If you’ve even just dipped your toes into the destination wedding planning, you probably have already come across a confusing term: the “room block.” Almost every resort asks that couples have a room block as a part of their destination wedding contract—so it’s crucial that you understand the ins and outs of resort room blocks.

Luckily, that’s exactly what I’m covering in this blog post! Read on to demystify the world of destination wedding room blocks—and why savvy couples NEED to have one.

So, what is a “room block”?

I’m glad you’ve asked 😉 It’s pretty simple: When you sign your contract with your destination wedding resort, they will block off a certain number of rooms just for your wedding guests—at the current price. This means two things: 1) Even if the rest of the resort sells out of rooms, guests will still be able to book into your room block since the rooms were set aside, and 2) The room rate is locked in for your room block when you sign the contract—so even if other rooms at the resort raise in price, the rooms available to you guests within your room block won’t.

Generally, a resort will have a minimum number of rooms that must be set aside to form a room block (often, it’s a 10-room minimum), but you can set aside more.

Why should couples have a room block?

Hopefully, the benefits to your guests are obvious—you’re setting aside guaranteed rooms for them at a guaranteed price! But you, as the couple, get some major perks too.

To incentivize couples to bring more guests to the property, resorts will usually tie special perks and amenities to filling up your room block. Often, the more rooms booked, the more perks you get! This could be an upgrade to your own room (or a room completely free), a complimentary cocktail hour reception for you and your guests, and more—it varies from resort to resort.

Having guests book into your room block also helps to keep things organized. When everyone books within the room block, the resort can keep track of exactly who’s coming, and pass that information on to you. It’s one thing to get an RSVP for “yes” back from an invited wedding guest … but the real RSVP happens when they make their booking!

Are there any downsides to having a room block?

Well, it depends on how you look at it. To set up your room block, the resort will ask you to put down a deposit on the rooms. That may scare couples—but keep in mind that once your guests actually book into the room block, the deposit you put down will go toward the cost of your own room.

Some couples are also concerned that if they don’t book out their room block, they’ll lose their deposit. That could happen—if you’re not paying attention to your “drop dates.” Resorts will build in drop dates into your room block contract, allowing you to reduce the size of your room block by certain dates without penalty. This is great if you end up having fewer guests able to attend your wedding than you initially thought. Just make sure you carefully keep track of your drop dates so you don’t miss them (or better let, have your travel advisor—like me!—keep track of it all for you).

Do guests have to book in the room block?

You really, really want them to! If your guests book a room at the destination wedding resort but not within the room block—that room is not counted toward the rooms you are contracted to fill. In other words, rooms booked outside of your room block won’t help you earn perks or upgrades, and could even leave you on the hook for your deposit.

Sometimes, your invited guests want to attend your wedding festivities, but may want to book at another resort entirely. They may do so because they want to save money—they should know, though, that many resorts will charge them to come on property to attend the wedding reception (if they even allow it at all!).

Staying off property means those guests would also miss out on other wedding festivities, like a welcome reception or a big brunch party the day after your wedding. Couples usually opt for destination weddings because they want to celebrate more than just the wedding with their friends and family—hosting a resort destination wedding gives you so much more together time spread out over days, not just hours. Having guests forgo the room block and book elsewhere defies the spirit of destination weddings altogether!

Your next steps …

Hopefully, you now have a clearer idea on how a room block functions—and why you would want one. Keep in mind that if you were confused by the concept of room blocks, your guests will be too … so you want to make sure you have someone on your team to lay it all out for them!

That’s why, as your destination wedding advisor, I’ll put together a custom wedding website for you to share with your guests, so they can easily book themselves right into your room block. If they have any questions, they can come straight to me to get them answered. I’m here to make everything leading up to your big day as smooth-sailing as possible—for both you AND your guests.

If that sounds like what you’re after, then let’s connect on a complimentary consultation call to chat!