Room block

A block of rooms reserved in advance for a group of employees or an event. Booking a block secures availability and often a favourable rate for attendees of a conference, training or company event, rather than each person booking separately. Unused rooms in a block may carry a cancellation cost if not released back to the hotel in time.

Room blocks are common for conferences, training sessions, company offsites, product launches and sports or cultural events. The organiser signs an agreement with the hotel that sets the number of rooms, dates, rates and a cut-off date by which names must be provided or unused rooms released. Contracts often include an attrition clause, which allows only a certain percentage of rooms to go unused without penalty. Some agreements also include benefits such as free meeting space or complimentary rooms for organisers.

Managing a room block requires careful planning. Companies need to estimate attendance accurately, collect traveller names on time, manage changes as participants join or drop out and track which rooms are actually used. Overestimating the block leads to penalties, while underestimating it may leave some employees without a room at the event hotel. Coordinating flights and ground transport for the whole group adds another layer of complexity.

Tumodo helps with group accommodation as part of its service. When a large group needs to stay in the same hotel, the company can contact Tumodo's support team, which arranges the required number of rooms directly with the hotel. Flights, rail tickets and car transfers — including minivans, minibuses and buses — can be booked for the same trip, and all costs are reflected in one set of reports and closing documents.