Hotel venue rental fees can be tricky. When it comes to paying for an event, no one really wants to spend a ton to host an event. Many of these events are worth the price tag. But, what if I told you that you didn’t have to spend as much as you thought you had to on your hotel budget?
What if I told you that there is a way for you to put money back into your pocket while also getting perks? FREE!
This is no bait and switch. No you don’t have to sign up to anything for me to give you these easy tips. Just leave a comment saying THANK YOU for helping you put that money to good use somewhere else.
Here are a few tricks that you can use to spend less on your hotel venue rental.
1 – Ask for a Reduced Sleeping Room Rate
When hosting an event inside a hotel and need rooms for VIPs, speakers, staff, etc, you want to ask for a reduced room rate. A combination of hosting your event there and sleeping rooms, gives you leverage for a lower room rate.
This is different from a room black where guests are paying for their own rooms at a lower rate.
BONUS: Most hotels will give you a complimentary room for every so many rooms that are booked. Example – for every 35 rooms you book, the hotel will give you one free night stay back.
Why does this matter? Most times a standard room will cost $50 or more than a reduce rate will cost. If you are paying $150 per night at the reduced rate verses $200 per night at the regular rate, you can possibly save thousands based on how many rooms you need.
2 – Ask for discounts
When it comes to decreasing your hotel venue rental fee, you want to ask for discounts. Here are a few discounts you may think you cannot get, but can:
- Discount on food and beverage menu. Hotels still have a food and beverage minimum. If you’re hosting an event most times you’ll exceed that and that is when the discount comes in handy.
- Discount on audio visual (A/V) needs. Should you use the hotel’s in-house A/V team, ask if they offer a discount. I’ve seen discounts up to 20% off. However, never allow this discount to cause you not to look at outside vendors who may charger less.
- Discounted parking. We all know how expensive hotel parking and valet service can be. Any discount in this area is WORTH IT.
3 – Rewards
Many major hotels have a hotel rewards program that gives points to the event host. Ask your hotel if they have a rewards program and see how many points they offer to you. You can redeem those points for:
- Lower room rates for future booking or free nights
- Hotel experiences
- Gift cards for restaurants and retailers
4 – Sponsorship
Based on how much you spend on hotel venue rental fee, you can negotiate. A complimentary welcome receptions or a bar from the hotel are ideas. It’s all about what leverage you will use to make them see what benefits a partnership is with you.
Why does any of this matter?
An Event Planner can reduce your hotel venue rental fee which offsets the fee you pay them. This also applies to the vendor contracts your Event Planner can negotiate.
My team and I have said clients $40,000+ by using us verses planning it themselves.
My name is Andrew Roby and I’m a Proud Army Vet who happens to be a great Event Planner. Within my 13 year career I have had the honor of working with brands such as The Knot, Munaluchi Bride, The CW, Simon Malls, The Art Institute, Northern Virginia Magazine, The City of Alexandria, VA, Vita Coco, Kind Snacks, and Honest Tea.
It’s not just about planning events. It certainly isn’t about me. It’s about making sure you get the best help to reach your bottom line.
Send me a message for more ways to save money. You’ll also have a ton of fun at your next event.