New Jersey

Opinion on hotel distance

majesty318majesty318 member
Knottie Warrior 100 Love Its 100 Comments First Answer
edited October 2013 in New Jersey
We are down to 4 venues and  OMG is this ever STRESSFUL!!!

Anyway, need some opinions ...

Almost all of my fiance's side of the guest list will be coming from other countries. They will probably arrive early in the week and stay at a hotel around the corner from us in central Jersey. Our venue options are all about 30 minutes from where we live and all offer hotel blocks with shuttle. But my fiance thinks it is asking too much for everyone to switch hotels the day of the wedding from the one in our town to one nearer the venue and then switch back to our town the next day. He wants to explore the option of everyone just staying in the hotel near where we live and getting shuttle from the venue back to our town (aware that we would have to pay for this, it probably wouldn't be included as a free shuttle like many hotels provide to nearby venues).

I think this makes sense, to an extent, for his side of the guest list, but not for mine, who will be coming from PA and other areas of NJ - who wants to sit on a bus for 30 minutes at midnight when they could be on the bus for 5 minutes down the road?

Opinions? Solutions? TIA :)

Re: Opinion on hotel distance

  • We are down to 4 venues and  OMG is this ever STRESSFUL!!!

    Anyway, need some opinions ...

    Almost all of my fiance's side of the guest list will be coming from other countries. They will probably arrive early in the week and stay at a hotel around the corner from us in central Jersey. Our venue options are all about 30 minutes from where we live and all offer hotel blocks with shuttle. But my fiance thinks it is asking too much for everyone to switch hotels the day of the wedding from the one in our town to one nearer the venue and then switch back to our town the next day. He wants to explore the option of everyone just staying in the hotel near where we live and getting shuttle from the venue back to our town (aware that we would have to pay for this, it probably wouldn't be included as a free shuttle like many hotels provide to nearby venues).

    I think this makes sense, to an extent, for his side of the guest list, but not for mine, who will be coming from PA and other areas of NJ - who wants to sit on a bus for 30 minutes at midnight when they could be on the bus for 5 minutes down the road?

    Opinions? Solutions? TIA :)
    I agree with your FI.....keep you guests at one hotel.  Why can't your OOT guests just stay at a hotel near the venue?  Then nobody has to be on a shuttle for half an hour.

    If you insist on having them near your hometown, I would pay for the shuttle.  Keep in mind that with the distance there's probably only going to be one (maybe 2 coming home?) shuttle runs.  Not really ideal.  If I were an OOT guest, I'd probably rent a car for my stay and skip the shuttle altogether anyways.

    Also, there's no reason you couldn't offer another room block at a hotel near the venue for the folks driving in who really don't care about staying in your hometown. 
  • His relatives will not have cars and we live in a walkable town with easy NYC access. if they stay the whole time by the venue, we would be back & forth driving people around all week which isn't what I want at all.

    I came up with the idea of 2 hotels the night of but my fiancé didn't love it. Ugh, So much to think about!

  • I think your FI is right, it's a big inconvenience for your guests to have to switch hotels. Let them stay in your hometown and provide transportation to and from the venue.

    Unless you think there will be a big after party at one of the hotels, I don't see any problem with having the guests from NJ and PA stay in a hotel closer to the venue.   Why not just give people the choice and block rooms at both places.  
  • We do plan on an afterparty and probably a brunch. But I have been asking around and some people tell me they think 30 minutes is reasonable anyway! So we may just block everyone in our town...
  • Why wouldn't you offer 2 hotels? If your fiance's family are coming down early and want to stay nearby to your hometown they can. Offer them the option of changing to the nearer hotel if they want. Pay for a shuttle to bus them back and forth the night of to the hotel by your hometown, though, in case they don't want to go to the closer hotel to the venue. Then your family who are coming in from out of town for just the one night can stay at the hotel that is local to the venue with easy shuttle access. We're going to offer at least 2 different hotel options for our families, so I guess I'm surprised you want them all in one place (especially since hotels in NJ can be so pricey, we're very aware that some of our guests won't want to shell out $150/night).

    TL;DR, they're all adults, so offer them both options and see what they pick!
  • I am concerned about for 2 hotels because we definitely want an afterparty and probably a brunch, and then we don't know where to do those. This is so difficult!
  • FI's cousin (from NY) got married this past June down the shore.  They only blocked rooms off at a hotel in NY because they had family coming in.  For us that was useless.  If I'm going to drive 30mins to NY I might as well drive the extra 10 mins up the parkway and go home. 

    As a guest, I try to play it safe and book a hotel room so there's no drinking and driving involved.

    As a bride, I would block off rooms at the hotel that is closer to the venue and provides shuttle service.  If you want to visit with family during the week you'll have to do the drive.  Sucks but its easier for you to do that then have your guests rent cars or switch hotels.

    For me safety and my guests convenience is more important.

