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Hmmmm...will they give the bride + groom wedding night free if you guarantee a certain number of rooms? Yesh...no discount at all? Sorry :(
We're already staying at the wedding site in a cabin... so no need for accomodations for us.
Fiance is in charge, maybe I should enlist my superior bargaining skills... Sigh, I didn't want another job!
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I think in your situation (no discount? SERIOUSLY!? 
That stinks! ) it would just make it easier for your guests to not have to find a place.
I don't know much about Tahoe, but isn't that a skiing place? So why wouldn't their be discounts available in July? It's not like you're taking rooms away from potential skiiers. :(
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It's also a boating, hiking, fishing, river rafting, mountain biking kind of place... and there is a triathalon there that weekend.
If you're not getting a price break, the only benefit would be ensuring that your guests can all easily get rooms at the same place. It's also an easy way to recommend a couple of hotels, if there are a lot to choose from. I have generally found that whatever "price break" is offerred with the block is not as good as the discounts I can get online, or through other avenues, so have seldom taken advantage of the actual room block at weddings I have attended.
@grumpybear - Tahoe is pretty much a year-round resort destination, like Aspen or Park City. There are lots of things to do in the summer too - hiking, golf, water sports - so the off season tends to be only those small spaces in time where there isn't enough snow left to ski and yet not enough good weather to do anything else.
Did you try using different hotel rates to negotiate with each other? If not a break on the room, how about the services - i.e. parking, wifi, breakfast, shuttles, etc.. ? Also reserving a block will guarantee the rate, so it doesn't go UP either!
If its a hotel with points, you can get points from your guests (rewarding events by marriott), if not, its nice to keep everyone together.
It's always nice to just have a list of hotels for your guests (if you're not getting a break) to choose from, so they don't have to go searching for the hotels themselves. Makes it easy to be a guest!
Mmm..it sucks that you won't be getting a price break =(. But there are still benefits, many of which the previous posters have mentioned. I think if I were a guest going to a vacation spot like Tahoe, I would appreciate the convenience of having a location I know I will be able to book at a set price. And depending on how much travel there will be between your wedding venues and the accommodations, you might be able to use their shuttles for free. So I guess it boils down to making things easier for your guests. I think it'll still be worth it =)!
Yup- I had the same issues too. (see Blocking Hotel Rooms post) There isn't much of a price break-- but for those lagger guests who wait until the last minute, at least there is somewhere where they can make a reservation. Especially in an area where there might be high census of OOT's...
Blocking hotel rooms is a pain in the a$$ is all I have to say... grumble grumble...
Honestly, doctorgirl, we had the same problem with Tahoe hotels. No one gave a discount, and all of them actually charged a non-refundable deposit on room blocks (No Way am I paying $1000!). We just put some contact information and links on our website for a few hotels in the area and called it good. The good thing about being married in a touristy location is that there is a TON to choose from. Plus, it's not like guests are helpless, right? They've travelled before on other trips? Unless your wedding is happening at a hotel, I don't think you even need room blocks. People can take care of themselves.
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If there was no price break, the only benefits would be:
- all your guests can stay together and not have the rooms sell out before they get a chance to book
-with all the guests in one place it's easier for you if you're providing transportation and/or easier for guests to carpool (which is good for a variety of reasons- fuel economy, designated drivers, etc)
I think if there's no discount and a chance you'll have to pay for unreserved rooms, then I wouldn't do it. My hotel does give a discount, but we're also getting married and having the reception there so it's part of their wedding package I guess. It's a historic hotel, so we get the wedding night in the Edsel Ford House or something. I'm not sure...I also get one of the houses for the day to get ready with my BM's. But if they wanted me to pay to guarantee the rooms and didn't offer a discount, tehre's no way I'd do it. If there is no deposit, though, then making it convenient for guests to find a place is enough of a benefit to do it, imho.
@doctorgirl - since it is a summer destination AND they have a large event going on that weekend, believe me, the last thing the hotel wants to do is give a discount for a wedding block, they know they can sell rooms at a premium to the triathlon crowd (it's like when we have the Boston Marathon I would imagine) so unless you are willing to pay $$$ they don't want to deal with managing your block.
Hotels count on high room rates over peak weekends to carry them through as they are judged on week-to-week room rates & occupancy rates versus their competitors in their market.
I know it sounds crappy when all you're trying to do is get a good rate & keep all your loved ones together but is unfortuately the nature of the hotel beast.
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Oh! I see... My ignorance is showing! LOL Tahoe sounds like a GREAT place! Blocking hotels might be a really good idea then since it's so busy all year long. You wouldn't want your guests to have nowhere to stay! :)
Yup, I think in your case, it's more a matter of making sure rooms are available. (And at hotels close to the venue.) By the time your guests get your invitation, maybe it will be hard to find a room without a block. However, I would really shy away from a place that wanted me to pay money or make up the difference. If all the hotels are trying to charge you, personally, I would just get tthe hotel information and get in touch with the OOTs early to make sure they have the best chance at gettig a room. Research the closest hotels, the best rates, availability etc. Then tell them that it's a popular place at a popular time, "So book early".
In addition to what is noted above, it also just makes things a little easier on your guests. If it is a peak season (and Tahoe is v. popular!), they will not have to worry about being shut out of a hotel or not having a place to say. As long as you don't have to foot the bill (hotels usually just require a card to hold the rooms and then when your guests book, they are charged) I think it is a nice gesture for your guests, showing them that you are thinking of their needs.
