Blocking rooms - how does this work?

Jess2 Posted: Feb 05, 2003 04:00 PM

Blocking rooms - how does this work?

I'm getting married early on a Sunday morning in May 2004. Do I block rooms for Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Just Saturday & Sunday? Is there a minimum of nights that I need to block rooms for? Also, how far in advance do I do this?

DrmnBlnd Posted: Feb 05, 2003 04:04 PM

Re: Blocking rooms - how does this work?

We are doing this also. I am not sure if there is a minimum of nights (we are getting Friday night and Saturday night). I think my FMIL is going to call in May of this year to book the rooms.

alina Posted: Feb 05, 2003 04:04 PM

Re: Blocking rooms - how does this work?

Good question. I have also a day wedding, so I blocked rooms for the night before and the night after, so that my guests have a choice of when and how much they want to stay.

jennyg Posted: Feb 05, 2003 04:07 PM

Re: Blocking rooms - how does this work?

Well, it all depends on how many out-of-towners you'll have, if you are planning activities for the whole weekend and what the hotels will let you do! For instance, I'm getting married on a Saturday afternoon in the Hamptons and most of my guests (about 85%) are OOT. Therefore, I blocked hotel rooms at three different places, one that was cheap (and not so nice) for all our poor grad-school friends, one that was very nice but requires a two night minimum and one in the middle. Most hotels will let you block without putting any money down as long as your guests reserve by a certain date. Unfortunatly in my case, I'm dealing with absurb Hamptons people and in most cases had to pay UP FRONT FOR ALL ROOMS. That is called craziness, but I had no choice.

I would sit down with the guest list and try to figure out how many rooms you'll actually need. I would doubt many people would stay Friday night, but I'd guess that most would stay Saturday and some even Sunday. Again, depends on what you have planned and who's OOT.

karen32 Posted: Feb 05, 2003 04:09 PM

Re: Blocking rooms - how does this work?

Also - watch for minimums. The hotel where we're booking has a 10 room minium. If the guests don't rent the 10 rooms by the cut-off date and the hotel can't rent them to the general public by the wedding date, we're stuck for the remainder

MaryK Posted: Feb 05, 2003 04:12 PM

Re: Blocking rooms - how does this work?

Karen - you are? We blocked 15 and were told that the unbooked rooms will be released from the block and the reserved rate may not necessarily apply! How can you be sure that all 10 rooms will be reserved? What will you do if they are not? What hotel is that?

lulu Posted: Feb 05, 2003 07:24 PM

Re: Blocking rooms - how does this work?

I'm having a Sunday afternoon wedding too and I blocked rooms for Saturday night only. I figured that no one is going to come on Friday and since my reception is over by 5:00 in Sunday, most people will be able to drive home.

We blocked 10 rooms for now. If they book up, the hotel will call us and we can add more. The rooms are blocked until 1 month before the wedding and if they don't get booked we are not responsible for them. Some hotels we looked at did hold you responsible for the $$, but most did not.