25 Questions to Ask a Hotel Before You Sign a Single Thing

Signing a hotel contract without asking the right questions is a bit like ordering a custom wedding cake and forgetting to mention you have a nut allergy. Everything looks beautiful until it doesn’t.

The venue selection process moves fast. Hotels are charming on site visits. Sales managers are helpful and enthusiastic. And somewhere between the complimentary room tasting and the beautifully bound proposal, it’s easy to skip past the questions that would have saved you a very uncomfortable phone call six months from now.

This list exists for that reason. Twenty-five questions — organized by category — that every event planner should ask before putting pen to paper. Some will feel obvious. Ask them anyway.

Meeting Space and Logistics

These are the questions that separate a venue that looks good in photos from one that actually works for your event.

1. What are the exact dimensions and ceiling height of the main meeting room?
Square footage alone won’t tell you what you need to know. A long, narrow room with a low ceiling changes your AV setup, sightlines, and room setup options significantly.

2. How many breakout rooms are available, and can they be reserved exclusively?
If you need three breakout rooms and the hotel is hosting another group that week, you may be sharing. Get it in writing.

3. What are the room setup options, and is there a fee to flip the room?
Theatre to rounds to classroom — each takes time and labor. Find out what’s included and what costs extra, especially if you need multiple resets throughout the program.

4. Is there natural light in the meeting space, and are blackout curtains available?
Natural light is great for energy. It’s terrible for slide visibility. Know what you’re working with.

5. How far is the main meeting room from the guest room elevators and hotel lobby?
A ten-minute walk between the room block and the general session isn’t a dealbreaker, but it is a logistics problem you’ll need to solve before your attendees start getting creative about being late.

AV and Technology

AV issues are the number one reason events get derailed on day one. These questions are non-negotiable.

6. Is the AV team in-house or a third-party vendor?
In-house AV teams can be convenient. They can also be expensive, and some hotels have exclusivity clauses that prevent you from bringing in outside vendors. Know this before you build your AV budget.

7. What’s included in the standard AV package, and what are the costs for add-ons?
“Basic AV” means something different at every property. Get the line-item breakdown.

8. What is the WiFi bandwidth available for group use, and is there a charge for dedicated access?
Consumer-grade WiFi at a hotel lobby is not the same as what you need for 150 attendees live-streaming, polling, and submitting questions simultaneously. Ask about bandwidth, not just availability.

9. Will there be a dedicated AV technician on-site during the event?
You want a real person, on the ground, whose job it is to fix things when they break. Not a front desk number.

Food and Beverage

F&B is where hotel contracts get complicated fast. Food and beverage alone represents 40 to 50% of total event costs at most U.S. venues, and the gap between what’s quoted and what’s invoiced can be surprising.

10. What is the F&B minimum, and what exactly counts toward it?
AV, room rental, and third-party services often don’t count. Make sure you understand what does.

11. Can outside food or beverage be brought in, or are outside caterers permitted?
Some properties are fully exclusive. Others have preferred vendor lists with flexibility. A few give you real latitude. Know which situation you’re in.

12. How are dietary restrictions and allergens handled across all meal functions?
“We can accommodate most restrictions” is not an answer. Ask for specifics on process, labeling, and cross-contamination protocols — especially for attendees with severe allergies.

13. Are service charges and gratuity included in the quoted pricing, or added on top?
The answer is almost always “added on top,” and the percentage can be significant. Build it into your budget from day one.

Room Block and Guest Room Terms

This section is where the financial exposure lives. Read carefully.

14. What is the attrition clause, and what percentage of rooms do we need to fill?
Most hotels require you to fill 80 to 90% of your contracted room block. If you fall short, you pay for the unused rooms anyway. Know the number, and negotiate it.

15. What is the cutoff date for reservations, and what happens to unreserved rooms after that date?
Once the block is released, rooms typically go to general inventory — often at a higher rate than your group rate. Set your attendee communication calendar accordingly.

16. Are there resort fees, destination fees, or parking charges on top of the room rate?
These add-ons are increasingly common and frequently omitted from group rate quotes. Ask directly, in writing.

17. Can the room block be expanded if registration exceeds projections?
An event that does better than expected shouldn’t become a logistical problem. Confirm the expansion process and whether the same rate applies.

18. What is the group rate compared to the best available rate, and are there blackout dates?
If your group rate is higher than what attendees can find on a booking site, you’ll hear about it constantly. Confirm that the group rate is actually the better deal.

Contract and Legal Terms

Boring? Yes. The most important section on this list? Also yes.

19. What is the cancellation policy, and what are the fees at each cancellation window?
These fees escalate the closer you get to the event date. Understand the full schedule and make sure your event insurance covers it.

20. What does the force majeure clause cover?
Post-2020, this clause has never mattered more. Ask specifically whether it covers government-ordered shutdowns, travel restrictions, and public health emergencies — not just natural disasters.

21. Who is your primary point of contact, and what happens if they leave the hotel?
Hotel sales manager turnover is real. A warm relationship at the sales stage means nothing if that person is gone six months before your event. Get a transition clause in the contract.

22. Are there exclusivity clauses on AV, catering, signage, or other vendors?
If you’re locked into the hotel’s preferred vendors for everything, you need to know that before you promise a client you’ll bring in their preferred production company.

The Bigger Picture

23. Has the hotel undergone recent renovations, and are any planned during your event dates?
Construction noise on the guest room floors above your general session is a real thing. Ask what’s been done and what’s coming.

24. What sustainability certifications or green practices does the property have?
This matters to a growing number of clients and attendees — and to many corporate RFP criteria. Ask for specifics, not vague commitments.

25. Can you speak with a recent group client who used this space?
References matter. A hotel that can’t produce a happy group client from the last twelve months is telling you something.

The Question Beneath All the Questions

Every item on this list is really asking the same thing: can I trust this property to deliver what it’s promising?

The best hotel partners answer these questions without hesitation. They give specifics, not platitudes. They flag potential issues before you discover them. And when something comes up — because something always comes up — they pick up the phone.

That’s what you’re actually evaluating.

Planners on Hopskip save 30+ hours per RFP, get cleaner proposals faster, and have all the information they need to make confident venue decisions. The best part? It’s free to start for planners. Book a demo today to get started.