Hotel Blocks-Room Rate/contract question?

So we have two blocks, one at Best Western East End and the other at Holiday Inn Express in Riverhead. Our contract is for $189.00 for Best Western and $209.00 for Holiday Inn for Fri & Sat.

FMIL tells us last weekend that Holiday Inn was cheaper, so she booked there, and we are thinking she's crazy, because Best Western was definitley considerably cheaper.

So out of curiosity I look on the website, and it won't give me the rates for that weekend bc the entire hotel is booked (the only completely booked weekend that month as of now) but every other weekend in October is now $239.00 per night!! So i can only assume it is the same for my weekend... and on the other hand, I believe the Holiday Inn actually went DOWN below $200, but I'm not 100%, I should call and find out.

So my question is, even though we have a contract with a lower price, can they really just jack the price up like that by $50?? What is the point of booking early then and having a contract? I wanted to ask before I called and got snotty with the sales manager...

I would call the hotel and ask. They will probably tell you that they will honor the contract rate but if someone books on their own or does not mention the group they get whatever is the advertised rate.

If one of the hotels went down in price I would call and see if you can get and even lower group rate.

Make sure it doesnt say anything about booking by a certain date in order to get the reduced rate. Or that you havent gone over the amount of rooms on your block bc if you have they can change the room rate. If it doesnt then they should def. honor the rate.

I work at a hotel . . . HTH!

Update: So I called both hotels and inquired about the rates for my nights, not saying who I was, and they were both correct.

I have decided FMIL is just insane. She told us BW was more expensive, AND there were no rooms left at Holiday Inn. There are 13 left there.

But she gave me a heart attack!