A group booking inquiry is worth more than any other e-mail in your inbox — and it is often the slowest one to get an answer. It needs a decision on price, a check of availability for several rooms and maybe a call to the restaurant. Meanwhile the organiser is waiting, and in many cases they have sent the same e-mail to three or four other hotels. The hotel that replies first, clearly and with the right questions, usually gets the next conversation.

What you need to know before you can quote

Most first e-mails from groups are short: "We are about 20 people coming in May, do you have rooms?" Before you can give a real price, you need answers to these questions. Ask for all of them in one e-mail so you do not need a third round:

  1. Dates — arrival and departure, and whether the dates are flexible.
  2. Number of rooms and guests — and the room mix (single, double, twin, family rooms).
  3. Meals — breakfast only, or also lunch, dinner or a group dinner on one evening.
  4. Meeting room — for how many people, which days and hours, and what equipment.
  5. Purpose of the trip — a wedding, a sports team, a company conference, a tour group. It tells you what else they may need.
  6. Budget — if they have one, it saves you from quoting something they cannot accept.
  7. Who pays — one invoice to a company or club, or each guest pays for their own room.

Template 1: Fast first reply — asking for details

Send this the same day, even before you know the price. It shows the organiser you are interested and moves the conversation forward.

Template: group booking first reply

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for thinking of [Hotel name] for your group — we would be glad to welcome you.

At first glance we have rooms available around [dates]. To give you an exact offer, could you tell us:

• Arrival and departure dates (and whether they are flexible)
• Number of rooms and how you would like them (single / double / twin)
• Meals you would like included (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• Whether you need a meeting room, and for how many people
• The purpose of the trip and, if you have one, your budget

As soon as we have this, we will send you a full quote within [time, e.g. one working day].

Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 2: The quote

Template: group booking quote

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for the details. Here is our offer for your group:

Dates: [arrival] – [departure] ([number] nights)
Rooms: [number] × [room type] at [price] per room per night
Included: [breakfast / dinner on [date] / meeting room [times]]
Total: [total amount]

To confirm the booking:
• A deposit of [amount] is due by [date].
• Please send the names of all guests by [date].
• Rooms without names on [release date] will be released for normal sale.
• [Cancellation terms in one or two sentences.]

This offer is valid until [date]. Just reply to this e-mail if you would like to confirm or adjust anything.

Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 3: We cannot take the group — offer other dates

Template: group booking not possible

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately we do not have [number] rooms available on [dates] — we are already well booked that weekend.

We could offer:
• [Alternative dates 1]: [number] rooms available
• [Alternative dates 2]: [number] rooms available

[If you need to keep your dates, we can offer [number] rooms here, and we are happy to recommend a hotel nearby for the rest of the group.]

Let us know if any of these could work and we will send a full quote.

Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Template 4: Follow-up on a quote

Template: group booking follow-up

Dear [Guest name],

I wanted to follow up on the offer we sent on [date] for your group stay on [dates].

We are still holding the rooms for you until [date]. If anything in the offer does not fit — dates, room mix, meals or price — just let me know and I will see what we can adjust.

Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Hotel name]

Example: how BookingWatch answers

A typical first e-mail from a group organiser, and the reply BookingWatch drafts after checking availability and the hotel's group terms:

Deposits, names lists and release dates — in plain language

Hotel terms for groups are often written in industry words that organisers do not know. Explain each term in one sentence with an exact date. Here is an example set of group terms; the numbers are only examples and every hotel sets its own:

TermWhat it means for the organiserExample policy
Group bookingWhen separate group terms applyFrom 8 rooms on the same dates
Room block (allotment)Rooms we hold for the group without names yetHeld until the release date
DepositA payment that confirms the bookingA fixed share of the total, due 14 days after confirmation
Names listWho sleeps in which roomDue 21 days before arrival
Release dateRooms without names go back to normal saleSame day as the names list deadline
CancellationWhat it costs to cancel rooms or the whole groupFree until the release date, then charged per room
Hand to staffDecisions the AI assistant should not take alonePrice for more than 15 rooms, exclusive use, weddings

Turn the inquiry into a booking

  • Be first. A short reply within the hour, asking the right questions, often matters more than a perfect quote the next day.
  • Make the quote easy to say yes to. One total price, what is included, and one clear next step ("reply to confirm").
  • Sell what groups need. A group dinner, a meeting room, packed lunches, bike hire or a late checkout on the last day — ask about the purpose and you will know what to offer.
  • Give the quote an end date. "Valid until [date]" gives you a natural reason to follow up and protects you from holding rooms forever.
  • Follow up. One follow-up a few days after the quote, and one shortly before it expires, is helpful — not pushy.

Common mistakes

  • Waiting to reply until you have a full price, so the organiser books elsewhere first.
  • Asking one question per e-mail, turning the inquiry into five rounds.
  • Quoting without a release date, so you hold rooms that are never confirmed.
  • Using industry words like "allotment" or "attrition" without explaining them.
  • Not saying who pays — and then sending one invoice to a group where everyone expected to pay separately.
  • Never following up on a quote that went unanswered.