Do we have to block hotel rooms?

stephdonjon

Is it a big faux pas to not block hotel rooms? We had planned on doing so since the majority of our guests are OOT, but then I read that some hotels will charge you for any unbooked rooms, which makes sense, but we really can't afford to do so. I know for a fact most of my family members are just going to make a vacation out of the trip since it's a good 9 hour drive, and I'm worried they'll make reservations of their own and we'll be stuck with a bunch of unrented rooms. FI also thinks that it's a bit unnecessary since Lansing, MI isn't the country's biggest tourism spot, and has plenty of hotels. Is that a safe bet to make? We're sending out save-the-dates in a week, and all our guests already know about the travel involved, so they would have plenty of time to make accomodations. I know you can sometimes can get discounted rooms, but that's also only if so many rooms get booked. What do you think? Are we terrible people if we don't block rooms?

Beachy730

You don;t have to make a block, but its done as a courtesy to your guests.  As you said yourself many hotels give discounted rates for blocks.  Even if the discount is small now, you are about a year out from your wedding, and prices will most likely go up.  When we booked our block we got the rooms for $169 before tax, and they were $185 regularly.  About a month before the wedding the rooms were going for $420 a night, so we were so happy that we did a block.

Call different hotels in the area and get their block rates and find out the details involved.  We signed our contract saying that as long as we agreed to release our block 30 days before the wedding, then we weren't charged for any un-booked rooms.  And we didn't have a minimum of what we needed booked.  So call around to a few places and see if they will do that for you.  Its pretty common to release them early, and you just have to give your guests enough time to decide what their plans are.

mica178

check out hotelplanner.com .  You put in your hotel block criteria, and different hotels in the area "bid" on your block contract.  Before you even have to talk with any of them you can find out who requires you to pay if you don't use up the whole block, what hidden fees there are, who has a special offer for guests (airport pick ups, breakfast), etc.

mysticl

One hotel I talked to said they don't do blocks.  Instead they will do a discount for anyone booking for the event but they don't reserve rooms.  So if they are all booked up they are all booked up. 

I opted against the block.  We live in a tourist area and there are so many hotels here that I couldn't even begin to pick one.  Our guests are also a huge range of tastes, some will go with economy, some with go with ritz, some will try to park their van in my driveway and run an extension cord to one of my outlets (that is so not happening). 

quotequeen

You don't have to, but if your reason is paying for unused rooms, you should at least make the effort to find out if that would be an issue.  Many hotels don't do that, so call them up and ask.

tldh

I would block them.  You have guests putting out money to come to your wedding.  The least you can do is help them with a discounted hotel rate.  Also, the hotel will only require that a minimum block be booked - at the hotel I'm using, that is a ten room block.

golden1215

I've never heard of the B&G being on the hook for unblocked rooms.... they are simply released back to be booked by the public a certain amount of time before your wedding.  We live in Minneapolis and our rooms at the Marriot are normally $130-140ish and in the block they were $89- so def worth it for our guests!

Beachy730

Even if the hotel isn't giving you a discount on the rooms, usually the block has a set rate.  Like I said in my post, the block was only about $20 cheaper than the original regular rate, but closer to the end of the block the room prices more than doubled, but my rooms were locked in at the lower rate.  I would feel horrible if someone couldn't make it to my wedding because I didn't reserve a block and they couldn't afford the high rates.  I also live in a high tourist area (Niagara Falls), and there are more hotels in the area than any other type of business.  But on a Friday night in the middle of summer the room rates can be out of control.

stephdonjon

Hm, alright. We'll go ahead and do it then. Thanks ladies!