Hotel Room Block Management: 6 Tips For Group Sales Success
Do you stress about room block management at your hotel? Working with event planners to manage and maintain room blocks can be daunting for you and hotel staff, but it is essential to running successful groups and events at your hotel. Whether you have event space for corporate meetings or social gatherings, properly managing these room blocks can increase group revenue and customer satisfaction. Here are some tips for effectively managing room reservations for groups at your hotel.
What is Hotel Room Block Management?
A room block sometimes called a group block refers to a set of hotel rooms reserved for a group of attendees for an event. As a hotel, you keep a group of rooms available for booking to ensure accommodation availability for the event’s duration. You may offer special rates or amenities for these large reservations. Sometimes you may offer a sub-block to accommodate a specific sub-group such as VIPs, speakers, etc. As part of event management, you implement a contract that includes specific clauses about your group block including attrition and cancellation policies, and specify cut-off dates for booking.
The event planner is responsible for securing the room block as part of the group booking. But as the hotel, you are responsible for many things including managing and forecasting room inventory, implementing the group block contract, monitoring and communicating updates to the event planner, and many other logistical tasks related to the block and any subblocks.
1. Start Early
The key to successful room block management is to start early. As soon as you receive a request for a room block, begin setting it up by specifying the rooms and rates. This will give you enough time to make the necessary arrangements and ensure the block is set up correctly. Starting early also allows you to communicate with the event planner to ensure their needs are met.
2. Communicate Clearly
Communication is crucial especially when room accommodations are involved. Make sure to communicate the terms and conditions of the block to the event planner or group leader. This includes the number of rooms available, the cutoff date for reservations, and any special rates or amenities. It is also important to communicate any changes or updates to the block promptly.
3. Utilize Hotel Room Block Management Technology
Tools and software that help with hotel room block management, like Tripleseat Hotels, will streamline the group sales process. Tripleseat Hotels allows you to book, manage, and plan guest room blocks, banquet space, and every detail in between. If you are manually managing events and room blocks, it’s time to turn to tech.
Learn how Springboard Hospitality has increased group business by using Tripleseat Hotels. The GRC (Guest Room Control), robust event management features, and integration with OPERA’s Property Management System have streamlined Springboard’s group business for both room blocks and stand-alone private event bookings for the different spaces across their properties.
4. Be Flexible
While having clear terms and conditions contracts for your room blocks is important, it is also important to be flexible. Events and groups may have changing needs or circumstances, and being accommodating can lead to a positive experience for both parties. Consider offering different room types or extending the cutoff date if needed.
5. Monitor and Adjust
It is important to regularly monitor the status of your room blocks and make adjustments as needed. This includes keeping track of reservations, room availability, and any changes to the event or group. If the block is not filling up as expected, consider offering special promotions or contacting the event planner or group leader to discuss potential solutions. Robust reporting provided by Tripleseat Hotels allows you to track sales, and learn from past data to make strategic moves for growth.
6. Provide Excellent Customer Service
Customer service is key in the hospitality industry and applies to room block management. Make sure to provide prompt and helpful assistance to event planners or group leaders when they have questions or concerns. This will help ensure a successful room block and lead to positive reviews and recommendations for your hotel.
Triplseat Hotels Makes Room Block Management Easy
By following these tips, you can effectively manage room blocks at your hotel and provide a positive experience for your guests, event planners, or group leaders. Remember to start early, communicate, utilize technology, be flexible, monitor and adjust, and provide excellent customer service. With these practices in place, your hotel will be well-equipped to handle room blocks and attract more business in the future. Want to learn more about technology that makes group blocks easy? Schedule a demo to discover Tripleseat Hotels today.
