So you’ve got the planner, the date, the venue, and maybe even your guest list started. But what do you tell out-of-town guests who need a place to crash? Whether you’re putting guests up near the National Mall, in Georgetown, or close to your venue in Old Town Alexandria, navigating DC hotel blocks can feel overwhelming.
A common solution is hotel blocks. You might be thinking — ‘what even are these and how exactly do they work?’ Here’s everything you need to know about DC hotel blocks and how to decide which option is right for your event.
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What Is a Hotel Block?
A hotel block is a reservation you can make at a hotel near your event venue that sets aside a certain number of discounted rooms for your guests to book. It gives guests unfamiliar with the area a recommended place to stay, often with added hotel perks. And let’s be honest — unexpected late-night gatherings among guests are half the fun anyway.
Should I Have a Hotel Block for my DC Event?
There’s no debate here — the answer is yes. Here’s why. DC hosts many conferences and nationwide events every week. You want to guarantee your guests have accommodations for your special day. DC hotel blocks are one way to ensure they have options close to your venue and access to local sites and activities.
At the very least, you can set up a courtesy block. It requires no financial commitment from you while still offering your guests a discounted rate.
Thinking you’ll need a more thorough breakdown of all this? One of our Kinfete Weddings & Events coordinators would be happy to talk you through it. Reach out to chat!
How Do Hotel Blocks Work?
In short, the process involves researching and contacting hotels, negotiating an agreement, reserving your block, and sharing the information with guests. Sounds pretty straightforward, but there are some more specific things to know before jumping in. Let’s start with types of blocks.
Courtesy Blocks:
Most DC hotels, especially moderately priced ones, offer courtesy blocks. These are just as they sound — a courtesy given by a hotel. A hotel sets aside a small number of rooms up until a specified date.
The hotel releases any unbooked rooms to the general public by the specified date. It is a first-come, first-served block with no financial commitment from the couple.
Courtesy Block: A small number of hotel rooms set aside for your guests with no financial commitment to the host. Rooms are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and guests book and pay for their own rooms directly.
This choice is lower risk for couples, but hotels typically have a lower cap on how many they’ll hold for you (usually 10 – 15 rooms per night maximum). Furthermore, courtesy blocks often have fewer perks such as free valet or free welcome bags. Regardless, courtesy blocks are a flexible option for couples who want to block rooms without making a financial commitment to filling them.
Attrition Blocks:
Most luxury DC hotels will have an attrition clause in their agreement. With an attrition block, sometimes referred to as a contract block, you make a financial guarantee to fill a set percentage of the blocked rooms.
There’s a bit more skin in the game with this option. You are contractually obligated to fill a percentage of reserved hotel rooms. These rates may vary, but they generally sit at around 80%.
Attrition Block: A contracted agreement with a hotel that guarantees a set number of reserved rooms at a discounted rate. The host is financially responsible for booking a minimum percentage of the reserved rooms — any that go unbooked may result in an attrition fee.
An attrition block is best for events with a set number of guests who need accommodations and offers a discounted rate.
For example, if you block off 20 rooms with an 80% attrition rate, that means you agree to have 16 out of those 20 rooms booked by the cut-off date. If guests only book 13 out of those 20 rooms, you are required to pay for those 3 other rooms to meet the agreed-upon attrition rate.
There are many benefits to booking an attrition block. These include the ability to block a higher number of rooms, potential for higher room discounts, and extras like free parking, free welcome bags, and room upgrades.
The contract and financial commitment scare some couples off. However, if you can negotiate well and feel confident hitting that attrition rate, it can pay off.
We do not recommend signing a hotel block contract with an attrition clause unless you are confident you will fill those rooms. Consider talking with specific guests in advance and confirm that they will book a room before you commit.
How to Set Up Your DC Hotel Block
Now that you know your options, here’s how to actually make it happen.
Need extra support in following these steps? Get in touch with one of our Kinfete Weddings & Events planners to help walk you through the process with confidence.
Identify Your Needs
First, estimate how many rooms to block. To calculate this, you can follow these steps:
- Count your out-of-town guests. Be sure to factor in those with family in town who they might stay with, plus 1s, and room sharing.
