So you have a family reunion coming up. You know you have people coming from out of town that will need accommodations, and since you can't host all 15 of your closest family members in your house you start to look at hotels in the area. Not ever working with a hotel before you really don't know what to ask, do I have enough rooms to get a block? A special rate? How does blocking rooms work anyway!?
Sound familiar? Well fear not my reservation making friends! Blocking rooms is a painless process and one that can make things much easier for you, the family appointed event planner. Hotels may vary in the number of rooms that they require before a block can be created and potential discounted rates can be offered, however for the most part the overall process is similar from one property to the next. Below are some questions that you should consider asking when blocking rooms for your next event.........
1. How many rooms can I block?
2. What kind of discounted rate might be available?
3. What is the cancellation policy? (for both the entire block and also individual reservations)
4. Are deposits required?
5. What is the cut off date (the last date in which the hotel will accept reservations at the group discounted rate)
6. What fee if any is there for unreserved rooms?
What you do with this information is up to you, however including it with the invitations and letting your guests know what the group rate is and the date in which they need to reserve their room can help take some stress off your shoulders and place the responsibility with your brother in Michigan for example!
Whether you decide to block rooms or let your family fend for the themselves is up to you. However, should you decide that blocking rooms might be in your best interest, knowing the answers to the above questions will help you best manage this block and the folks you have coming in to town.
