Wedding hotel room blocks, explained
Courtesy blocks versus contracted blocks, attrition clauses, cut-off dates, how many rooms to hold and how to tell guests, so you never pay for rooms nobody booked.
The short version
- A room block is a set of rooms a hotel holds for your guests at an agreed rate until a cut-off date.
- A courtesy block costs you nothing if rooms go unbooked; a contracted block can make you pay for the shortfall.
- Hold fewer rooms than you think: you can usually add more, but you cannot easily give them back.
- Put the booking link, the rate and the cut-off date on the invitation, and set the RSVP deadline before the cut-off.
A wedding room block is a group of hotel rooms held for your guests at an agreed rate until a cut-off date, after which unbooked rooms go back on general sale. It makes life easier for guests who travel, and it can cost you money if you sign the wrong kind of contract, so the details below are worth ten minutes before you talk to a hotel.
Courtesy block or contracted block?
- Courtesy block: the hotel holds the rooms; if guests do not book them, they are released at the cut-off and you owe nothing. Usually a smaller number of rooms.
- Contracted (guaranteed) block: you commit to a number of room nights; if guests book fewer than an agreed share, you pay the difference.
Start by asking for a courtesy block. Many hotels offer one for ten to twenty rooms, especially away from peak dates. Only consider a contracted block if you need a large number of rooms in a busy season, and read the attrition clause first.
What is an attrition clause?
The part of a contracted block that says how many of the held rooms must be booked before you are charged. If the clause says you must fill a set share of the block (often around 80 percent) and guests book less, you pay for the rooms that went unused. Ask whether rooms your guests book outside the block (through a booking site, for instance) count toward it; often they do not.
How many rooms should you hold?
Count the households who will travel more than an hour or two, then assume some will stay with family, some will drive home and some will book elsewhere. Holding rooms for around half of your traveling households is a reasonable start for a courtesy block. You can usually ask the hotel to add rooms if the block fills; giving rooms back is much harder.
Questions to ask the hotel
- Is this a courtesy block, and is that written in the agreement?
- What is the cut-off date, and what happens to the rate after it?
- Do rooms booked outside the block count?
- Is there a shuttle to the venue, a late checkout, or a room for getting ready?
- Can guests book with a simple link or a code, and can they cancel?
How do you tell guests about the block?
On the invitation, in one short section: the hotel's name, the rate, the booking link or code and the cut-off date. Put the same details in the message you send with the save the date if guests need to travel. Then set your RSVP deadline before the hotel's cut-off, so you can see who is coming and remind anyone who has not booked while the rate still holds.
Rooms at the Riverside Hotel from $149 a night. Book with the link below by May 12 to get the wedding rate.
Ask for a courtesy block first. The best room block is the one that cannot send you a bill.
Common questions
What is a hotel room block for a wedding?
A set of hotel rooms held for wedding guests at an agreed rate until a cut-off date. After the cut-off, unbooked rooms are released back to the hotel's general sale.
What is the difference between a courtesy block and a contracted block?
With a courtesy block, unbooked rooms are released at the cut-off and you owe nothing. With a contracted block, you commit to a number of room nights and may pay for unbooked rooms if guests book less than the share set in the attrition clause.
How many hotel rooms should you block for a wedding?
Start with rooms for around half of the households who will travel, as a courtesy block. Hotels can usually add rooms if the block fills, but releasing rooms from a contracted block is much harder.
When is the cut-off date for a wedding room block?
Usually several weeks before the wedding, often around a month. Set your RSVP deadline before the cut-off so you can remind guests while the rate still applies.
Plan it all in one place
A seating chart, a budget and a checklist that follow your guests' replies, alongside your invitation.
Start planning free →
