Travel Deal of the Day (Apr. 30, 2007)

Springtime is wedding season. If you are going to a wedding, beware of the “wedding rate” when booking a hotel room at the wedding.

The Deal:
When a hotel blocks rooms for a wedding, they often create a group rate for people staying at the hotel for a wedding. This rate often (but not always) is higher than the lowest available (discounted) rate for guests not involved with the wedding. This is either because the hotel is giving a free room away to the wedding couple and must recoup the cost of that room (by raising the wedding rate), or the hotel figures wedding guests will not shop around for the lowest rates. So, as a savvy consumer, when booking a hotel for a wedding, find out the wedding rate and the discounted rates otherwise available. Also, check into rates at neighboring hotels.

How:
When booking a hotel for a wedding:
1) Find out the wedding rate;
2) Find out the discounted rates at the hotel for non-wedding guests;
3) Find out rates at neighboring hotels (as noted in the Nov. 24, 2006 post, if you are willing to be in the “area” of the wedding, but possibly not be at the exact hotel, you can save big).