How Do Wedding Hotel Blocks Work? Everything to Know

A crucial part of a great wedding experience for any guest is a comfortable, convenient place to rest their head at the end of the night. But if attendees aren’t familiar with where you’re getting hitched, they’re going to want and need help figuring out where to stay. Sure, while you could play travel agent for every single loved one, there is an easier way to go about getting this done: the hotel block.

A hotel block is a set of hotel rooms that have been set aside for a group or event at an agreed-upon rate, with the smallest block typically starting at 10 rooms. By pre-negotiating rates at your chosen location, you’ll save friends and family time and money while they attend your wedding—and ensure they’ll be surrounded by other guests, so the good times can extend before and after the reception. “Everyone today is looking to further their experiences,” says events manager Victoria Ayers. “Sometimes, people want to stay overnight and make the wedding weekend an extended getaway.” 

Here’s another important piece of information to know: While you’ll definitely want to coordinate a hotel block if a large segment of guests are coming from out of town or you’re planning a destination wedding, it’s also a good idea even if most guests are local. But that’s not all concerning hotel block etiquette, which is why we put together this easy-to-follow guide. Read on for everything you need to know, including how to get the best rates and tips for scoring upgrades.

How to Book a Wedding Hotel Block 

If you’re wondering where to start, Ayers shares a step-by-step guide to help you book a wedding hotel block. Follow the below instructions to successfully reserve these accommodations.

Determine How Many Rooms You’ll Need 

Deciding on the number of rooms largely depends on your guest list. “Figure out how many people are traveling in from out of town that are going to attend,” Ayers recommends. “If 50 percent of your guest list is traveling, try to match that percentage.” As most guests travel in couples or bunk up with friends, you’ll want about half the number of rooms for the total number of guests who will need one, plus a little buffer. For example, if you have a 200-person guest list with 50 to 60 percent of guests traveling for the celebration, you’ll want to hold space for about 120 guests. That equates to 60 rooms. But don’t worry about it being perfect. “If not everyone needs a room, the bridal party or other friends and family will fill in,” Ayers adds. 

Figure Out How Many Blocks You’ll Need 

Once you know your room number, you can determine how many blocks to book. Block sizes vary from hotel to hotel, but they’re usually between 10 to 30 rooms, with larger hotels offering larger blocks. Per Ayers, blocks at corporate chains, such as Marriott and Hilton, typically don’t go above 25, and she rarely sees anything above 30 unless it’s a privately owned property.

Shop Around for the Best Rates 

Ayers recommends calling three to five hotels in the area to find the lowest rate. “You’ll be surprised by how much they can vary,” she reveals. “The size of the hotel, if they already have groups booked for your date, convention, or major event traffic—it can all impact room price.”

Be Clear on Your Agreement

Go with a courtesy block whenever possible. “A courtesy block is just as it sounds: a courtesy that the hotel is offering you,” Ayers explains. With a courtesy block, you won’t be financially liable for any rooms in your block that your friends and family don’t fill. After a certain cut-off date, the hotel will release the unsold rooms from the block and make them available to other guests. If you ask to reserve a number of rooms well above the hotel’s allotted block size—for instance, 50 when the standard block size is 25—the hotel may ask you to sign off on an attrition rate. In this case, you will be financially responsible for any rooms up to a certain percentage of that larger block that doesn’t fill.

Attrition rates vary, but, per Ayers, they typically hover around 80 percent. For a requested block of 50 rooms, that would mean your party would be required to fill 40. If your party only fills 35 rooms, you, as the creator of the block, would be required to pay for the remaining five rooms. Courtesy blocks typically do not require a hard contract, but a hotel may opt for a contract or they may take down your payment information if an attrition rate is involved.

Get the Word Out 

Once you’ve secured your hotel block, you’ll want to add the information to your wedding website. If you’re sending out paper invitation suites, you can also include the details on an accommodations card insert. Here’s one way to word the announcement:

For your convenience, a block of rooms has been reserved at [HOTEL NAME.] Please use the following link to reserve your room online. You can also call the hotel directly at [PHONE NUMBER]. Please reference the [LAST NAME] Wedding and be sure to book your room by [CUTOFF DATE] in order to receive the discounted rate. 