    Pregnancy Ticker
  • Honestly, I wouldn't mind a 30 minute drive if I didn't have to make it.  The shuttle could be fun.  Is the hotel in your town much more expensive that the one close to the venue?  If they're about the same then just have everyone stay in your hometown. 
  • FI's cousin (from NY) got married this past June down the shore.  They only blocked rooms off at a hotel in NY because they had family coming in.  For us that was useless.  If I'm going to drive 30mins to NY I might as well drive the extra 10 mins up the parkway and go home. 

    As a guest, I try to play it safe and book a hotel room so there's no drinking and driving involved.

    As a bride, I would block off rooms at the hotel that is closer to the venue and provides shuttle service.  If you want to visit with family during the week you'll have to do the drive.  Sucks but its easier for you to do that then have your guests rent cars or switch hotels.

    For me safety and my guests convenience is more important.

    @FutureMrsN, that is my concern thinking about many people coming from not so far away. What is the incentive for them to sit on the bus for half an hour vs. perhaps leave early or not drink as much? I don't want to inconvenience them. And we wouldn't mind driving to see my fiancé's relatives in another hotel during the week (if we booked only one near the venue the entire time) but he doesn't want them near the venue all week. It would mean they would be in the middle of Rt 46 instead of in our town where they could walk to the train, walk around town, and walk to our apartment

    But then I also see replies from NjDoxie & some friends I have asked who say 30 minutes on the shuttle is no big deal.

    I guess we just have to keep thinking and weighing the pros/ cons. And price LOL

  • FI's cousin (from NY) got married this past June down the shore.  They only blocked rooms off at a hotel in NY because they had family coming in.  For us that was useless.  If I'm going to drive 30mins to NY I might as well drive the extra 10 mins up the parkway and go home. 

    As a guest, I try to play it safe and book a hotel room so there's no drinking and driving involved.

    As a bride, I would block off rooms at the hotel that is closer to the venue and provides shuttle service.  If you want to visit with family during the week you'll have to do the drive.  Sucks but its easier for you to do that then have your guests rent cars or switch hotels.

    For me safety and my guests convenience is more important.

    @FutureMrsN, that is my concern thinking about many people coming from not so far away. What is the incentive for them to sit on the bus for half an hour vs. perhaps leave early or not drink as much? I don't want to inconvenience them. And we wouldn't mind driving to see my fiancé's relatives in another hotel during the week (if we booked only one near the venue the entire time) but he doesn't want them near the venue all week. It would mean they would be in the middle of Rt 46 instead of in our town where they could walk to the train, walk around town, and walk to our apartment

    But then I also see replies from NjDoxie & some friends I have asked who say 30 minutes on the shuttle is no big deal.

    I guess we just have to keep thinking and weighing the pros/ cons. And price LOL

    I wouldn't mind a 30 minute shuttle ride.  I just wouldn't want to make the drive.

    And the price.  Hopefully its not too expensive.

    Which hotel on 46 are you looking to use?
    Pregnancy Ticker
  • Probably the Best Western or Hampton. Depends on price and availability but both of our top 2 venues use those same hotels.
  • I work in that area that's why I asked.  I'm also using the Best Western for my wedding.  When I book out of town people for work I always put them at the Best Western because at least there's the small strip mall for something to do.  I always see people getting on and off buses that are heading to NYC.  Not sure if that would be an option.  I also always see that shuttle driving around during the week.  Not sure if they offer trips to the mall or even the train station.  Couldn't hurt to call and ask.
    Pregnancy Ticker
  • We are down to 4 venues and  OMG is this ever STRESSFUL!!!

    Anyway, need some opinions ...

    Almost all of my fiance's side of the guest list will be coming from other countries. They will probably arrive early in the week and stay at a hotel around the corner from us in central Jersey. Our venue options are all about 30 minutes from where we live and all offer hotel blocks with shuttle. But my fiance thinks it is asking too much for everyone to switch hotels the day of the wedding from the one in our town to one nearer the venue and then switch back to our town the next day. He wants to explore the option of everyone just staying in the hotel near where we live and getting shuttle from the venue back to our town (aware that we would have to pay for this, it probably wouldn't be included as a free shuttle like many hotels provide to nearby venues).

    I think this makes sense, to an extent, for his side of the guest list, but not for mine, who will be coming from PA and other areas of NJ - who wants to sit on a bus for 30 minutes at midnight when they could be on the bus for 5 minutes down the road?

    Opinions? Solutions? TIA :)
    I would say just book one hotel closer to your venue, that way they don't have to switch hotels the day of, which would undoubtedly be more expensive for them.  Shuttles from the hotel closer to your home to the venue and back could probably cost a pretty penny or two because you'd be booking them for X number of hours to make ONE trip to and ONE trip back.  Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't know if I would do that to my guests...especially if they want to join the after party. 

    I guess I'm lucky. My venue is at a hotel, so we don't have to worry about people drinking and driving to their hotels.  I'm sorry I couldn't have been more helpful.  Good luck!
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