- Divide your total estimated out-of-town guests by 2.5 to find the raw number of rooms needed.
- Somewhere between 50% to 70% of guests will actually book the recommended hotel. To capture this rate, multiply your calculated number of rooms by 0.6—a safe average of 60%.
For example, if you have 100 guests traveling from out of town for your event, divide this by 2.5 to get 40 rooms. Then multiply this by .6 to get 24. This is a rough estimate of how many rooms to block off for your event.
Then, consider the following to figure out how many nights these rooms will need to be blocked off:
- Rehearsal dinner
- Welcome party
- Post-wedding activities
Once you have an estimate of how many rooms and how many nights to block off, your event coordinator or travel agent can begin reaching out to hotels. Most couples block rooms for the night before and the night of the wedding.
Contact Hotels
You will want to begin securing your hotel block around 9-12 months in advance. While you shop around for hotels near your venue, you’ll need to decide which block type works best for your event.
This will depend on your event budget, venue versus hotel location, out-of-town guest count, and desired accommodation perks. You may even book more than one hotel block using a courtesy block at one and a contract block at another.
While you can independently reach out to hotels directly, we highly recommend you work with your event coordinator or use a free hotel block service such as Hotel Gurus [aff]. They’ll match you with a travel agent who puts out proposals for you and then comes back with a spreadsheet of options.
You can let them know which hotel(s) you would like to have a block at and they can negotiate the contract for you — no direct communication necessary. This removes the stress of having to figure it out on your own and leaves the work to the professionals.
Something to note: if your event is at a hotel, it often offers a hotel block with your venue contract. Check with your event coordinator to learn more about what your venue offers.
Hotel Block Terms to Know
Above all else, you will wan to stay in the loop during this process. Here are some terms to review while communicating with hotels or your travel agent.
Deposit:
An upfront payment to a hotel to secure an agreed-upon number of hotel rooms for an event. You must meet the contract terms to get your deposit back.
Cancellation Policy:
Specific conditions under which you may cancel your hotel block or number of reserved rooms without facing financial penalties. Many hotels give you a deadline — usually 30 to 90 days out — to cancel with little to no penalty.
Allowable Shrinkage Clause:
A number or percentage of unbooked rooms a hotel will allow. For example: with a 15% shrinkage allowance on 20 blocked rooms, 3 can go unbooked with no financial responsibility.
Attrition Rate:
This is the number of hotel rooms guests must book out of the total number of hotel rooms you reserved with your hotel block. For example: if you reserve 20 rooms at an 80% attrition rate, guests need to book 16 of them. Anything less means you’ll pay a fee to cover the unbooked rooms.
Cut-Off Date:
The date by which a hotel requires guests to book their rooms before they are released to the general public. Many hotels will have a cut-off date of 30 days before your event.
Courtesy Block:
A small number of hotel rooms set aside for your guests with no financial commitment to the host. Rooms are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and guests book and pay for their own rooms directly.
Attrition Block:
A contracted agreement with a hotel that guarantees a set number of reserved rooms at a discounted rate. The host is financially responsible for booking a minimum percentage of the reserved rooms — any that go unbooked may result in an attrition fee.
Ready to get started? Check out Kinfete Weddings & Events Hotel Guru affiliate link here!
Sharing Your DC Hotel Block Information
Once you’ve gotten the details hammered out, it’s time to share accommodations with your guests. The easiest way to do this is on your invitations and/or wedding website.
Keep your wording succinct and clear so guests aren’t confused about how to reserve a room using your hotel block.
“We have blocked rooms at (hotel name). You may call the hotel directly and mention (event name) or use the link below. Please do so by (cut-off date) to receive the group rate of $___. (insert hotel contact information)”
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Final Thoughts on DC Hotel Blocks
Ultimately, hotel blocks might not be the most glamorous line on your wedding to-do list, but they make a real difference for the guests traveling in to celebrate with you. Whether you go with a no-strings courtesy block or lock in a contract block for extra perks, the goal is the same: give your people an easy, affordable place to land.
Still not sure which option fits your event? That’s exactly the kind of detail we love sorting out with our couples — reach out and let’s figure it out together. Chat with us.
