Hotel blocks for weddings

[newbie124]

Has anyone ever heard of wedding hotel blocks being charged more than normal blocking? I wouldn''t have thought this would be the case, except I''ve started making some calls and noticed that some people have asked about what kind of event the block was for and when I answered "social" (as opposed to corporate), they then asked what kind of social event and when I said "wedding" they said, ok, let me transfer you...Why would it matter to them what kind of social event it''s for? Just made me kind of suspicious that they''re treating wedding blocks differently (and probably not in a more advantageous way for the customer...).

Also, I''m having this issue with a Marriott location where they''re telling me that the group rate would be $209/night for our dates. Well, I went on to Marriott''s web site and looked up rooms and I could book one right now for the same dates for only $159/night. When I told the sales rep this, she said "oh, that looks like it''s some special limited rate." So I called the main reservation line --TWICE--and both people told me, nope, that''s the regular published rate that rooms are going for on those dates. Grrr...honestly the sales girl I originally spoke to didn''t seem all that organized (she never emailed me the additional info she had promised to send), so now I have to try to track down their director of sales. To be honest, I had higher expectations for Marriott (especially when FI worked for their corporate office for more than 5 years and always talks about how good they are...)

 

[jcrow]

hum, in our case the rooms were actually cheaper.

 

[zoebartlett]

I think the rooms we blocked off were discounted. I think the discount applies until 2 weeks or so before the wedding.

 

[newbie124]

Right...I assumed the norm was that the rooms were supposed to be *less* b/c you''re bringing them more business. The Travelodge gave me a discounted rate from their regular published rate (even lower than what I found through the online travel sites) when I blocked some rooms there.

 

[Amandine]

Newbie, I don''t know where you are getting married but my hotel is a Drury Inn, and they have been fantastic so far. Very reasonable, and a hot breakfast, too! I think they knocked about 20% off the going rate (or so). I also have the option to add more rooms later if I want.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/16/2008 8:47:41 PM
Author: Amandine
Newbie, I don''t know where you are getting married but my hotel is a Drury Inn, and they have been fantastic so far. Very reasonable, and a hot breakfast, too! I think they knocked about 20% off the going rate (or so). I also have the option to add more rooms later if I want.

Thanks for the rec, Amandine. Unfortunately, we''re getting married in Napa, CA, so won''t be able to take advantage of that deal! However, it does get me thinking about maybe calling some of the smaller B&Bs/Inns in the area and seeing what they might be able to offer. I didn''t initially think I would get much from those places (or even be able to block) b/c they''re smaller operations, but guess it''s at least worth looking into.

Update: I tried reaching Marriott''s director of sales several times yesterday and kept getting her voicemail (I do know she was around b/c her message had changed from when I previously called). She never returned my call from the weekend either. I also tried talking to the manager on duty but she was of no help whatsoever, although I do understand that this isn''t really her area of expertise. But they kept telling me well, if your guests go online now they can book those rooms at the $159/night rate! OK, but I haven''t even sent out save the dates yet (partly b/c we''re waiting to finalize hotel block info) so my guests are not even officially aware of where/when the wedding is and thus would not be booking hotel rooms this early. They also kept mentioning how the rate can change as it gets closer to the date...well, duh. Isn''t that how it is for any hotel room? Part of the point of blocking is so that guests know they can book a room at this guaranteed (and USUALLY discounted) rate.

I was on a pretty good wedding planning roll until this new snag. Argh...just thinking about it makes me crabby. I practically have to sit on my hands so as not to be tempted to try calling again...

 

[mintve]

i work for marriott and that is really weird, that should not have been the case. marriott has a best price guarantee. maybe the lower rate was a package or advance purchase? I sell group rates for marriott here in ATL and our group rates are always lower than the regualr rate. Where are you trying to book? what city?

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/17/2008 3:10:58 PM
Author: mintve
i work for marriott and that is really weird, that should not have been the case. marriott has a best price guarantee. maybe the lower rate was a package or advance purchase? I sell group rates for marriott here in ATL and our group rates are always lower than the regualr rate. Where are you trying to book? what city?

I''m trying to block at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa. I showed my FI the rate I saw online and he also confirmed that "Leisure Rate" (which is what it says by the room rate) does not mean special rate. It''s just the standard, non business rate for a single king or double bed room for those dates.

He also said that anyone working for Marriott should be able to pull up how many rooms are available at what rates. The sales girl I talked to said that she wouldn''t be able to tell me how many rooms are available for those rates, only someone in reservations.

 

[newbie124]

Oh, and in case you wanted to check on your end and confirm whether I'm reading this correctly or not, the dates are 4/16-4/19.

 

[cara]

Hotel blocks being more expensive than normal is par for the course in the Napa Valley, I am sad to say.

Got married last summer in Calistoga. Talked to B&Bs and corporate hotels and one-of-a-kind hotels. Basically, none of these ventures have any trouble selling out on non-winter weekends and will charge various fees and surcharges to compensate themselves for the hassle of dealing with a wedding block/general extortion exploiting people getting married.

