March in Miami is mighty fine

So fine, in fact, everyone wants to visit then. Lots o' fun events are going on around the weekend of our wedding. That is great for them and bad for us. Given that Miami will be jam packed, the hotels can charge whatever they want. I am having an interesting time negotiating for a decent deal for our out of town guests. The prices that I am being quoted for group discounts are scaring the crap out of my budget minded, grad school paid self. At this point, for the region closest to our venue, the lowest quote I have received was for $189 for run of the mill standard room.

from tripadvisor

What do you get for this price - complimentary internet and use of the pool and gym (sure!), plus you have to pay at least $15 for parking a day. There are no frills here! The plus, though, is that our guests wouldn't NEED to rent a car. Taxis and great public transit are abundant in this area and the beach is so close. But, I have never paid so much for a hotel room that offers so little. So I am not pleased and am looking for a further away location that has much more reasonable prices.

Last night, though, I found a great site, hotelplanner.com, which puts together group event planners and hotels to find group hotel deals. I have actually hotels bidding on our group rate! It is a great tool, and I already have a few lower cost options that I am considering. The locations may not be as ideal, but they are much more friendly to the pocketbook and they offer more in amenities.