Tips for Booking a Wedding Hotel Block

Looking for ways to cut costs and make the experience more convenient for your guests? Keep these expert-approved tips in mind.

Book as Early as Possible

Definitely book early—meaning as soon as you’ve locked in your wedding date and venue. Not only will this secure the lowest rates possible for your guests, but it will also allow them to make travel plans as soon as they receive their save-the-dates.

Be Strategic About Location

While your hotel blocks should be in close proximity to your venue (in a city, 15 to 20 minutes away from where you’re marrying is ideal), it’s actually more important that they be close to each other. “That way, if you’re hosting a brunch or an after-party, it’s easy for people to get to the location,” Ayers remarks. “Or, if you’re offering transportation to the wedding, the [bus or trolley] only has to make one stop that people can meet at. It saves time in the long run.”

Negotiate for the Best Rates 

“If you’re choosing between two hotel blocks, be open with the salesperson,” Ayers advises. “Ask if they can add rooms to the block or drop the rate. It’s not guaranteed but definitely worth asking if you’re having a hard time deciding.” In Ayer’s experience, there can be some wiggle room between $10 and $30 on rates and flexibility of up to five additional rooms on a block.

You should also inquire about deals for you and your spouse (some hotels will comp a couple’s room on their wedding night as part of the block incentive), as well as discounted rates for auxiliary events held at the hotel. “If you book a brunch at the same time you book the block, you can ask for a 10 percent discount at booking,” Ayers offers as an example.

Know the Magic Words for Perks 

When a hotel gets back to you with their rates, ask if they offer “any special concessions based on the pickup.” “A hotel will know what you mean by that,” Ayers says. “Concessions” are special perks given to a couple for hitting a percentage of rooms booked (the “pickup”) within their block, according to Ayers. The pickup is usually high—around 90 percent—and perks can vary. What Ayers often sees is an upgraded suite for both sets of the couples’ parents or the ability to book a suite at a standard room rate.

The Difference Between Local and Destination Wedding Hotel Blocks

Whether you’re tying the knot near your place of residence or at a far-flung locale, some (or all) of your guests will need a place to stay. In either scenario, booking a hotel block at a variety of locations with different rates is a considerate gesture for your loved ones. Although the process of reserving a block of rooms for these two types of weddings is similar, there are a few key differences, which we highlight below.

Their Importance

If you’re getting married at a local site, most of your friends and family will likely head out after the festivities. However, you’ll still want to book a hotel block for out-of-town guests to offer them a convenient and discounted place to stay.

While hotel blocks are an option at local weddings, they’re crucial at destination weddings. If you’re getting hitched at a far-off place, most of your guests will be traveling to the venue—whether it’s an overseas flight or a train ride along the coast—so they’ll definitely need a place to crash, especially if you’re hosting multiple days of events.

The Total Number of Rooms

With local vow exchanges, a majority of those who stay at the hotel will be from out of town. That being said, some local guests might actually want to spend the night instead of having to drive home after the soirée. This makes calculating the number of rooms you’ll need a bit more difficult. Instead of reserving a spot for them in advance, we suggest only offering them one if there are unfilled rooms, so you avoid overbooking and dodge penalty fees.

At destination weddings, most—if not all—of your guests will be visiting, so the number of people who need a room is more predictable. You can calculate the number of rooms based on the method we outlined above. 

The Number of Blocks and Hotels

If you’re saying “I do” at a venue that’s local to you and most of your family and friends, a smaller percentage of your guest list will be visiting from out of town. So, you may just want to reserve a hotel block at a single location. (However, if there are enough people who need accommodations, try to offer a variety of different hotels at various rates to fit every budget and preference.)

For those attending a destination wedding, almost everyone will need a hotel room. With more people lodging, providing a few recommendations in a range of budgets will be more probable.