Policies ranged from:
- 50% non-refundable deposits to hold the room
- large chain hotels charging a surcharge to hold the rooms and adminster the room blocks, usually 15-20% above usual rates (so Marriott is a little high, but that's the same idea)
- absolutely no room blocks unless you pay everything right now
- no extra lodging fees to hold the room, but hosts will be liable for an additional $200 per room held of spa charges, as the hotel noted that wedding guests underutilized their spa services.

We finally found one place that was quite disorganized and a pain in the neck, but was willing to hold a room block at their normal nightly rate if we fronted a first nights deposit for each room. But they were willing, in principle, to return our money once guests made their own reservations, and allow us to cancel reservations for a small processing fee with 72 hrs notice. There was certainly no discount, and quite a bit of hassle in dealing with them to administer this cumbersome process.

Unfortunately, this hotel didn't have enough rooms for our whole wedding. We sent STDs months in advance listing various lodging options - many with which we had no formal arrangement, we just recommended folks contact them as normal guests. We begged, pleaded and harrassed people to make reservations every time we saw them and still had folks end up staying in Santa Rosa cause they waited too long and everything was sold out.

So do your best, but do suck it up and hold a hotel block somewhere with the most palatable fee structure, as human nature suggests your guests will need the assistance. Good luck!

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/17/2008 3:48:59 PM
Author: cara
Hotel blocks being more expensive than normal is par for the course in the Napa Valley, I am sad to say.

Got married last summer in Calistoga. Talked to B&Bs and corporate hotels and one-of-a-kind hotels. Basically, none of these ventures have any trouble selling out on non-winter weekends and will charge various fees and surcharges to compensate themselves for the hassle of dealing with a wedding block/general extortion exploiting people getting married.

Policies ranged from:

- 50% non-refundable deposits to hold the room

- large chain hotels charging a surcharge to hold the rooms and adminster the room blocks, usually 15-20% above usual rates (so Marriott is a little high, but that''s the same idea)

- absolutely no room blocks unless you pay everything right now

- no extra lodging fees to hold the room, but hosts will be liable for an additional $200 per room held of spa charges, as the hotel noted that wedding guests underutilized their spa services.

We finally found one place that was quite disorganized and a pain in the neck, but was willing to hold a room block at their normal nightly rate if we fronted a first nights deposit for each room. But they were willing, in principle, to return our money once guests made their own reservations, and allow us to cancel reservations for a small processing fee with 72 hrs notice. There was certainly no discount, and quite a bit of hassle in dealing with them to administer this cumbersome process.

Unfortunately, this hotel didn''t have enough rooms for our whole wedding. We sent STDs months in advance listing various lodging options - many with which we had no formal arrangement, we just recommended folks contact them as normal guests. We begged, pleaded and harrassed people to make reservations every time we saw them and still had folks end up staying in Santa Rosa cause they waited too long and everything was sold out.

So do your best, but do suck it up and hold a hotel block somewhere with the most palatable fee structure, as human nature suggests your guests will need the assistance. Good luck!

Thanks for sharing, Cara! Can I ask what time of year you guys got married?

I just started calling a few places and except for Marriott I actually haven''t had too much trouble. I''ve already blocked a group of rooms at the Travelodge for $99/night (a discount from their usual $129/night). TL had a very lenient policy...They keep your credit card on hold but will only charge if you don''t cancel unbooked rooms before 30 days out. If you call and cancel before then, no fees charged.

But then after talking to a few friends, they suggested that maybe I should also try to offer a block at a slightly higher end hotel to give guests an option. However, this is where I''ve been running into issues. B/c it seems like the more affordable places in the Napa area are going to be your Travelodges. One class up and it jumps to $200/night!

Hilton Garden Inn and Marriott both seem to have a no fee policy (only have to cancel either 60 or 30 days out). But their rates are a bit ridiculous (Hilton''s was $219/night, which wasn''t discounted from what was on their site...but at least it wasn''t more!)

I was initially afraid that our guests might wonder why we only have a block at the Travelodge (I was going to still list out other options and also advise people to use Priceline, Hotwire, etc.). But I don''t think most people are going to be interested in $200/night hotels, especially for Garden Inn or run of the mill Marriott. Maybe a few who want to make a vacation out of this, but not the majority.

So now I''m wondering if we should just stick w/ TL and let people who want to spend more or less go out on their own based on our recommendations?...

 

[cara]

mid-August, so summer vacation season. Which is apparently not as crazy as the crush in fall, but April should be lighter.

Congrats on finding a reasonable option that does offer a discount! $200/night is the low end of standard for any kind of normal hotel in Napa. If you feel that there are some guests who would consider that price, you should at least hold a few rooms at somewhere nicer than Travellodge if you can cancel them later without obligation. Guests like to stay at prearranged places with other wedding guests and not have to think too much. And be sure to hold a sufficient number of rooms as long as possible. We had guests making reservations the week of.

