Accommodation dilemma - advice

Sorry to hear about your problems, although not sure you'd be able to get out of venue at this short notice without incurring costs, as well as running risk of lack of alternative venue... that said, you could get quite a good deal because of last minute?

Maybe find a hotel a little outside of town and recommend your visitors stay there. If enough people are there, you could suggest sharing taxis, hiring a minibus, etc. or do it for them?

Why can't you have any of the other rooms at your venue if you're willing to pay their Valentines Package? Or does that include meals and stuff you don't need?

Thanks for responding Pooba, yes we are just waiting to hear back about how much we would potentially lose. Plus, we loved the venue - but I've had a bad feeling about the Five Arrows Hotel from the start. We were told we could have half the rooms, which was annoying enough, now told none.

The only issue with the hotels in the surrounding area, is they are either way too expensive - or they are not special enough (without sounding snobby in the slightest, I just didn't envisage my wedding night being at The Holiday Inn!) ... there are no middle of the road hotels nearby, unless we travel a significant distance. The reason we chose the venue was so we didn't have to travel.

I think the Valentines package involves food, yes. And as it is, they are charging £100 more a night for the bridal suite than they normally would.

The only other option is changing the date, but obviously that's dependent on availability.

Hello! I am getting married in Aylesbury I'll try and think of some alternative accommodation for you ?

Although I'm sure you've check out all options

No worries, 4monthstogo. Sorry I couldn't really help!

Re. you were told you could have half the rooms - do you have this (and prices quoted at the time) in writing at all? If yes, you could refer back to that and demand what you were offered. If not, eep... maybe play up to them and their kind nature. A wonderful hotel firm like that will always stick by their word, right? [Not sure if sarcasm coming across well in text...]

Is the date special for you? Or could Five Arrows suggest/refer your date to a day that works for you for minimal cost?

Also, have you booked any other suppliers yet? Or given notice? Any changes you make will have to be run by them and you'd have to give notice again if ANYTHING is amended - we were considering pulling back our ceremony from 3pm to 2pm, but would need to give notice and pay £70 again. No chance of that.

Thanks Chaffinch! I have checked out most, but there's bound to be something I've missed so any help much appreciated!

I assume you've tried the Lion?

Maybe I'm not understanding correctly, but is there a reason you can't take the Bridal Suite that was offered, and then recommend your guests book rooms at some of the surrounding hotels? You can give them suggestions at various price points since you mentioned both the Holiday Inn and more expensive options were nearby. As a PP suggested, you could arrange some sort of transport for your guests at the end of the night.

I understand you don't want your wedding night to be in the Holiday Inn, but you have the option of booking the Bridal Suite at the original hotel, and you don't really need to stay at the same hotel as your guests. Unless you have a scheduled a breakfast the morning after for your guests? That might change things a bit.

I sympathise because we had big problems with hotels because we booked our wedding very close to a public event in that area without realising and a lot of the hotels are booked up already! I had a bit of a panic thinking that guests would have nowhere to stay and therefore wouldn't come! But after a bit of digging I have found a few places in the surrounding area. How much would you say is extortionate? All the local hotels are quoting us about £90 for a double room, which I felt was quite a lot and was nervous about expecting guests to pay this much, but I have been told by several people that this is a "normal" amount to pay. I am going to put various options/suggestions of hotels/B&Bs in the area and let guests chose whichever they feel comfortable with. I think you should take advantage of the honeymoon suite at that hotel next door though, why not?

Hi I think changing venue entirely might be a bit of a knee jerk reaction (albeit understandable - it's so frustrating when things seem to constantly change etc let alone to do with the wedding!!) I'd book wherever makes you and h2b happy for the wedding night and then as others have said give a range of options at different price points and let people choose, the look I to helping to make travel arrangements even only as far as putting people in touch with others staying in the same hotel?

Wea eat re getting married in Maidenhead, so not a million miles from you, and our venue isn't a hotel and is in a village with no accommodation other than rooms above a pub! We went to some local hotels and asked what they could do for a block reservation and explained the situation. In short we have a deals with a local 5* place which has reserved us ten rooms to start with and fixed rates for the nights we want around the wedding all consdierably cheaper than their web prices! we don't pay for anything and if the rooms don't get booked (no minimum number of bookings needed) they just release them for public booking on an agreed date prior to the wedding. Maybe you could approach the expensive hotel and see if they could do similar? Xx

Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated! Heard back from the venue and they've given us 6 out of the 16 rooms which is better than nothing, but we are just deciding what to do. You're right re block bookings, will try again with that and yes, maybe letting others sort their accommodation would be much easier!

good luck with your wedding! Xx

Hi- i think others have given you great advice- just make sure you and h2b are happy ?

Ive only got a couple needing a hotel room, and tbh im letting them sort it, i probably sound a bit selfish but ive enough to do!

I hope everything works out for you, sure it will all slot into place x