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Step 1
Decide the minimum and maximum amount of rooms you will need. It is easier to reduce the number of rooms than to add them later. However, some group contracts may only allow you to drop a certain percentage of the rooms reserved.
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Step 2
Determine the budget and travel dates. Be sure to ask the travelers about their price range and if some will be arriving earlier or leaving later than others.
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Step 3
Choose the city or cities that would be acceptable to your group. Location may be more important than price if being closer is more convenient or if safety is an issue.
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Step 4
If a specific hotel or hotel chain is preferred, call them directly and ask for the group reservations department. Most have set business hours, often 8:00am-5:00pm local time.
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Step 5
If you would like several options, websites like HotelPlanner.com will send out a mass request. You will receive free and competing quotes directly from the hotels.
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Step 6
Once you have narrowed the choices down, ask if deposits are required and note the cancellation policy. This may be a deciding factor.
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Step 7
Consider previewing the property (or properties) prior to signing a contract. Sometimes the location is not desirable or online hotel information is not accurate.
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Step 8
Ask if points are awarded for completed reservations. It is possible that the group planner gets to decide the distribution of the points and may be able to keep them for themselves.
Comments
Tfurby said
on 4/7/2009 Good info on choosing a hotel for a group! 5*
sanderdoe said
on 3/29/2009 This is a very useful article. It is well thought out and each step is clear and well written. Choosing a hotel for a group event is a challenging thing to do and your how to makes it so much easier. 5*
atlantagolfshop said
on 3/29/2009 Thanks for this info. We are planning a class reunion and will definitely take this advice into consideration!
waters said
on 3/29/2009 Good advice 5* and recommended.