How do Wedding Room Blocks Work?
Photo: Megan Saul Photography
You've likely encountered the term "room block" before, but you may be wondering, "What exactly is that?" Or you may be feeling apprehensive about the process. Fear not! Hotel room blocks are more straightforward than they seem. Drawing from our expertise as wedding planners in Chicago, the Fierce Productions team has navigated countless couples through the process of securing room blocks. Here's a glimpse into what you need to know:
What is a Hotel Room Block?
In simple terms, it’s a number of rooms a hotel will physically “block out” for you and your guests. Say you request 15 rooms for a certain weekend, they will make sure they keep 15 rooms available for you and your guests to reserve—usually, with a slight discount. They will typically send you a personalized link/code to send to your guests. Your guests will then book a room through that link, and get a discount. It’s luckily that simple! Keep in mind, it is typically courteous to book a hotel room block for your out of town guests. It will also guarantee there are enough hotel rooms for your out of town guests.
Photo: Sprung Photography
Courtesy Room Blocks vs Standard Room Blocks
When you inquire for a room block, they will typically offer a courtesy block of 10-15 rooms. This means they will reserve that number of rooms with no penalty or charge to you. Should your guests not book all the rooms, then they get released back to the public. Courtesy room blocks are great because there is no financial burden on you, but they can be less accommodating. The number of rooms and discount offered are limited.
Should you require more rooms, that’s when it turns into a standard room block. With a standard room block, you have more flexibility with the amount of rooms, discount rate and amenities, but you must guarantee the hotel a certain amount of rooms will be booked. If you can’t, that’s when attrition penalties come into play. An attrition rate is usually between 80-90%, meaning you must book that percentage of rooms, or you are financially responsible for the remaining amount. So make sure you don’t over compensate!
A great way to calculate the number of rooms you will need is by looking at your invited guests. Look at the number of guests invited that are traveling. Then look to see if they will be booking individually, as a couple, or as a family. Remember, couples typically book one room for the two of them. If you have a lot of families, maybe consider including a couple rooms with double beds.
Suites to Get Ready In
A great strategy is to book a bigger hotel suite for you, and your wedding party to get ready in. It acts as the perfect green room. It allows plenty of space for the beauty team to work, and for your party to get dressed and snack. Make sure to ask about the suite while securing your hotel block, because some hotels might include a discount, a free little upgrade, or a sweet surprise in the room. It can also be a nice larger space for you and your newly wed partner to relax after the wedding.
Things to Consider When Booking Your Hotel Room Block
If you are booking a standard room block you are able to negotiate the amenities and discount rate offered depending on how many rooms you guarantee the hotel! This could include free room upgrades for the couple, free breakfast or discounts on pre-wedding activities you are hosting at the hotel.
Should there be multiple hotels near your wedding venue, it might not hurt to get multiple courtesy room blocks so you don’t have to pay a potential fee, and so it gives guests a few options for their budget.
Consider where you want to get dressed and how many people will be getting ready with you.
Suites have the additional bonus of having space for the photographer to take photos of you, flat lays, and your dress! You want to be able to have space for your dress/attire to hang.
Consider how long you and/or your guests will want to stay. It’s typically best to assume most guests will arrive the day before, your wedding, and will leave the day after. Guests can typically call the hotel if they wish to extend their stay.
Photo: J. Brown Photography
DO YOU HAVE A BOLD VISION FOR YOUR WEDDING?
Fierce Productions is a Chicago based event planning company specializing in curating unique, bold, non-traditional weddings and events. Our talented team of professionals can handle all of your event needs including planning and coordination, design and styling, vendor and talent management, fundraising, marketing support and beyond - get in touch to learn more!