Imagine booking a group of hotel rooms for your guests, having your grandma & grandpa or other loved ones fly in, ONLY to discover there are no rooms available?
That’s exactly what happens to a lot of Brides who have used a Group Booking Site and discover their bookings have magically disappeared. And whether you get a deposit back or not, your guests are still left out in the cold.
This happens with group planning sites all.the.time, so here are a few things we suggest to help you book out hotel rooms for your Wedding guests.
Start by calling 2-3 hotels near your venue!
Getting a REAL LIVE person on the phone gives you ample opportunity to ask questions & negotiate (more about that later). It also means you have a direct contact person to verify your booking (especially if something goes wrong).
If at all possible, don’t pay a deposit on your block (many Brides got burned in the last few years as regulations about travel changed so often).
What you do want to ask for is a “courtesy block” which is where the hotel will set aside a few rooms (say 10) for you, generally without a deposit, which shouldn’t eat into their other bookings too much. If your guests book those out, the hotel can set aside a few more.
But if your guests don’t use them, then you aren’t out the booking deposit.
Here are some more must-ask questions when booking a hotel block for your wedding:
• What happens if you don’t fill out the block? (you may not have to pay a deposit but you might be charged for rooms that aren’t booked)
• What if we need to add more rooms?
• What’s included in the room rate? (sometimes a reduced rate will mean reduced services or amenities, too)
• Will the rooms be close together? (if this is important to your guests)
• What is the cutoff date to reserve a room in the block?
• Should reservations be made by phone or online with a special code?
• Does the hotel provide shuttle services especially from the airport? (this can save you money)