Room Blocks- What to ask

caligirl9

We are wanting to do a room block at the Best Western in Half Moon Bay, I highly doubt the Ritz does it so I am not even going to try calling there. I just want to be prepared when I call so is there anything I for sure need to ask about?Do I just call the normal 1800 number for it and talk to someone?Do you normally have to put a credit card number down? Any specific questions I should ask? Anyone block rooms at a Best Western before?!?!TIA

Roni.Cedra

You would be surprised. I would try the Ritz. I know one of our hotels did not do block per se, but what they did do was give everyone 10% off of their room, and if 25 nights were booked we got a free night for our 1 year honeymoon. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I would suggest NOT putting a CC down. They will hold them until a certain day/time and usually write up a contract for it. I cannot think of any specific questions to ask. Usually the front desk will transfer you to the person that knows EVERYTHING!

cromero49

I had two different experiences with room blocks. One hotel I could do a block of 10 without fear of getting charged. The other hotel I would get charged if nobody reserved them by 31 days out. It was my responsibility to cancel any remaining rooms on the block to avoid the charge. Make sure you ask what their policy is about getting charged for remaining rooms, cancelling, etc.

heylinda672

Tia, I, too, am getting married in HMB at Sam's Chowder House in Feb. When and where is your wedding. Mine will only be 50 people. Linda

sm23

Obviously ask what the block rate is (it should be better than the regular rate...)Ask them what happens if some of the rooms in your block are not booked - do you have to pay for them, are you responsible for filling a certain percentage of the block, do the rooms get released at a certain date?When I called about our block, they transferred us to a special events person who helped set it up. Now when we want to check on the rooms, we have contact in the reservations dept.By the way, you should call the Ritz. Just because it's fancy, doesn't mean they don't do block rates. Our friends had a block rate at the Four Seasons in southern California when they got married...

amwot8

I just recently got married (10/10/09) and we did a room block at HOtel Triton in San Francisco. I went to the hotel and actually met with the person who was in charge of meetings/group planning. When I met with her, I recieved a tour of the rooms along with any hotel amenities. Following our meeting, she put together a contract which specified how many rooms we were blocking off at the specified rate and also the deadline for which my guests would have to book by (usually 1 month before the wedding) and clarified that I would not be financially responsible for any unbooked rooms. You shouldn't have to put down a credit card number. Also I was able to recieve a specialty suite for myself under the same rate as my guests.

jackelbride

Given it's not a fancy hotel... we didn't have to put down a credit card for our room block at all. They just held the rooms for us until 3 weeks before the wedding then released the rest to the public. We actually booked almost all the rooms in our block.

caligirl9

Thank you everyone for your input! I am going to call both the Best Western and the Ritz today!

kpstowell

I blocked rooms at two hotels. Only one required my credit card, but I also signed a contract that specified when they would be released and that I was not responsible for unbooked rooms.Zero of three offered a reduced rate. The group rate was the same as the regular rate.