Weddingbee boards

I'm curious to see if the problems I've encountered with our hotel block are chain wide or just this particular location.  This location is the ONLY hotel in town and until about two years ago, was privately run and not affiliated with Marriott.

My mom and I met with someone in their sales department to get a hotel block.  This person was very nice during the meeting and we didn't forsee any problems.  We asked to set aside 15 rooms, including 1 suite.  We were told guests would have a choice of 2 queens or a king and that they had no other events booked that weekend.  A few months later, I went on the corporate Courtyard website to make my reservation, but I was unable to because the website said no rooms were available.  (This was 9 months before the wedding)  I then called the corporate number and was again told no rooms were available, including the rooms in the hotel block.  Invites hadn't gone out yet and the only people that knew about the block were bridal party, so I knew all 15 blocked rooms could not have been booked. 

Frustrated, I called the local hotel.  I was told for a third time that NO rooms were available.  When I mentioned the hotel block, they again told me they were booked.  When I persisted, they finally told me that my rooms were still available and allowed me to reserve a room.  However, I was still told that all other rooms in the hotel were booked and if at any point in the future I wanted to add additional rooms to the block, they were not available.  This particular hotel is not in the middle of nowhere, but the town is far from a tourist destination.  I asked specifically if there was another event or conference at the hotel that weekend and was told there wasn't.  I asked why all 120 rooms in the hotel were booked 9 months in advance if there was no special event happening, but this could not be explained. 

I did some research and found the hotel is "booked" every day from August through November 2012 (when I stopped searching).  I again called the local hotel to question their policy and was told that they are in fact "booked" each of those days.  I still find this hard to believe and told them the same.  I informed them that it this process makes it difficult, if not impossible, for guests to reserve rooms.  And they again reiterated that they were "all booked."

If there were any other hotel in the area, I would just say screw it and go with them regardless of the price.  Unfortunately there's not.  Have any other bees had similar experiences with Courtyard by Marriott or other hotel chains? 

Yes, I have the contract and they've said they'll honor the room block.  My main issue right now is the practice of repeatedly claiming to be booked online, at the corporate number, and at the local hotel.  If I were a guest, I'd believe them and just book elsewhere (a 25 minute drive, but at least they claim to have rooms!).