 

[mintve]

how many rooms are you trying to book?

sometimes, when the hotel knows its a high demand time, they restrict the larger groups or charge a higher rate. They should probably be selling a higher rate for the individual reservations as well, but for some reason they are not. I will see if I can find out anything for you.

 

[mintve]

I just test sold it again at it was $189. It looks like they either just changed something to they sold out of hte $159 rate.

Did you ask to speak w/. Julie Garrett at x1373?

 

[violet02]

I can't recall how pricey it was but I know it was the cheapest option around at the time... Have you tried the Silverado resort? My friends got married in Napa last October and they all stayed there and had a large block of rooms there at a discounted rate as well. It seemed more reasonable than anything else I could find at the time. The Marriott may have been reasonable but I don't recall at this point.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/17/2008 5:13:23 PM
Author: mintve
I just test sold it again at it was $189. It looks like they either just changed something to they sold out of hte $159 rate.

Did you ask to speak w/. Julie Garrett at x1373?

That''s weird...when I checked online about 3 hrs ago it was still at $159. Now I see the lowest rate is $199! I wonder if my bugging them so much about it made someone look into it and adjust the pricing? That''s very surprising that they would have all of a sudden sold out of the $159 rate for those 3 nights in April w/in just a few hours.

Yesterday I spoke to the manager on duty whose name was Julie, I think, but I don''t know her extension b/c I was transferred. But she told me I would have to talk to the director of sales, Tara, b/c she (Julie) couldn''t do anything regarding group bookings.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/17/2008 7:19:08 PM
Author: newbie124

Date: 6/17/2008 5:13:23 PM

Author: mintve

I just test sold it again at it was $189. It looks like they either just changed something to they sold out of hte $159 rate.


Did you ask to speak w/. Julie Garrett at x1373?

That''s weird...when I checked online about 3 hrs ago it was still at $159. Now I see the lowest rate is $199! I wonder if my bugging them so much about it made someone look into it and adjust the pricing? That''s very surprising that they would have all of a sudden sold out of the $159 rate for those 3 nights in April w/in just a few hours.


Yesterday I spoke to the manager on duty whose name was Julie, I think, but I don''t know her extension b/c I was transferred. But she told me I would have to talk to the director of sales, Tara, b/c she (Julie) couldn''t do anything regarding group bookings.

Although $189 is still less than the $209 they were quoting me! So when you put it in the system, you got $189/night for the group rate?

 

[mintve]

Date: 6/17/2008 7:21:08 PM
Author: newbie124

Date: 6/17/2008 7:19:08 PM
Author: newbie124

Date: 6/17/2008 5:13:23 PM

Author: mintve

I just test sold it again at it was $189. It looks like they either just changed something to they sold out of hte $159 rate.


Did you ask to speak w/. Julie Garrett at x1373?

That''s weird...when I checked online about 3 hrs ago it was still at $159. Now I see the lowest rate is $199! I wonder if my bugging them so much about it made someone look into it and adjust the pricing? That''s very surprising that they would have all of a sudden sold out of the $159 rate for those 3 nights in April w/in just a few hours.


Yesterday I spoke to the manager on duty whose name was Julie, I think, but I don''t know her extension b/c I was transferred. But she told me I would have to talk to the director of sales, Tara, b/c she (Julie) couldn''t do anything regarding group bookings.

Although $189 is still less than the $209 they were quoting me! So when you put it in the system, you got $189/night for the group rate?

$189 was the rate for anyone booking, not the group rate. How many rooms do you think you will need? Its so strange that you are getting the runaround...so sorry!

 

[sap483]

This has nothing to do with your room block but it could be an option for your guests to stay in. While I was in Napa a couple of months ago I stayed at the cutest inn. It's called the Napa River Inn. There's some construction going on during the week over there so their rates are really low for the area. We were there during the weekend and still got the rates even though there was no construction. Anyway, we had the cutest room with a four post bed and fireplace and gorgeous bathroom with a claw foot tub. Every morning we got breakfast from this cute pastry shop downstairs and we got a bottle of wine and chocolate covered strawberries each night. We paid 189 a night!

 

[newbie124]

So I talked to the Marriott sales rep again this morning. They are willing to offer me the block for $179/night, which isn''t bad.

However, she mentioned that their contract policy is that you have to book a minimum of 10 rooms per night and you will be responsible for 90% of the block. Thus, if only 5 out of 10 rooms get booked, we''d be personally charged for the other 4.

I think that''s just going to be too risky. While we may have some interested guests, I don''t want to constantly be worried about counting down the room reservations. I guess this policy is particular to this location b/c for my friend who blocked at Marriotts in Chicago, she could book up to 10 rooms w/o the 90% booking policy.

So given that, I think we''re probably better off just sticking w/ the hotel block we currently have and informing people of what other options might be around. I think (hope) people will be able to figure out what works best for them one way or the other.

Thanks for everyone''s input!

 

[mintve]

I am glad you got it all worked out