Room blocks: how hotel rooms shape a wedding budget

In most destination weddings we plan, guest rooms are the single largest cost, larger even than the venue or the food. Many couples do not realise this until they see the first budget, so here is how room blocks work in Udaipur.

Palace and lake hotels usually ask the wedding family to book a minimum number of rooms, often the whole property, for two or three nights, in exchange for using their courtyards and lawns. In peak season, rooms at these hotels range from ₹18,000 to ₹65,000 a night, sometimes more for suites. A block of 80 rooms for three nights at an average of ₹28,000 comes to ₹67 lakh before taxes. Haveli hotels have fewer rooms, so families often book a second hotel nearby for the overflow.

To plan a block, start with a realistic count of who will stay and for how many nights. Close family usually stays three nights; friends and colleagues often come for one or two. Couples sharing, children and elders who need ground-floor rooms all change the numbers. We build a room sheet early, with every guest’s name, nights and room type, and update it every week.

Hotels set a release date, usually 45 to 60 days before the wedding, after which unused rooms in the block are still charged. Ask guests to confirm by a firm date that comes before the release date. If you are unsure of numbers, a smaller block at the main venue with rooms held at a second hotel nearby is often the safer and cheaper choice.