Hotel Block Stress

Re: Hotel Block Stress

• GeauxWed member

  

  July 2014

  I broke down and hired a planner, but it looks like those are the going rates for high traffic times of year.  We're getting married in October, and we couldn't find much below $269/night.

  
  

  If you haven't already, try these:

  
  

  Royal Sonesta

  
  

  Bourbon Orleans

  
  

  Best Western French Quarter

  
  

  Here are some smaller hotels you can recommend but probably not block:

  
  

  Hotel Provincial

  
  

  Hotel Le Richelieu

  
  

  Hotel St Marie

  
  

  Also, keep in mind that you can give people room block options, but they don't have to book there if they don't like the price!  They can always look into one of these B&Bs or book uptown or in the warehouse district if cost is an issue.  You can do the best that you can to make things convenient, but at the end of the day, you're not a travel agent on top of your own wedding planner!

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• kbsmom1 member

  

  July 2014

  Have you tried putting out a bid thru the Convention Bureau????.... We did and got back great results...

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• whodatbride member

  

  July 2014

  How did you create a bid?

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• E71126 member

  

  July 2014

  Have you tried Bienville House?
  

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• biscuits13 member

  

  July 2014

  I second contacting the Convention Visitors Bureau.  Please see below for the contact:

  
  

  Leslie Straughan 
  Tourism Sales Manager 
  New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau 
  2020 St. Charles Ave. 
  New Orleans, LA 70130 
  lstraughan@neworleanscvb.com   
   p: 504.566.5018 
  www.neworleanscvb.com           
  

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• jubara12 member

  

  July 2014

  I'm guessing you are a weekend of April 18th bride then too! I am experiencing the same thing. The Sheraton was reasonable but still around $249, so you might consider adding that to your list. Where are you having your ceremony/reception?

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• Dot825 member

  

  July 2014

  Yes Jubara12! I received a quote from the Sheraton, but they were trying to charge my guests a fri/sat rate for a sunday night also. I didn't think that was very cool. We're getting married that Sunday: Pharmacy Museum/Bourbon Vieux. Everyone and their mother is getting married that weekend!

  
  
  

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• Dot825 member

  

  July 2014

  Also thanks Geauxwed. You're right, I'm not their travel agent!

  
  
  

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• nolabwinslow member

  

  July 2014

  I am also getting married that weekend and have been talking to the convention bureau! I was looking at the Pharmacy museum too, but am getting married at Hermann-Grima/Broussard's courtyard on Sunday morning for brunch.   We are having troubles with hotels trying to charge Fri/Sat rate for Sun and am trying to work around it. 

  
  

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• Dot825 member

  

  July 2014

  Nolab - my finace and I broke down last weekend and emailed like 40 hotels. I heard back from maybe 10. The Sheraton was the only one who openly did that but most of our hotels are only giving us one rate for the weekend.

  
  
  

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• sasapurdue member

  

  July 2014 edited July 2014

  I had the same problem. RIDICULOUS! I blocked a hotel on the edge of the French quarter, in the CBD for $169. Then I recommended a bunch of nicer hotels in the Quarter if people want to spend. The hotel I blocked is the St. Christopher. Not A+ but not horrible for out of-towners who don't want to spend an arm and a leg. Someone suggest Bourbon orleans, royal sonesta, and Richelieu hotel... First two were both over $200 (well over) and the lobby of the Richlieu stunk really bad.

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• Ver0nika20 member

  

  July 2014

  I am having my wedding at the Maison Dupuy Hotel in September.  Our block rates are $169 for Fri/Sat and $99 on Sunday, but they may be that low due to the fact that we are having our ceremony and reception there too.

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• tigerlilly1211 member

  

  August 2014

  I definitely would suggest (if you haven't already) looking in to hotels on other side of Canal - in the CBD. It is not at all a far walk, as you know, and I am sure your guests would appreciate saving a few $ on their room for a few more walking blocks. I am getting married the weekend After Mardi Gras next year and was still shocked that hotels were quoting me the prices that they were. I did end up going with 4 hotels ranging in pricing from $159/night to $259/night, which I was going for, so guests can choose. I also put on my wedding website that if they are unable to find any hotels in their price range or their liking, to then use a 3rd party website, such as Orbitz, Expedia, or Hotels.com to see what hotels are going for that weekend, and if they find a place, to book through the hotel itself (you get screwed using those vendors byt all their rules).

  
  

  I also came across this proposal website, www.speedrfp.com,where you can put together your hotel room block requests and then select the hotels you want to bid on it. I came across this late in my hotel search, so I only ended up using one of the hotels, but I still would suggest checking it out!

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