Quick Answer
How Do I Set Up a Hotel Room Block for a Family Reunion?
Contact 2–3 nearby hotels 6–9 months ahead. Ask for a "room block" of 10–20 rooms at a group rate, held until 30 days before the event. You typically need no deposit — the hotel releases unsold rooms after the cutoff date.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your Room Block
Estimate how many rooms you need
Count out-of-town guests and divide by roughly 2 (most couples share a room). Add 20% as a buffer. For a 60-person reunion with 25 out-of-town adults, you might block 15–18 rooms. It's better to block slightly more than you think — unsold rooms are simply released after the cutoff date.
Contact hotels 6–9 months in advance
Call or email the sales department (not the front desk) at 2–3 hotels near your venue. Search for hotels within 5–10 minutes of your reunion site. Ask specifically to speak with the group sales coordinator — they handle room blocks. Don't book through a reservations line; go directly to group sales.
Ask the right questions
Key things to negotiate: (1) Group rate — typically 10–20% below the standard rack rate. (2) Cutoff date — the deadline by which your guests must book. 30 days before the event is standard. (3) Attrition clause — some hotels require you to fill 80–90% of blocked rooms or pay a fee. Avoid attrition clauses if possible, especially for first-time reunions where attendance is uncertain.
Compare 2–3 offers before committing
Hotels compete for group business. Once you have one quote, use it to negotiate with others. Look at: total room cost, included amenities (free parking, breakfast, pool access), proximity to your venue, and whether the hotel has meeting space if you need it for indoor activities.
Get the agreement in writing
Ask for a written room block agreement before signing anything. Review: the group rate per night, the cutoff date, the number of rooms held, the cancellation policy, and whether there is an attrition clause. If an attrition clause is included, try to negotiate it down to 70% or eliminate it entirely.
Share the booking link with your guests
The hotel will give you a unique group booking link or a phone number with a group code. Include this in your reunion invitation and any reminder emails. Remind guests of the cutoff date 60 days out and again 30 days out — after the cutoff, they'll pay standard rates if rooms are still available.
What to Watch Out For
Attrition clauses
Some hotels require 80–90% of blocked rooms to be filled or charge a fee. Negotiate these out if you can.
Early cutoff dates
A 60-day cutoff is aggressive. Push for 21–30 days — that's the industry standard for small groups.
Booking through the wrong channel
Only guests who book using your group code or link will get the group rate. Make sure the instructions are crystal clear.
Not sending reminders
Guests forget. Send a reminder at 60 days and again at 30 days before the cutoff date. Reunly's messaging tool makes this easy.
How Reunly Helps
Once you have your room block set up, the next challenge is making sure guests actually use it. Reunly lets you add hotel booking details directly to your reunion's information page, send reminder messages to all guests at once, and track who has RSVP'd and who still needs a nudge.
You can include the group code, the cutoff date, and direct booking instructions in your reunion's guest portal so everything is in one place — no more answering the same hotel question thirty times by email. When you know how many out-of-town guests have confirmed, you'll have a much better sense of whether your room block size is right.
🚀 With Reunly
Keep all your reunion details in one place
Hotel info, RSVPs, schedules — Reunly keeps guests informed so you're not answering the same email 40 times.
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Reunly keeps your entire reunion organized — from room block reminders to the final headcount.
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