With more and more guests traveling from out of town to attend your wedding, securing a hotel room block is a must. This small gesture sets the stage for a memorable wedding weekend and shows guests how grateful you are they traveled to celebrate with you. Before you reserve your block, though, you need to know these seven things.
#1 - Book early. While reserving a block of rooms might seem like a simple task you can accomplish as the day gets closer, you’ll want to book sooner than you think. Hotels are only allowed to block off so many rooms at a discounted rate so the longer you wait the more likely someone else is going to beat you to it. For the best hotels at the best prices, book your block shortly after securing your venue.
#2 - Reserver fewer rooms than you think you’ll need. If out of town guests use reward points or other special pricing such as military or AAA discounts, they won’t be counted in your room block. Since many hotels will charge you for unbooked rooms, the best bet is to reserve fewer rooms than you think you’ll need and add more if you can.
#3 - Become a member of the hotel rewards program. For every guests that books in your room block, you will receive reward points. If you aren’t already a member of your hotel’s reward program, signing up now will give you a great start towards earning the rewards.
#4 - Give multiple hotel options. If you have a variety of hotels in your immediate area, reserve a block of rooms at two of them. This not only allows you to secure more rooms but gives guests the option to book at the one that fits their preferences best.
#5 - Check in frequently. Since all of your out of town guests will be trying to book at your suggested hotels, it’s a good idea to check with the hotel frequently to see how full not only your block but the hotel itself is getting. This will help make sure it doesn’t sell out before guests have had the opportunity to make a reservation and gives you the option to add additional blocks if needed.
#6 - Always have guests reference your name. This is especially important for guests that book at the hotel but outside of the block. When it’s time to assemble and distribute welcome baskets it will be much easier for the hotel staff to give you a complete list of names.
#7 - Choose hotels that are conveniently located. When looking for hotels, you’ll want to choose options that are conveniently located. Ideally they are a close walk or short drive from the venue and close to restaurants and coffee shops.
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About Sincerely Pete
Sincerely Pete is a full-service wedding planning and design company in Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, VA who believes in a personal, curated & customized approach to each wedding couple we work with, taking their values & personalities into account and keeping the relationship as the focus of the wedding. We plan Washington DC weddings, Virginia weddings, Maryland weddings and destination weddings all over the world.
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