Not sure if this is the right place, but wasn't sure where to post this!
I have a couple questions about hotel blocks...
I have a few options for hotel blocks. One is a Hampton Inn that is a half mile away from the venue. The rates on the website are $160/night (I haven't called to see if I get a discount for doing a block). The other hotels in that town are all about 2-2.5 miles away from the venue, but are lower in listed price, from $120-$140. They are national chain hotels as well... Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, Residence Inn, Courtyard, etc. They're all right by each other near a convention center so I'm assuming that's why they're cheaper, due to the competition. Obviously the one that's closer is a good option since it's so close... you could literally walk there if you had to. But, would guests prefer hotels that are a bit cheaper in price but further away?
Also, how many rooms should I reserve in a block? Our guest list right now is 198, with 110 invites going out, although some of these invites are "courtesy" invites to people I don't think would come at all, but I'm inviting them to avoid hurt feelings in my family. Over half of our guest list is people from out of town. Wedding is in September, and hoping to get Save the Dates out here in the next week or two so I'd like to get this done so I can add to our wedding website that is on the Save the Dates.