There’s nothing quite like a beautiful wedding at a secluded luxury resort — unless you’re a guest who isn’t part of the party.
That’s why more hotels this summer are turning down weddings or requiring groups to buy out the entire resort. And they’re doing so despite the lucrative food and beverage revenue that typically accompanies such events.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, average daily room rates have surged to new highs. Guests paying top dollar increasingly expect uninterrupted access to resort amenities and a peaceful atmosphere unbothered by late-night revelers.
Globally, the average rate for a luxury room has climbed from $297 in 2019 to nearly $413 last year, according to real estate and hotel data provider CoStar. High-end luxury resorts frequently charge more than $1,000 a night.
At those prices, guests expect top-tier service.
“They want our undivided attention,” said Dietmar Mueller-Elmau, owner of Schloss Elmau in Germany. “We promise our individual guests as much as we promise our wedding parties.”
His Bavarian resort includes two distinct sections. While small weddings are permitted in one, they’re not allowed to spill into other areas. A low-key affair can add charm to the guest experience — but, he added, “no guest wants to be sitting in the sauna and a whole wedding party shows up naked.”
A full property buyout during peak season isn’t practical for Schloss Elmau, he said. It overextends staff and forces the hotel to turn away loyal guests who return every summer.
“It would destroy our regular repeat business,” Mueller-Elmau said.
A similar policy exists at Bluefields Bay Villas, a beachfront member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World in Jamaica.
“Having people in a villa with their kids and having people next door who want to party until 4 in the morning doesn’t coexist well,” said Houston Moncure, managing director of the resort, which his family has owned since 1983.
Like Schloss Elmau, Bluefields places high value on guest loyalty. Moncure prides himself on remembering guests’ coffee preferences and favorite pillows.
“What we do is build relationships with our visitors who come here,” he said. “Weddings are just so different than what we built this place to be.”
Nightly rates during peak season start at $1,100 for two adults. Moncure said most families visit to unplug and perhaps make use of the resort’s nanny services. Partying into the early morning isn’t part of the draw.
“What we do is win long-term customers,” he added.
As for wedding guests?
“Chances are, those are mostly people who we will never see again.”
At Embark Beyond, more clients are requesting full buyouts of resorts for weddings and events.
Last year, 78% of the company’s event business involved buyouts, up from 73% the year prior, according to Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner.
“Planners and clients don’t like to do room blocks either, because then they are super restricted on what they can do,” Ezon said.
But he acknowledged that buyouts aren’t simple for properties.
The resort must be completely cleared of guests in advance — and then must quickly fill its rooms again afterward.
“This makes it really hard to maintain a normal level of occupancy,” Ezon said.
At some wellness-focused resorts, weddings simply don’t align with the brand’s ethos.
At Miraval Arizona Resort and Spa in Tucson, the focus is on personal well-being and inner transformation—not extravagant celebrations.
“With weddings, the focus is all too often on the external: What do the flower arrangements look like? Is the food going to wow guests?” said General Manager Mark Stebbings. “The Miraval experience is one of inner self-discovery and finding that ‘aha’ moment.”
Across the country in Lenox, Massachusetts, Miraval Berkshires shares the same philosophy but offers a slightly different approach.
It’s the only Miraval property that allows weddings — but with strict guidelines, said General Manager Gilbert Santana. The resort was designed to keep wedding festivities separate from the rest of the guest experience.
Santana said they curate “mindful weddings” and aim for everyone on property to feel part of the “Miraval journey.”
Weddings are held in a building with its own restaurant, event lawn, and fire pits. DJs are not permitted outdoors, though a string quartet is allowed. Still, wedding and non-wedding guests do share common areas like the spa, pool, and hallways.
But according to Santana, there’s rarely an issue.
“Guests walking through in robes almost squashes the desire of even the biggest partier to take a tequila shot or smoke a cigar,” he said.
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