Weddingbee boards

Is it just me?  Or do the hotel block rates seem steep.  My guests could get a much better rate online.  It could be due to my wedding falling on labor day weekend in San Diego.  I was thinking of paying for some rooms on the military base for older less computer savy guests, but recommending the rest of the guests book online in Hotel Circle so they will at least be all in one spot if they want to meet up.

What are you doing for Out of Towners?

I did a hotel block. The regular rate was $210 and the block rate came to $119.  Maybe yours is higher because of the holiday weekend?

The hotel in which we are having our ceremony and reception is kind of fancy, with a price tag on rooms to go with it. The rate that they gave us was over $350! Luckily, it is not a part of our contract, so we declined the block. (We are suggesting that if people really want to stay there, they just keep checking online, as rates definitely tend to be lower online).

We got a block at a hotel nearby that has given us really great service, and a great rate, even on a holiday weekend. It's a little bit more of a hassle (the fancy hotel is kind of offset from the rest of the town), so they will have to take a cab, but a < $10 cabride split among 2-4 people is much less than paying $250 more for a room!

When I found out it was cheaper to book it online I called the sales person at the hotel and she said that yes it is cheaper to book it now (8 months in advance) online than to book it now through the block.  However, a few months before the wedding when people actually start booking their rooms, the online rate will be much higher than the block rate.  Thus, getting a block rate assures that everyone will pay the same low rate (though not as low as if you book it 8 months in advance online).  That being said, if 85% of the block isn't used, we pay the difference!  I told her that if it is cheaper online (at any point in the calendar year), it undermines the block and reduces the chance I will fill the block - so I told her that if the rates weren't reduced ($10 less than the best deal online) she would have to remove the 85% stipulation.  Mathematically it makes sense for the hotel to have that 85% guarentee as cheaper rooms bring in more money than empty rooms - so she reduced our block rate.  It is worth mentioning that this is in August in Sonoma (quite comparable to Labor Day in San Diego).  I live in San Diego, and Hotel Circle, though it has inexpensive hotels, is a very boring place for guests to be and they'll need to rent a car (also pricey).  good luck!