if you block rooms and...

bridy06 Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:01 PM

if you block rooms and...

they don't get booked... do you (me) have to pay?

I am looking to book some hotels in Woodbury but wasn't sure if this 'rumor' is true...

marymoon Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:02 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

I've heard that in most cases you have to guarantee a certain mount of the rooms get booked (usually around 50%) and if fewere get booked, you have to pay

FallBride05 Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:05 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

this is the policy at some hotels but not all. We blocked rooms at the Melville Marriott for our wedding and we did not have to gaurantee or pay for rooms that weren't used.

AlliNMatt06 Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:18 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

I have to guarantee 10 rooms the day of the wedding, though I can block as many as I want. I also can block rooms for the day before, but do not have to guarantee any number.

So in my case, yes I am responsible for the payment of 10 rooms. I hope people stay, or I am in trouble.

christy Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:27 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

I did not have to pay for rooms that were not booked. My guests had to make reservations over a month in advance.

Pookiesangel Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:28 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Depends on the hotel, with the Wingate, if the rooms are not booked by Apr 6, 2006, the block of rooms will get released back into normal availability and we would lose the discounted price. But I wouldn't be liable for any charges if the rooms don't get booked or if we only book a few rooms instead of the whole block.

October Bliss Posted: Jan 26, 2006 07:29 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

All but one of the hotels I called block 10 rooms to start and release them 30 days before the event and there is no charge for the unbooked rooms. One hotel I called gave me two prices, one with a guarantee that 80% would be booked, the other (higher price) without the 80% guarantee.

The only way to find out is to call the hotels you are interested in and ask what their policy is.

Jaims0603 Posted: Jan 26, 2006 08:16 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

I agree that the only way to find out is to call and ask. I was looking in the Woodbury area - I looked at the Four Points Sheraton, Huntington Hilton, melville marriott, Homewood suites, and the wingate inn. All of those just take the rooms that are not booked back one month before, no charge.

070306 Posted: Jan 26, 2006 08:17 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

We booked Courtyard Marriott. We booked ten rooms, in our contract it states that if the rooms are not booked the rooms get re-released and we are not responsible for anything!!! Look into this.. THe hotel is wonderful.

ewickens Posted: Jan 26, 2006 08:31 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Check with the hotel. In the contract we signed, we wouldn't be held responsible for the rooms not reserved.

frosty Posted: Jan 26, 2006 08:32 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

We blocked rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn in Ronkonkoma. If all the rooms I blocked were not taken one month before the wedding, then they were released back to the general public. We did not have to pay for any unbooked rooms.

lisad117 Posted: Jan 26, 2006 08:34 PM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Most of the hotels we visited allowed you to block 20 or less and you didn't have to pay. For more than 20 you had to pay if people didn't show up.

CTarantino Posted: Jan 27, 2006 06:55 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Marriott's policy is if you block 20 rooms or under and they don't get booked there is no penelty. If you tell them you need 20 or more rooms and they don't book you have to pay since you booked such a large number of rooms.
I booked 20 and under at Marriott Residence Inn in Plainview and also 20under at Best Western in Massapequa.

jenheartsrob Posted: Jan 27, 2006 07:01 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

I booked 10 rooms at Sunrise Executive Hotel in Lynbrook (which is totally new and renovated inside and GORGEOUS!) and I dont have to pay if they dont get booked

tracy2246 Posted: Jan 27, 2006 07:15 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Fox Hollow requires that you pay for half of whatever is not booked. For example-if you block out 10 rooms-you have to guarantee half the rooms.So if 4 get booked you're responsible for the 1 remaining room.

ali120206 Posted: Jan 27, 2006 08:50 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Posted by CTarantino

Marriott's policy is if you block 20 rooms or under and they don't get booked there is no penelty. If you tell them you need 20 or more rooms and they don't book you have to pay since you booked such a large number of rooms.
I booked 20 and under at Marriott Residence Inn in Plainview and also 20under at Best Western in Massapequa.

I believe this is the same policy at the Hyatt, we had to block more rooms but, we are responsible for 20 rooms less than what we blocked (we figure we'll have a lot of people staying there since it's where the reception is and we have a lot of people coming who don't live on Long Island)

soon2bmrsdunn Posted: Jan 27, 2006 08:51 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

It depends on the hotel. I had one hotel tell me I was responsible for 80% of the block being booked. And everyone else would release then 1 month prior so no one is responsible.

FallBride05 Posted: Jan 27, 2006 09:04 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

Posted by CTarantino

Marriott's policy is if you block 20 rooms or under and they don't get booked there is no penelty. If you tell them you need 20 or more rooms and they don't book you have to pay since you booked such a large number of rooms.
I booked 20 and under at Marriott Residence Inn in Plainview and also 20under at Best Western in Massapequa.

That may be specific to the Marriott you booked rooms at. We booked at a Marriott too, and we blocked almost 30 rooms for the night before the wedding. I was not responsible for unbooked rooms. If our OOT didn't book 30 days prior to the wedding, then they just released the rooms back to the hotel.

ETA: In the end, we only had 8 of the 30 rooms booked, and that included a room for me the night before the wedding and a room for DH the night before the wedding (which they upgraded him at no additional charge, and only charged me for my suite the same rate as a standard room instead of the price they quoted me)

dianadrw Posted: Jan 27, 2006 09:06 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

This is all very good to know. I just assumed that I would be responsible for rooms if they didn't get booked. Since we don't have that many people coming from OOT, I wasn't planning to block any rooms. Now I definitely will.

SPITSBRIDE Posted: Jan 27, 2006 09:08 AM

Re: if you block rooms and...

No, you do not have to pay for anything. The hotel will give you a date in which your guests would need to book by in order to get a special rate. If they do not, the rooms will no longer be reserved and if any are available at the time they book it your guests will pay the full price for the room.