Blocking hotel rooms

asweet21

I just received my quote from the hotel I was going to block hotel rooms for my guests and I wondering if the financial obligation they told me about was across the board for hotels.  They told me if I block 15 rooms there is no financial obligation to me at all, but if I block more and they do not get booked I am responsible for 80% of the un-booked rooms.  Is this normal? 

I really do not have a clue of how many people will want to stay over.  We normally stay at hotels when going to a wedding because of the drinking factor.  I can only assume my guests will probably be doing the same.  I will be having a shuttle to and from the reception for this reason.  I know our families will be staying in the hotel, but as far as other guests I have no idea.

JoBell123

I'm pretty sure that whatever rooms don't get booked are just released back to the general public a month prior to my wedding and we don't get charged.

cutiepie12702

I've heard of stuff like this, depending on where your hotel is located and what type of place it is - but if I were you I'm not sure I'd want to take that kind of a risk. My guests have up until 30 days before the wedding to make a reservation, and any unreserved rooms after that time just go back for sale at the normal rate with no obligation to me. If that is your only option, I'd try to reach out to any guests you think are staying so you have a better idea of exactly how many rooms (or very close to the number) you should reserve.

asweet21

There is another hotel in the area, that obviously wasn't my original pick, but I am going to call them and see what they say.  I really do not want to take that risk.  We are being fairly conservative with our wedding budget and this is not in it!  I wasn't expecting the sales manager to say that we would have any financial obligation.  Thanks for your help!!  I think I am losing my mind sometimes with the planning.

sgdc2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_blocking-hotel-rooms?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:7381c87c-dba7-44c8-bd23-292ec9bef00aPost:868bf659-896b-4817-99ec-d79b90514dc9">Re: Blocking hotel rooms</a>:
[QUOTE]I've heard of stuff like this, depending on where your hotel is located and what type of place it is - but if I were you I'm not sure I'd want to take that kind of a risk. My guests have up until 30 days before the wedding to make a reservation, and any unreserved rooms after that time just go back for sale at the normal rate with no obligation to me. If that is your only option, I'd try to reach out to any guests you think are staying so you have a better idea of exactly how many rooms (or very close to the number) you should reserve.
Posted by cutiepie12702[/QUOTE]
This is what we are doing.  We are choosing to release the rooms so we don't get charged.

Th

cindy9178

Some hotels do that, and some don't.
The hotel we are using does not do that. Whatever rooms that are not booked are released 2 weeks before the wedding, back to the general public. We are not financially responsible for anything. Also, we get a free suite the night of the wedding (for ourselves) just for reserving a block of rooms - even if none of them get booked.
what area are you looking in?

asweet21

Our reception is at the PNC arts center, so the hotel they suggested was the Holiday Inn in Hazlet and I found the Courtyard Marriot in Red Bank.  The Marriot is the one holding us responsible for the 80%.  It didn't sound like to me that I had a choice to release them a month before, but that is a good question to ask if I really want to go with them.  I haven't contacted the Holiday Inn yet, I am going to do that tomorrow.

cherylnj81

Well the hotel by The Manor charges us for whatever rooms don't get booked!  So we've had to be very careful about how many we reserve.  OTOH, a friend told me she went to a wedding at The Manor where that hotel was sold out, and I don't want my guests to have THAt problem, either!

Geri510

As others have said we are not responsible for the unbooked rooms & they are released 1 mth before our wedding date. We don't get a free room but if we get 10 rooms booked we get free shuttle service from the hotel to wedding location for all.

kasabby

We have a block for Friday and Saturday (our wedding is Saturday). For Friday we have 15 blocked and since it is 15, we are not responsible for any rooms that are not booked. For Saturday, we have a 30 room block and we are responsible for any rooms that are not booked. 

sully1927

We blocked the doubletree in Tinton Falls and they said the same thing. If I blocked off more then 15 rooms at a time my cc would be needed and I would be in charge of 80% however they said I can block 15 rooms and then when 12 rooms have been blocked I can call them to add another 15 without needed my cc. So basically they can hold 15 rooms at a time without me being financially responsible. Already I had 12 rooms blocked so I called them up and they added another 15 with no problem at all. The only thing that stinks about this is that I have to keep track of my block but they gave me a site that I can go onto and check who has blocked my rooms.

Also, they said after 25 rooms were reserved I would get a free bridal suite!

asweet21

Thanks everyone for their help.  So I guess this isn't so unusual.  Now I have more questions when I talk to the hotel again to try to work around this. 

thebean2010

How far in advance of your wedding should you contact the hotel about blocking rooms?

VivianM27

There's a best western in hazlet thats pretty nice.

JerseyAKL

We blocked at the Westin Governor Morris and Hyatt House in Morristown and neither charged us for unused rooms. We reserved a certain number and then they added to the block as the rooms were reserved. The guests had until about a month before to make their reservation. Up until that time, the room and price were guaranteed, but after that time, they were released. We were also given a free suite at both hotels when 10 or more rooms were reserved. 

Cookie Pusher

We're booked with the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, and we're contracted the same way JerseyAKL was. We have 2 nights for rooms (night before and night of). Knowing FI and I would need a room each the night before and 1 room the night of, we blocked 14 "rooms" over the course of the 2 nights. There's a clause that says we will have to pay 80% of the unsold rooms if less than 90% of our block is filled, but we worked it so we'd only have to get 10 rooms booked over 2 nights to meet our obligation. All the hotels we called in the NB area had similar policies and all seemed very willing to work with us on making a reasonable block since we're having a small-ish wedding with mostly local family and friends. If your hotel is willing to start you with a small block and increase it as more rooms get booked, you won't have a problem.

ctr24

I'm having a larger wedding and most people will be staying over. I'm looking at the hotels in Fairfield, NJ and each of them have offered a free room the night of the wedding and transportation to and from the venue if we book 10 rooms. Our guests will probably book 40-60 rooms. Has anyone been successful negotiating more stuff based on more rooms? Ideally, we'd like our room for Friday and Saturday night and maybe our parents as well. 

olleb4

I don't have obligation to pay. I was able to push the date in which they release the block by 2 weeks closer to the wedding and match the price of another hotel. Don't forget that this is still a competition for hotels. So if you let them know there are a few others you're looking into tell them what you're looking for in one that the other has - maybe they'll budge!

AmandaNWP

Probably 98% of our guests will stay at the hotel (only my friends are local) so I knew we would need at least 50 rooms. When I called to do a room block, they said that if we booked that many we'd be financially responsible for any that weren't filled.
HOWEVER, they also do the courtesy room block with 10 rooms at a time.

All you have to do is start of with the courtesy room block and as it starts to fill up, add another 10, and another...etc.

We're up to 42 rooms now and no issues at all.