Planning a Philadelphia wedding involves a lot of details and many moving parts. If you and your fiance decide to invite out-of-town guests, one very important task is hotel accommodations. But where do you begin in the process of booking a block of rooms? Here are some basic tips to facilitate this important wedding responsibility.
In general, hotels often extend discounts off their regular room rates to guests who reserve a group of rooms. The bulk rate typically refers to a minimum of 10 rooms, however, each hotel may have their own magic number. The more rooms, the less the rate per room usually, equating to savings for you and your wedding guests.
Contact Group Sales. The group sales manager is the appropriate contact to make a plan and negotiate rates. Call several hotels you are interested in advance in order to see their proposal. Of course, let them know the amount of rooms, date range and that you wish to reserve a block. If you are using the hotel for your ceremony or reception, make sure to mention that as they may have an additional special or promotion that will benefit you.
Account Setup. Discuss with the representative whether guests will pay for their own hotel rooms,or if they should be charged to a master account. If it is the latter, specify exactly which charges are authorized for this account.
Arrangements. Decide whether guests will secure their own hotel reservations or whether you will make the arrangements.
Code. Obtain a group code from the customer service representative for your guests who make their own reservations. This code can be placed in a card in your invitation suite. Let them know the reduced rate, if interested in booking rooms and the date they need to be reserved by.
Contract. Obtain a signed group sales contract that specifies all of these details in writing. Read the document thoroughly to ensure it matches the rates and details that were discussed.
Follow Up. On a final note, remember to keep close communication with your guests and update the sales rep with any changes in your group reservations. Just like your catering company, most hotels will require a guest count right before your wedding, and some may expect payment for any reserved rooms in your group that are not booked.