Key facts
- Typical trigger
- About 9 or more rooms per night
- Two kinds
- Courtesy block (guests pay, little or no penalty) and contracted block (you guarantee a minimum)
- Key terms
- Rate, cutoff date, attrition, cancellation schedule, rooming list
Courtesy block or contracted block
| Courtesy block | Contracted block | |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays | Each guest books and pays | Guests book, but the organizer guarantees a minimum |
| Penalty if rooms go unused | Usually none; unbooked rooms are released at the cutoff | Attrition fee for rooms below the agreed percentage |
| Best for | Weddings, club teams where families book their own rooms | Schools and companies paying for everyone, large events |
The terms that matter
- Cutoff date. The hotel holds the rooms and the group rate until this date. After it, the hotel can release and resell unbooked rooms.
- Attrition. The share of the block you must fill to avoid a penalty. Brown University's procurement guidelines give a clear example: on a 20-room-night block with 80% attrition, you must use 16 room nights; if you use 12, you pay for the 4 short. Brown tells its departments to keep attrition at or below 80% and to try to remove it on small blocks.
- Cancellation schedule. Penalties often rise as the date gets closer. Brown's guide shows a schedule that goes from 25% of room revenue 120 to 91 days out to 80% inside 30 days.
- Rooming list vs. individual reservations. With a rooming list, the organizer sends the hotel every guest's name. With individual reservations, guests book through a link or a code.
- Comp rooms. Some hotels offer one free room for a set number of paid room nights. Ask; it is common in group sales but not guaranteed.
Dates and 9 rooms prefilled. Change them in the booking card.
What to negotiate
- Attrition at 80% or lower, or none for a small block.
- A cutoff date as late as possible, ideally after your team's qualifying game.
- A rate that is at least as good as the public rate, with a clause that lets guests book a lower public rate without hurting your count.
- Free breakfast, bus parking, a meeting room or a late checkout for game days.
- The right to reduce the block without penalty up to a set date.
When not to use a block
For a few rooms, or when public rates are already low, booking standard rooms with free cancellation on a booking site is simpler and often cheaper. Check the public rate for your dates before you sign anything.
Frequently asked questions
How many rooms do you need for a hotel room block?
Many hotels start group rates at about 9 or 10 rooms per night, but policies vary by hotel.
What is an attrition clause?
The minimum share of the block you must use. If your group books fewer rooms, you pay a penalty for the shortfall.
What happens after the cutoff date?
The hotel can release unbooked rooms back to general sale, and late guests may not get the group rate.
Is a courtesy block free?
Usually there is no penalty for unused rooms, but the hotel may hold fewer rooms and release them earlier.
Sources
- Brown University Procurement: Hotel Room Block Agreements Guidelines (2023)
- Joy: What is an attrition clause in a hotel block?
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