El Dorado Royale (EDR) Brides - POST HERE!

[TheWolferts]

AllieH-

 

We are using DestinationWeddings.com as well.

 

The only problem with holding less rooms than you will ultimately need is that any additional guests that book after the rooms you reserved are filled up, cannot receive any group discount that you got for your group. For us, our entire group is receiving 20% off the regular room rates. People that book outside our room block wont get the 20% off, which is quite significant!

 

My mother's husband is a travel agent and using his travel agents discount actually makes it almost 50% off normal room rates, so they are opting to book outside of our reserved rooms and obviously  forgo the 20% off. Downside for us, is that they wont count towards our reserved rooms and I dont think we will be able to meet our minimum number of 23 rooms booked I cant fault them as I completely understand them using their discount, especially since they will be able to come down for an entire week, versus the couple of days they would be able to afford even using the 20% off. They even offered to reimburse us the $100 we will owe, should we not get our 23 rooms booked, so everything will work out!

 

Hope this helps and doesnt stress you out too much! Deciding how many rooms to reserve and the anxiety of trying to fill them has been stressing me out!

 

 

 

 

 

Originally Posted by TheWolferts 

AllieH-

 

We had trouble deciding how many rooms to book, so we looked at our master invite list and went through each person and asked ourselves "is this person, without a doubt going to make it to the wedding?". If the answer was yes, we counted that as one room (for couples, we made sure to only do one per couple). We ended up reserving 30 rooms and had to put $6,000 down to hold the rooms. Be aware though that if you do not book at least 75% of the rooms you held, you will be penalized I believe $50 a person, so $100 per couple/room. So, basically you can reduce up to 25% of your total rooms held (for us, it comes out as 7 rooms, so we would only be holding 23 rooms) no later than 10 weeks before your wedding date free of charge. If we dont have at least 23 rooms booked by March 1st, we are charged $50 a person. Unfortunatly, some of our guests we counted on coming cannot attend for various reasons, so we will likely only fill 20 rooms, meaning we will owe $300.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally Posted by Stina9562 

We asked close friends and family if they would be attending and added a few extra. We did ours through Destinationweddings.com. She wasw able to adjust rooms as needed. Everyone else that is wanting to go now as it closer, I have told them they are responsible for booking.
 

 

 

[alison04]

No the Presidential does exsist and we almost picked it bacause I thought it was beautiful and very private from the pictures, but our group was way to big so it wasn't suiting. I think that's a good choice, we are going to double think everything a million times regardless

[angi111111]

All of the Gazebos are beautiful locations!

Can't go wrong with Fuentas, presidential or 55. They are all on the beach & private.

Don't worry! Alison04 is right!

 

I do like the health bar because it overlooks the beach but it's smaller and not very private- it is located on a busy walkway along the beach.

Tucanes is off the beach in the more garden area of the resort. It's very nice, lots of space and very private. Both are poolside

 

We really enjoyed our cocktail hour on the beach at Fuentas gazebo... It's perfect to Have the ceremony at then flow right over into cocktail. If I did it again, that's what I would do. I loved 55 but since there was a wedding after ours we had to move down the beach which was fine, but to stay in one location would have been nice...just an after thought

[murmel]

Hello ladies! 

I am heading down to the Royale Jan 28-Feb 4. If anyone has any specific photos of locations or questions about the resort, ask me and I will try to take pictures or get answers for you while I am done there.

 

Thought I would offer the help, we got married last year at the Azul Sensatori (one of their family friendly resorts) and are now heading back to celebrate our one year anniversary! So many other ladies help me when I was trying to prepare and now I feel I should offer to help to other brides! Cheers!

[AllieH]

That is sooo nice of you to offer!!!! 

 

If you have a chance, would you snap a pic of the Fuentas Gazebo, Tucanes and the Health Bar? those are the three that I'm not that familiar with. 

 

Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!! What an awesome way to celebrate. 
 

Originally Posted by murmel 

Hello ladies! 

I am heading down to the Royale Jan 28-Feb 4. If anyone has any specific photos of locations or questions about the resort, ask me and I will try to take pictures or get answers for you while I am done there.

 

Thought I would offer the help, we got married last year at the Azul Sensatori (one of their family friendly resorts) and are now heading back to celebrate our one year anniversary! So many other ladies help me when I was trying to prepare and now I feel I should offer to help to other brides! Cheers!

 

 

[AllieH]

So we decided to go with a digital STD, and are calling and emailing our invited guests. What fun, what fun (NOT!!). We will get them to put their deposits down by 1/25, which will let us set the room block for the contract, and lock in the discount we got (we're at 30%, which is part of the urgency - the 30% is only offered through 1/31). 

 

Anyone who doesn't put down their deposit by 1/25 may or may not get the discount - apparently it's up to the resort. Am hoping our TA and supplier will be able to push them to add if we really, really need to. 

 

I'm still pretty unhappy having to go with a digital STD vs paper - of all the things about my wedding that are important, the paper suite was one of them. So letting a piece of that go is killing me. But, what can you do? adjust and move on... 

 

here's our digital STD 

 

[murmel]

 

 

Originally Posted by AllieH 

 

So we decided to go with a digital STD, and are calling and emailing our invited guests. What fun, what fun (NOT!!). We will get them to put their deposits down by 1/25, which will let us set the room block for the contract, and lock in the discount we got (we're at 30%, which is part of the urgency - the 30% is only offered through 1/31). 

 

Anyone who doesn't put down their deposit by 1/25 may or may not get the discount - apparently it's up to the resort. Am hoping our TA and supplier will be able to push them to add if we really, really need to. 

 

I'm still pretty unhappy having to go with a digital STD vs paper - of all the things about my wedding that are important, the paper suite was one of them. So letting a piece of that go is killing me. But, what can you do? adjust and move on... 

 

here's our digital STD 

 

 

The STD looks great! I understand it must be frustrating to lose out on sending it out, but sometimes time does not allow. Instead think of other fun things you now can do: really nice offical invites, a "thanks for booking" card, a pre-travel mailer (info about resort, packing list, airport details, etc.)! Good luck And I will take photos of those 3 places for you.

 

 

[AllieH]

Thanks Murmel! those are great ideas. Also - I found pics of the Gazebo 55, Blanco Gazebo and Fuentas - so we're all good there. Just enjoy your anniversary trip!! 

Originally Posted by murmel 

The STD looks great! I understand it must be frustrating to lose out on sending it out, but sometimes time does not allow. Instead think of other fun things you now can do: really nice offical invites, a "thanks for booking" card, a pre-travel mailer (info about resort, packing list, airport details, etc.)! Good luck And I will take photos of those 3 places for you.
 

 

 

 

[Stina9562]

 

 

Originally Posted by murmel 

 

Hello ladies! 

I am heading down to the Royale Jan 28-Feb 4. If anyone has any specific photos of locations or questions about the resort, ask me and I will try to take pictures or get answers for you while I am done there.

 

Thought I would offer the help, we got married last year at the Azul Sensatori (one of their family friendly resorts) and are now heading back to celebrate our one year anniversary! So many other ladies help me when I was trying to prepare and now I feel I should offer to help to other brides! Cheers!

 

Thank you for the offer! I am still stuck between the Presidental or Gazebo 55. I emailed Valeria to see if there was a Gazebo on Presidential but not responce yet. Does anyone know? I wasn't sure if I had to rent one.

 

 

[AllieH]

here's the virtual tours - in the upper left corner there's a drop down box for many of the wedding areas. 

 

http://www.eldoradosparesorts.com/hotels/el_dorado_royale/gallery.php