blocking hotel rooms...

how long before your wedding did you meet with a hotel to block rooms? do i have to guarantee a certain # of rooms to get a certain price?

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I did it about 6 months before. I think that is pretty early, but I wanted to be safe and make sure rooms are available. I didn't have to guarentee any amount of rooms. Just ask them to block off as many as you need and then they will hold the rooms at that rate. Most will hold until about 30 days before and then they will be released.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

Most hotels don't carry a calendar more than a year in advance from my experience. I went to about 5-6 different hotels. I did not have guarantee any amount of people to block the rooms. Not all hotels offered special pricing for room blocking but most did.

Typically you speak with a office person (not the reservationist). Tell them how many rooms you want to hold. (My hotel said a min of 10 - I did 20.) They will hold them until about a month before our wedding date. They may or may not give you a special rate. I got mine about $30 cheaper than the normal rate. They gave me a code (our initials) that people should use to hold the rooms. If all 20 book up and someone calls, as long as they still have availability in the hotel they will give the people with the code a room at the reduced rate (not all do that - for my brother's wedding the reservationist wouldn't - but I asked to speak with the person who blocks the rooms - that office person - and she let me add a room to the block).

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

Oh yeah - I did mine about 4-5 months before. I visited hotels about 6 months before but then called to block about 4-5 months before.

I tried to call about 1 year in advance and was told I should call back within 6 months of the affair!

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I just blocked rooms this weekend. We just had to tell them how many rooms for each night and they will hold them until 1 month prior. FH and I are staying there after the wedding, saturday night, and when I tried to reserve the suite for the night they were already taken

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I blocked rooms a year in advance. I know that is very early, but i wanted to make sure I had the rooms and that everything was under control. Even though they hadn't set their rates yet, they allowed us to do it and the rate they gave us is $30 less then the rate they eventually did set (4 months later) so i am glad I did it in advance.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I blocked the rooms about 7 months in advance so I could send out the information in my Save the Dates. I called about 7 hotels and two of them required a minimum guarantee. I decided not to use those hotels because if your guest reservations don't equal the minimum requirement, you are still required to pay for them.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

Bridetobe,

Which hotel did you book, I am also having my reception at the NRC? and if you don't mind telling me the price range?

Thanks,
Septbride

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I blocked rooms 17 mos in advance! I never realized how early that was until right now. But my hotel (Wyndam) is on the same property as my reception (Hamlet) so we just walked over right after we booked to get that out of the way while we were on LI.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

did anyone specifically block the melville marriott or huntington hilton. did they give a discount rate and did they require a mininum # of rooms.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

SeptBride -

I am an NRC bride - I booked the Executive Inn in Woodbury. I went to Fox Hollow and at the time I found them to be a bit more pricey than I was looking for. I did tell a few people about Fox Hollow though - just in case.

good luck

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I blocked my rooms this week for my August 03 wedding. It seems so early, but I did not want to run into problems later on with no available rooms, so I went ahead and booked early. Its also another thing to cross off the to do list!

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I have a question....
When you block rooms are you required to put down a deposit and if so how much? Thanks Ladies!

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

i did not put down a deposit, but i did guarantee 10 rooms w/ my credit card.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

Septbride-
I booked the Holiday Inn in Plainview. I wasn't looking for anything super fancy. I wanted something reasonable, clean and I wanted something with a bar. The reduced rate is $109 a night. It is pretty close about a 5-10 minute drive. The main reason people will stay over night is to prevent drinking and driving. If it was too expensive I was afraid people would drive home. I am also providing shuttle service to and from the hotel and NRC. I also wanted a bar/restaurant for after hours and morning brunch.


NRC recommended the Fairfield Inn but I have stayed there before and I do not like the hotel esp. not for the money the charged. I think they wanted $150/night. No bar/restaurant. I also had a hard time getting someone from the office on the phone.

I looked at the Fox Hollow - very nice but very pricey. I looked at the Marriott Residence and a bunch others. I felt Holiday Inn best suited my needs.

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I did not have to pay $$ o leave a credit card. I do not have to guarantee any rooms.

I left my cc only for the room I am staying in!

Re: blocking hotel rooms...

I blocked rooms in 2 hotels, 20 in one and 10 in another, and did not have to leave a credit card for either.