What to know before booking a hotel room block

A room block is a set number of rooms a hotel holds at a discounted, fixed rate for your guests, bookable through a group code or a dedicated link. Most hotels ask for a minimum number of room-nights to offer one at all, often 10 to 15, so it's usually only worth arranging if a meaningful share of your guests are traveling.

Ask about attrition before you sign anything: most contracts require you to fill a set percentage of the block (commonly 80 to 90 percent) or pay the difference yourself. Negotiate this number down if you can, and get a clear cutoff date after which unbooked rooms release back to the hotel with no cost to you.

Courtesy blocks (no guaranteed minimum, no penalty) exist at some hotels and are worth asking for directly, especially at larger properties. You won't get as deep a discount, but there's no financial risk if turnout is lower than expected.

Once it's set up, share the booking link or code on your wedding website rather than in individual messages. It's one less thing to repeat to every guest who asks, and it keeps bookings flowing through the hotel directly instead of through you.