EDR guestcount & lodging

Dreamgirl08 · 07-24-2008, 09:44 PM

Guys, I'm having quite a situation with some of our guests. Many of them want to stay at another resort and purchase the day pass to come to our wedding. But I was told that we were only allowed to have no more than 5 guests stay elsewhere. I feel this is very inconsiderete on behalf of EDR. I mean, it's not like I can force my guests to stay at EDR. Honestly, even the most affordable rooms at EDR is pretty expensive so it's totally
understandable. I mentioned the 5 ONLY thing on my wedding website but I guess it didn't work.

. This has me so worried and feeling bad for some of my guests.

What have your expeirences been with this at EDR?

Morgan · 07-24-2008, 09:47 PM

Would switching hotels be an option? EDR has a lot of rules. I can understand them having a minimum number of guests to get some sort of perk, but a max that can stay elsewhere? that's a little absurd.

pryzeless · 07-25-2008, 10:06 AM

I did not encounter this problem but almost all of our guests are staying there. I would tell the WC that you need an exception or you will change locations/hotels. I know other resorts have a percent rule, that a percentage have to stay there.

MelanieS · 07-25-2008, 01:57 PM

Have they compared the price of an AI room at EDR to another resort plus the $72+ day pass plus the roundtrip taxi costs? There might not be as much of a savings as they would think by staying somewhere ese. All of my daughter's guests stayed at EDR because everyone wanted to be together. There was always someone to ride bikes, karaoke, swim, and eat with. Plus, everyone loved the rooms, food and service.

monicaswave · 07-25-2008, 03:11 PM

Sorry to hear you are going through that Linda. I am not too knowledgable on EDR but I know many of the brides here are. I wonder how they actually make sure the number of guests that are supposed to stay there do stay there.

So what happens if less people than are supposed to stay there stay? I mean, they wouldn't stop the wedding would they?

TA Jennifer · 07-25-2008, 04:17 PM

I've wrote this before on the forum but I don't remember where. But to repeat myself- the resorts do not do a required min. of guests staying on property so much for extra $$$ but more so to keep all the oether guests happy. Look at it like this- you book an AI resort for your honeymoon or vacation. Someone has a DW there and all of a sudden the beach is crowded, the pool area is impossible to find a chair and public areas are crowded and it takes you twice as long to get a drink at the bar because suddenly the resort is accomodating not only the people booked at the resort but the DW guests also.

The bathrooms are busier, the walkways are busier and overall you are not getting the vacation you paid for! You'd be really upset- I know I would be!

The resorts are built to accomodation comfortably a certain amount of people. The amenities and overall ambience is based on that head count. The more expensive an resort generally the more "space" you have per person (this goes for cruise ships also!) and usualy the less people they will allow in for a day pass.

The resorts do limit the number of day passes they give out-especially at an all inclusive as they don't want the facilities over run and the guests who are staying there upset.

I'd let your guests know that although you sympathize and hope that they can still attend- if they book elsewhere their is no guarantee they will be allowed in to attend the wedding.

Good luck!

niels408 · 07-25-2008, 04:57 PM

Sorry to hear your dilemma! We are staying there for our "honeymoon", so not having to deal with booking guests there...but its understandable with the economy & the whole airfare mess that guest may want to find other resort, too bad EDR can't understand that!!!

Good luck!

Laura

TA Jennifer · 07-25-2008, 07:00 PM

Curious Laura if you wouldn't mind an extra 50-100 people at the resort every day of your honeymoon because the extra guests from 1, 2 maybe 3 weddings that day?

When you want a beverage instead of walking right up to the bar you can't get to it because every seat is taken and there are people standing 2 deep? Now it takes 15 minutes to get a drink- the bartenders are too busy to be friendly and keep everything spotless.

You go to get a chair by the pool but the weddng guests have taken them all..... really where else will they go when waiting for the bride & groom because they don't have rooms ?

You want lunch but the restaurant is full and instead of a 10 minute wait you now have an hour ?

Many times the guests will get there early to fully enjoy the resort (especailly if they are trying to save $$ by not staying at an AI) but the day passers only have access to the public spaces.

These are many of the reasons that the resort can not allow unlimited amount of day passes for people to come onsite just for a wedding. The people who have spent the $$ to stay at that propery have certain expectations and it would not be fair to them for El Dorado to over run the property with non- guests.

They could probably make more $$ by allowing an unlimited amount of guest and charging day pass fees- think about it...the resort fills to capacity ( and El Dorado does quite often) and then get another 100 or so per day pass.....

They'd do quite well as they have so many weddings!

Tammy Host · 07-25-2008, 07:27 PM

TA Jennifer is absolutely right. the resorts must make sure that other paying guests are getting their money's worth also. Just because a bride is having 30-40 guests at a resort does not mean that the resort should bend all rules for them because what about the other 600+ guests? i would be really pissed if i went to a resort and the restaurants were overbooked or i could not get a massage because a bunch of non-guests took all the spots.

Dreamgirl08 · 07-25-2008, 11:07 PM

Wow, thanks so much to everyone on here for your feedback. What really sucks about the whole thing is that we're only expecting about 20-25 guests. Maybe 15 of these guests might be willing to book at EDR, but we're not sure of the others. Is there a nice way for me to put this in words for them {on my wedding website}? Any suggestions..?