that will satisfy everyone.

Start your search on the right foot by working with our expert team at Blissful Brides today! Simply request a quote, and you’ll be connected to numerous wedding vendors bidding with their best offers to handle your accommodations, catering, transportation, entertainment, and much, much more!