Windsor Hotel Rooms Selling Out After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Announce Wedding Date

Accommodations near the Windsor Castle are going fast

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Those looking to book a room near Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding venue might be out of luck.

The couple’s big day will take place on May 19th at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Since announcing the date, hotels in the area are filling up fast, with many listings on sites like Trip Advisor, Expedia and Hotels.com already showing little to no vacancies.

Ninety-eight percent of hotel rooms in Windsor are booked for the wedding weekend, May 18-20, according to Booking.com.

Four-star properties — all within a 6-minute walk to the chapel — like Castle Hotel Windsor, the Sir Christopher Wren Hotel and Spa, and the Macdonald Windsor Hotel are completely booked for the weekend on their respective websites. Lodgings that are a greater distance (around 20 minutes or less) like The Winning Post, The Oakley Court and even the Legoland Windsor Resort are full.

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Towns just outside Windsor still have some options available — and for a much lower price, according to Booking. Slough, a town 2.2 miles away, is 70% cheaper than staying in Windsor over the three-day period. Maidenhead and Ascot, both 5.4 miles away, are 43% and 78% cheaper respectively.

Aside from the British public’s general excitement surrounding the nuptials, there may be another explanation for who’s calling dibs on the rooms. According to The Guardian, international and national media organizations have been contacting managers since the news of the engagement to try and snag a space, which will no doubt come at a steep fixed price.

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“The majority of the people that are contacting us are news crews. Lots of interest from the U.S., Australia, as well as the U.K.,” Phil Lewis, general manager of the Macdonald Windsor hotel, told the outlet. “The protocol for us is that we hard close the hotel until we know more about what is going on, and we are able to go back to all the companies that have contacted us and say these are the dates, our prices and length-of-stay restrictions. And then it’s first come, first served after that.”

Those lucky enough to score one of the coveted rooms will have a front-row seat to the anticipated event. For everyone else, the couch will have to be close enough.