I'm not doing a hotel block

A lot of hotels will not hold you responsible if they are not booked, it just depends on the hotel. I would at least pick one hotel and block it so the offer is there and if they choose not to, then they don't.

Ask for a courtesy block, and you won't be charged or responsible for any rooms. I would definitely have at least one hotel since 100% of your guests are traveling.

You will also most likely get a discounted rate if you do a block.

Do hotels near your wedding offer a courtesy block?

Try Hotel Planner by the Knot. https://www.hotelplanner.com/

You can get bids from different hotels and you can state you are only interested in 'courtesy' blocks, where they hold a few rooms for you free of charge and you aren't on the line for unused rooms. The hotel I went with is holding 6 rooms free so I'm not responsible if less than 6 sign up. Courtesy blocks are usually only a few rooms at a certain rate, not a whole big 'block' as most people think of it.

It was super easy to do, so why not? That way they can't say boo about it one way or another

You’re not responsible if they don’t book. At least I’ve never known that to be the case where I live. If that truly is the case, then it’s understandable that you don’t want to take on that risk. Otherwise you should look into it. Hotels normally block off rooms then release them a set period of time before the event if they aren’t booked by the block. But there’s no risk to you.

The other alternative is just making hotel/lodging suggestions of nearby places and what not

Hampton inn and Hilton inn isn’t charging me for rooms not booked

Like others said, you could set up a courtesy block but if you think people will opt for other choices anyway I dont see harm in not having one.

While I certainly understand the argument for a block, we did not do one so I'll explain our thought process. About a third of the guests were traveling and would need accommodations. However, there was not one hotel that was extremely convenient to the venue. There were tons of options 15-25 minutes in almost any direction, representing just about every major chain and price range. We knew one large family was going to take advantage of a time share opportunity near a major resort. Several guests have a specific chain preference based on Honors/Rewards programs. Some were staying as long as 10 days, others one night. Also, the wedding was in January, in a major suburban area, so neither availability nor locking in a discount was a significant factor. (Actually, when we checked, the major travel search engines had prices equal to or better than any of the block discounts we were quoted.) In the long run, we just decided to skip doing a block. Daughter sent STDs with the website info about 7-8 months prior. On the website, there was a section explaining that there wasn't a particular block, but listing city names guests could search under on their preferred travel search engine or on hotel-chain website. It worked out fine. I don't think we had more than two guest couples at any one property. We didn't hear a single complaint about not having a block, but it was a good option given all the other factors. Good luck!

I'm not responsible for my block. All unbooked rooms get released back to the public a month before our wedding. If you don't want to do a block then just curate a list of hotels they could stay at and call it a day. The benefit of the room block though is that it gives your guests a discounted price. I wouldn't book a room block with any hotel if they charge for anything!

Many hotels have courtesy blocks that you won’t be responsible for. They will hold them for a period of time. I would try that so people at least have something

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We are facing a similar scenario. So on the website I listed 4-5 hotels in the area that are within similar distance from both our house and the venue. So far no one has asked about a block. I really don't think they care too much because everyone has plans to do their own thing and any family gatherings will be at our place. All the hotels are within a 10 mile radius of our house. So I think (and hope) that it will work itself out.

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Nice...That's good to know and something to consider. Thanks!

I don't think that's how it works in every situation. My venue is a hotel, so ours in a courtesy block of 10 rooms. They lift the block 1 or 2 months before the event date. If you're staying at a hotel yourself, they may be more likely to do a courtesy block. Otherwise, you can always just have suggestions available for them. I wouldn't personally do a hotel block if I would be financially responsible if people didn't use the rooms.

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A lot of the hotels in our area charge if a certain percentage of the block isn't used. That's what turned me off to wanting to do a block. I do have a curated list of hotels on our website as of now. If we can find a hotel that won't charge I will definitely consider it.

We have room blocks at 2 separate hotels and are not responsible for any rooms that are not booked. I think you should have a room block for your guests who do not want the hassle of searching for their own accommodations. We’ve had several guests take advantage of our rooms blocks.

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I have to check. From what I have read on the websites for various hotels in our area they charge you if a certain percentage of rooms are booked from the block. But, I will call and see if they do courtesy ones. It's something to consider. I just still kind of feel like it's a waste since my family is notorious for doing their own thing anyway. Me included lol

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I didn't know I could search for only courtesy blocks...I will go on and look. That's where I was searching before. And that's true...at least I can say I tried even if they don't take me up on the offer

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Makes sense! Yeah a list is good enough if you can't find one. Then people won't have to bug you about where to stay just point them to the website haha

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Yeah, we live 20 minutes away from our venue and it's not a hotel so I'm not sure how flexible they will be. I do want to look more into the courtesy block though and see if there are any close by that may do that. From what I've seen on the websites though most of them charge in NJ