It's your birthday and you'll travel if you want to. Let this be your mantra when planning your next b-day bash – don't worry about tightening up your invite list because this year, the more, the merrier and everyone can come. How? Gone are the days of blowing out your candles and wishing your entire group can be there to see it happen thanks to this guide to booking hotel room blocks for your birthday extravaganza. From group rate basics to negotiating like a pro, use this guide for your next destination birthday party (yes, that's a thing) so you can have your cake and eat it too.
Good news, traveling with your entire friend group easily means you're already looking to book 9 or more rooms! Most hotels require a 9 room minimum for group hotel reservations but some special hotels only require 5 rooms or more.
As mentioned, a hotel room block is typically a reservation of 9+ hotel rooms. The perk of booking rooms in these large blocks is that they will save you and your birthday besties both time and money. How much will you save? When booking blocks of ten or more rooms at a time, you may be able to save 15-40% because of the group rate deals offered by hotels. Buying in bulk typically means savings, savings, savings!
Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of having to call a dozen hotels around the globe to try and negotiate room block deals for your group? Simply enter your dream budget, location and the number of rooms needed. Next, we will begin working within our network and negotiate the best group rates for you. Finally, you will simply sit back, select your favorite hotels from the bunch and voilà, you are done. How easy is that?
So you filled out the room block form, set your dream budget and pressed 'enter,' now what? One of our experienced group travel agents will reach out to you to gather a few more details so they can begin contacting properties in our network. The hotels will begin submitting proposals for your birthday business! It may take a few days, but each hotel in the area that is able to match your budget/room request will reach out with a bid containing rates, dates and rules. After you recieve your online bids, you have a few options: 1. Decline (so sad). 2. Counter with another bid (and hone your bargaining skills while you're at it). 3. Lock it in! You love this bid and you're ready to commit. Finalize it and get your b-day fam pumped.
The rule of thumb for reserving room blocks is typically 3-8 months ahead of your travel dates. If you are just starting to plan your event, you can search for venues on The Venue Report to message them about their event spaces. Once you find your venue, you are ready to book your room blocks!
The more, the merrier in this case. This is YOUR birthday, make it count! Room block inquiry forms can handle customized requests so you can get tailored bids back (isn't that exciting?). Simply put, the more information the hotels have from you, the more they can do for you.
Before you change your mantra to, "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to," listen up. Reasons we may not have heard back from any hotels with a bid include: 1. You didn't meet the minimum night stay (2 night minimums are very common); 2. The hotels in the area may be completely booked; 3. You set your budget way too low. Inside tip: The further out you book, the less likely it is you'll run into these problems. Luckily your Venue Report group travel advisor will be there every step of the way to help advise.
Once you and the hotel both come to an agreement on the group room rate for your birthday bash, our advisor will send the final contract straight to your inbox! The very last step is to simply accept and sign your contract to secure your negotiated group room rate. Refresh your inbox and you're done (insert praise hands here).
Yes! Certain room block platforms have special bonds with hotel partners meaning your bid could include special perks and upgrades for your whole group. Talk about icing on the cake.
Simply email the awesome planner who has been assisting you and they will happily help you with your reservation changes. Oh and by the way, your Venue Report planner will also keep a updated rooming list for you to keep track of who has claimed their room from your block!
If you waited past a bid's expiration date to reserve your room but want to move forward with it, fear not. You can always ask your Venue Report planner to re-open the bid and start the negotiations again. The original negotiated room rate and room details are not guaranteed past the expiration date, but there is always the chance that the hotel will happily assist you. Pro Tip: Always be sure to accept a bid within the stated time frame!
Last but certainly not least, make sure you take into account the check-in time of the hotels you choose so it doesn’t conflict with the starting time of your birthday celebrations. After all, there's nothing worse than you and your friends coming off of a long flight and having to get ready in the lobby bathroom or Uber. Pro Tip: Ask the hotels if they would allow earlier check-in for a certain amount of rooms – there's strength in numbers!
Still need to find a venue for your birthday? Start your birthday party venue search now →
