After you’ve booked your wedding and/or reception venue(s), it’s time to arrange hotel rooms for yourselves, your family and your out-of-town guests. Working with Discover St. Louis Park can make this task easy – and our services are free of charge!
What is a Hotel Room Block?
A hotel room block is a number of rooms set aside for your group at an agreed upon rate. The smallest room block typically starts at 10 rooms. Because you are reserving a block of rooms, the hotel will typically be willing to negotiate a special rate for your group.
When to Set Up Your Room Block
As soon as you have a solid estimate of your guest count, it’s time to set up your room block. You’ll ideally want to begin this process 6-8 months before your wedding date.
One Hotel or Two?
Some bridal websites will suggest setting up 2-3 different hotel room blocks to give your guests options. However, unless you are having a very large wedding, with lots of out-of-town guests, we recommend choosing just 1 or 2 hotels. Why? The larger your room block, the more willing the hotel will be to offer you a discount on your room rate and/or extra amenities.
Choosing Your Hotel
St. Louis Park and Golden Valley offer 9 convenient hotels to choose from, each with their own unique qualities. You can learn more about each one here. Our hotels are within easy driving distance of area venues.
To help you choose, consider the following questions:
- How many guest rooms will you need in the block?
- Will your guests mostly be needing rooms for the evening of your wedding or for an extended period of time?
- Do you have a preference as to the hotel chain? (Marriott, Hilton, IHG, Wyndham, etc.)
- Do you want a bar/restaurant available within the hotel?
- Do you want your guests to be within walking distance of restaurants/bars?
- Do you want the hotel to have a swimming pool / hot tub?
- Do you prefer standard rooms or would you prefer an all-suite hotel?
- Is it important that the hotel provide free breakfast?
Four of our hotels are located on the north side of I-394
- Minneapolis Marriott West
- Courtyard Minneapolis West
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Minneapolis Golden Valley
- Ramada Minneapolis Golden Valley
Five hotels are located on the south side of I-394 and are within walking distance of the vibrant West End. They are:
- AC Hotel by Marriott Minneapolis West End
- DoubleTree by Hilton Minneapolis Park Place
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
- SpringHill Suites Minneapolis West (slightly less walkable)
- TownePlace Suites by Marriott (slightly less walkable)
Why Work with Discover St. Louis Park?
We can help you secure the perfect hotel room block for you and your guests, saving you time and effort. We have contacts at each of our hotel properties. Once we have your basic wedding information (date(s), number of rooms needed, hotel preferences, etc.), we will contact the hotels on your behalf to obtain quotes for your room block. After that, you can work directly with the hotel of your choice.
Important Things to Know
The hotel will set up a courtesy room block for you. You do not need to put down a deposit. The hotel will hold your room block until a certain “cut-off” date, usually 3-4 weeks prior to your wedding. If there are any rooms left in the block by that date, they will be released. You will not be financially responsible for any rooms left in the block.
Be sure to let your guests know about your room block. Include this information on your wedding website and/or with your invitations.
Parking
All our hotels offer ample free parking.
Hotel Shuttle Service
Some of our hotel properties offer complimentary hotel shuttle service for guests within a 5-mile radius. This service, however, typically operates on a first come/first serve basis and does not include scheduled drop-offs or pick-ups for weddings.
Shuttle service has been greatly impacted since the pandemic. Most hotels are not able to offer free shuttles for your guests. However, they can offer shuttle recommendations. (And you can view our list of transportation providers here.) If you have enough rooms in your block, certain hotels may offer a credit toward transportation. However, this changes all the time. We can ask the hotel to share their current shuttle information when we request a bid from them.
Other Questions You May Have
Q: Can we get a free bridal suite? A: It depends. If you have enough rooms in your block, the hotel may be willing to provide a free or deeply discounted room or an upgrade, but they are not obligated to do so. Hotels are more likely to include a free room if you are also hosting your reception with them.
Q: Can the hotel provide a hospitality suite for my family to gather / get ready? A: Yes. For a fee, most hotels will be able to arrange this.
Q: I need a space to host my rehearsal dinner. Can the hotel help? A: Yes! Most of our hotels have meeting spaces that can be configured for a rehearsal dinner and can provide catering. They can also accommodate post-wedding brunches and gift openings!
We are happy to answer any questions you may have. Simply contact us at info@discoverstlouispark.com or call 952-426-4047.
