Way back when we first started wedding planning, I knew we had to set up guest hotel room blocks ASAP... for those frantic family members that may or may not be more excited about the wedding than we are. :)
I did a lot of researching and was honestly very afraid to do this because of all of the nightmare stories and hard work it seemed it took. Well, while I can't say that it was the easiest part of planning, I can say I'm now a pro at it. Here are a few tips for those just starting out.
Tip #1: Do a lot of research! And I mean a lot a lot.
This is the number one tip for a reason. I spent many hours googling and researching past and present brides' advice and looking in to hotels that offered the best deals. Do not underestimate the power of knowledge, it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run!
Tip #2: Get the contact information of one person who can guide you through the process.
The biggest challenge was getting on the same page. I had to do most of my correspondence through email and phone. As soon as I was in contact with the right person, it was smooth sailing from there. Not to mention, it made it really easy to touch base and see who all had booked a room and who hadn't.
Tip #3: Think about your guests.
We have a ton of out of town guests coming. Because of that, we decided to block off rooms at three hotels, all different price points, within a relatively close proximity to the wedding weekend events. We wanted our guests to have options... one of our hotels offers a free shuttle to and from the wedding, while another offers continental breakfast, etc.
Tip #4: Ask a lot of questions!
If there's one thing I've learned from wedding planning is that there are no dumb questions... if you need to know, then ask!
~ Will you be charged if the rooms do not book up?
~ When will the hotel "release" the rooms in your block? Or, how long do your guests have to book their rooms?
~ Does the hotel offer a special room rate for wedding guests?
~ Can you add more rooms to the block later?
These were just some of the things that worked for us, hopefully this helps you!
What are some of your tips for blocking off hotel rooms??
3 comments:
These are great tips.
We only booked one hotel for a block of rooms because it is the closest to our venue. It's also the venue site for other events (welcome cocktails and Sunday brunch) and walking distance to the After Party. I love the idea of having everyone together for a 'wedding weekend'. However, Philly has *so many* hotels that if attending other events isn't the guests' cup of tea they won't have any difficulty finding a range of places to stay that will accommodate what their looking for.
Thanks for the tips! We haven't booked yet, so they will be very helpful!
I am making all my hotel calls today. Perfect tips!
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