Are a lot of your guests flying, doctorgirl? If they are driving, and are into the outdoors, you might look into doing a space block at a campground. My family has done this for reunions and other get-togethers, and it always seemed to work well. Obviously, this won't be an option if all of your guests are flying or would prefer to stay in hotels.
With your location, though, I wouldn't worry too much about the hotels filling up for your weekend. There are just so many places with a quick drive to Shinneyboo: all of the West shore, plus Truckee, Grass Valley, Nevada City, and even Auburn. Plus, unless the economy turns around, nothing is going to be totally booked this summer. We've only been half full all winter.
I'd only do it to guarantee that your guests get a room somewhere (especially if there are other events happening that weekend!) Good luck!
Most people will be driving. Shinneyboo is 160 acres and has free camping for anyone who wants to take advantage of it, and tent cabins that are incredibly inexpensive ($60 and sleep 6) for those who want to avail themselves. There are also a limited number of cabins (mostly for the wedding party and immediate family)... so the bulk of our guests will be onsite... I'm just thinking about the older aunts and uncles who aren't willing "to get their camp on". It won't be very many people... but I hadn't thought of the Grass Valley option.
I suppose most people are excited about Tahoe, so I had focused on Truckee... but as you know, our "hotel" choices are limited there!
When I asked someone in the hotel business about room block prices he said that most places don't really give you a discounted rate but the reserve the room at the current rate which is cheaper during some monthes. So when I reserved my rooms in the winter for a summer wedding I got the winter rate (cheaper). Maybe not all places do it this way but if your hotel is the type of place where the rates are fairly consistent this may explain it. I agree though that it may still be nice for you guests to have a referal on a place to stay which is what you offer them by doing this. This way they know other guests and people they know will be staying in the same place.
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AWW DOcot girl I know how you feel....I was trying to block a set of rooms at to two hotels in the recpetion area to make it easier for the shuttle service we are hiring to pick up and drop off guests....but without prior information or confirmation from guests this is hard to do bd you are either stuck paying a deposit or stuck guarante-ing the amount of rooms you need. Our date is 12/31/09- NEW YEAR's eve we were trying to set up the blocks to ensure that our guest arrived back to the hotels in one piece...so now We'll either pay more for the shuttle services to go to different hotels or have our guests pay for their own cabs which might be hard to get during the holiday :(..SO NOT FUN
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Totally understandable! My family is super into camping out, but my grandma always stays at a hotel. She just tells us she's too old for the outdoors. :)
I forgot to update this post... but after much searching, pleading, haggling and exploration we found a simple hotel in Truckee willing to work with us!
We got a modest discount for our block at http://www.innattruckee.com/home
Huge shout-out to The Inn at Truckee for helping us out!
Hey, docotrgirl! Long time, no see! I decided to respond to you about our honeymoon in this thread so I didn't hijack the other one. We're actually going to Europe for two weeks for our honeymoon! I'm so excited! We fly into London, take the Chunnel Express train into Paris, and then drive from there to Luxembourg, Germany's Black Forest, Switzerland, and Austria. We'll be in each place for a day or two, but we're covering a lot of ground. I can't wait!
Where is your honeymoon going to be? Somewhere warm and tropical to make up for rainy Seattle? ;)
And congrats on finding a place for a room block! That must be a bit of a relief. Are you getting excited about the wedding? You're only a couple months away, now! Also, I meant to tell you. Apparently, because the lake is so popular with weddings, you don't have to go into a courthouse in order to get your marriage license. Any of the little chapels/wedding services should be able to get you the license with no hassle. We actually have a place next to house that is open 24/7, so if we can't figure out a time to go during the hourse the courthouse is open, we plan on going there like the day before the wedding. 
Is the reception at the hotel? If so many people may want to stay there after partying and drinking all night.
@Mrs. Spring- That sounds amazing. We had this great world tour (Africa) planned, but several career issues came into play that made us delay our plans... so we're taking a quick little trip to Glacier National Park, where we'll hike and take photographs and enjoy nature together. It'll be good and hopefully some day we'll get to take that Africa trip!
Good to know about the chapels too! We'll definitely be cutting it close... I can't believe I only have 3 months left to get everything done. You, on the other hand are probably cruising in to the finish line!
@MHR- the hotel is only for people who wish to stay in town. We've got 160 acre camping/cabin area reserved for the weekend where many people will be staying. We plan to have people partying all night with us on site. They may not even make it back to the hotel!
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Wow, Africa! That would be an incredible trip! On the other hand, I've been to Glacier several times and I can't get over how breathtaking it is. Are you going to be camping out? Or staying in a hotel/cabin? You'll definitley come back and share pictures, right? :)
Yeah, we're pretty busy. I just can't believe it's coming up so fast! This weekend we have a bridal shower; next weekend we have a bridal shower; and then one more weekend of running errands/cleaning/entertaining my parents who are coming into town early and then the wedding! I think at about 3 months I still had a HUGE to-do list, but the good news is that now the list is almost non-existent. Yay!
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Beekeeper
We're in the process of reserving hotel blocks, and it is pretty clear that there aren't going to be any price breaks for reserving rooms in Tahoe in July. What are the benefits of doing hotel blocks anyway? Is it that your guests will be clustered together? Or that they can just go where you send them without having to think about it?
I'm just less excited about it now, knowing that we're not going to catch a break!