Aloft Hotel Answers Everything You Need to Know about Rooms for Your Nashville Wedding Guests
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
For your out-of-town guests, who are traveling to Nashville for your wedding, where they will be sleep before or after your wedding will be one of the more important things you’ll need to consinder. The price, location, comfort, will all matter as their guest room will contribute to their guest experience.
Navigating the world of hotels and room blocks can be more than a little tricky, especially when you’ve got a million other wedding details on your mind. Luckily for us, Kristen McBryde with Aloft Hotel in Cool Springs, has stopped by to fill us in on all the must have inside information for getting your guests the perfect night’s sleep!
How does a couple go about reserving a block of rooms for their wedding guests?
Call the hotel, ask to speak to the sales manager or individual that works with wedding room block. You will want to know your dates and approximately how many rooms you want to block.
How do room blocks work?
Typically hotels have a limit on the number or rooms you can block for your wedding. Some hotels will require that you pick up a certain number of rooms and you are held financially accountable to picking up 80-85% of the inventory you are requesting to block at the hotel. Some hotels will allow a small room block (usually 15 or less rooms per night) as a courtesy. You will need to ask this up front. Most all hotels will require that you sign some sort of agreement for a discounted room rate. In order to receive a discounted room rate you will need to block a minimum of 10 rooms.
Who is responsible for paying if guests don’t use all of the rooms? Will my credit card be charged?
It depends on the hotel policy. Some hotels will hold you to pick up at least 80-85% of your room block. If you do not, most contracts read that the person signing the contract is responsible. You will need to clarify this with the hotel. Some hotels will allow you to block small number of rooms (usually 15 or less) as a courtesy and not hold you financially accountable
Are there any discounts offered for guests who choose to stay at the hotel in which rooms have been reserved?
Discounts apply when blocking a minimum of 10 rooms or more in a group block. Anything below 10 rooms is usually not eligible for group discounts.
How many rooms should a bride and groom plan on reserving for their guests?
It depends on the circumstances and you will need to answer a couple of questions. Is this a destination wedding where most guests will be traveling from another location? Are the bride’s and groom’s families from different states outside of where the wedding is being held? What percent of your guest list are out of town guests? This is all great information to know prior to calling the hotel to set aside a block of rooms. The more accurate you can be with your room count the more accurate information the hotel will be able to provide.
How far in advance should a couple reserve a block of rooms for their wedding?
This can vary depending on the circumstances. You will need to see if there are any "special events" occurring over the same dates as your wedding weekend. This could not only prevent the hotel from offering you a block of rooms, but it could affect the rates your guests may pay. Typically, assuming there are no "special events", six months is a good time frame to secure your wedding room block with a hotel.
Will the hotel reserve the block of rooms right up until the wedding day, or will they book the rooms that have not been purchased by guests before the day of the wedding?
No, most hotels will provide you with a cut off date that your guests have to book their rooms by a certain dates. This date is usually from two weeks to 30 days prior to your group's arrival. After the cut off date, your guests may still be able to book rooms at the hotel, but the hotel can no longer offer the discounted group rate.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for brides and grooms when it comes to reserving a block of rooms at Aloft?
Call prepared with your preferred dates and number of rooms you are requesting. We understand, due to the social nature of weddings, that the bride cannot guarantee a certain number of rooms will be picked up. However, being prepared with the most up-to-date information you have (as far as guest count, dates, etc) is the best case scenario, as it will allow the hotel to provide you with the most accurate information possible. Do not expect all of your out-of-town guests to stay at the hotel you suggest, some guests will make their own arrangements no matter how easy and how much information you provide for them on the front end. Once you get your expected number of rooms you want to block, you can typically cut that by 20-30%. Also, communicate your expectations from the hotel on the front end that way the hotel has the opportunity to prepare where necessary for anything out of the ordinary or let you know if anything may not be possible.
A HUGE thanks to Kristen for taking the time to walk us through the room block process! Be sure to check out the Aloft website for more gorgeous pictures and booking information.
About the Author:
Genna
Hi, I’m Genna! I’m a west coast girl who’s quickly falling in love with the south and its many gorgeous weddings! I'm a sucker for candid photos, quotes, books and greeting cards. My biggest passion is writing and having the opportunity to write about the Nashville wedding industry on ABG and share my findings with Nashville brides is a seriously amazing experience! Happy planning!
send
Posted on November 8, 2011 |
Filed under: Grooms, Groomsmen & Tuxedos
1 Response to This Post
Posted on November 16, 2011 @ 5:19pm