A hotel room block is a hold, not a booking. The hotel sets aside rooms at an agreed rate until a cutoff date, and whatever is unsold on that date goes back into general inventory. Two dates and one word govern the whole arrangement: the cutoff, the release, and attrition.
The short version
- A block holds rooms without names, at an agreed rate, until a cutoff date.
- The cutoff is usually 30 days out and is earlier than most groups expect.
- Attrition is a clause making you pay for a proportion of unsold rooms. Read it.
- Hotels count ROOMS, not people. Ten rooms is a common threshold.
- Rooming list before cutoff, or the rate and the rooms both go.
What You Need to Know
Block, cutoff, release
The hotel agrees to hold a number of rooms of stated types on stated nights at a stated rate. That hold lasts until the cutoff date, commonly 30 days before arrival though it varies widely by property and season. At cutoff, unsold rooms are released back to the hotel and the rate no longer applies to them. Adding a room after cutoff means paying whatever the hotel is charging that day, if anything is available.
Attrition, which is the clause that costs money
Many group contracts contain an attrition clause: if you fill fewer than an agreed proportion of the block, you pay for some of the shortfall. A typical shape is that you must fill 80 percent, with the group liable for a proportion of the rest. It is entirely reasonable from the hotel's side, and it is why you should block the number you are confident of rather than the number you hope for. Blocks are easier to add to than to shrink.
Ask three questions before signing: what percentage must we fill, what do we pay if we do not, and by what date can the block be reduced without penalty.
Rates, taxes and what is included
- Is the rate per room or per person? This is the commonest misunderstanding in group hotel pricing.
- Are taxes and city or tourist levies included? Many are payable locally, per person per night, and surprise people at checkout.
- Is breakfast included, and for how many people per room?
- Is there a resort fee or service charge added on arrival?
- Is a complimentary room offered at a ratio, and who does it belong to?
Room types are a planning problem, not a detail
A twin room has two beds; a double has one. In much of the world the default is a double, and a group of same-sex friends sharing will need twins specifically requested and confirmed. Triple rooms frequently mean a rollaway bed in a double. Connecting rooms for families are limited and go early. Accessible rooms are usually few, and one per hotel is common; see choosing an accessible hotel.
How It Works
- Estimate rooms, not people, using a realistic share assumption.
- Request the block with types, nights and approximate numbers.
- Read the contract for the cutoff, the attrition clause and the reduction dates.
- Block conservatively, and ask how to add rooms later.
- Collect the rooming list early. See rooming lists.
- Submit before the cutoff, with names and bedding preferences.
- Reduce within the allowance if numbers have fallen.
- Reconfirm a week out, including special requests.
What to Do Before Your Trip
- Confirm the check-in time and what happens if the group arrives at 7am.
- Ask about luggage storage for early arrival or late departure.
- Confirm where a coach can stop relative to the entrance.
- Check the lift and the accessible room if anyone needs them.
- Ask about a meeting space if the group needs to gather.
Important Considerations
Early arrival is a real problem for groups
A long-haul flight landing at 7am meets a hotel with a 3pm check-in, and thirty tired people with luggage in a lobby is a poor start. Options: pay for the previous night so rooms are ready, negotiate early check-in for a portion of the block, or arrange a place for luggage and a first activity. Decide it at booking, not on the morning.
Block conservatively and add
Because attrition penalizes over-blocking and hotels will usually try to accommodate additions, the asymmetry favors caution. Ask specifically how additions are handled and at what rate.
Tips for Group Travelers
- Reply to the rooming request promptly. The cutoff is the hotel's, not the organizer's.
- State bedding preference explicitly: twin or double is not obvious from names.
- Book within the block, not directly, or you will not get the rate or be on the list.
- Raise accessibility needs at booking, because those rooms are few.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Blocking optimistically and paying attrition.
- Missing the cutoff and losing both the rate and the rooms.
- Assuming a double is a twin.
- Forgetting local taxes and resort fees.
- Not planning for an early arrival.
- Letting travelers book outside the block.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a room block?
Rooms held at an agreed rate without names until a cutoff date, after which unsold rooms return to the hotel's general inventory.
What is attrition?
A contract clause making the group liable for a proportion of unsold rooms if it fills less than an agreed percentage of the block. Ask the percentage, the liability and the reduction date.
When is the cutoff?
Commonly around 30 days before arrival, but it varies by property and season, and can be much earlier in peak periods. It is in the contract.
Can we add rooms later?
Usually, subject to availability and at the prevailing rate rather than the block rate. Ask how additions are handled before you sign.
Twin or double?
A twin has two beds, a double has one, and much of the world defaults to a double. Specify explicitly for anyone sharing who is not a couple.
Related Travel Tips
- Group travel, the section this guide belongs to.
- Rooming Lists
- Group Payment Plans
- Hotel Safety Abroad
Want the block, the cutoff and the attrition clause negotiated by somebody who reads them daily?
Verify Before You Travel
- The hotel's own group contract: cutoff, attrition, reduction dates and what the rate includes.
- State Department country information, for local taxes and lodging conditions.
- The property directly, for accessible rooms, meeting space and early check-in.