Housing Cancellation Policy Change Email
Posted by xcoconutmonkey06x 7 years agoon 6/20/2017 at 12:04 PM
#1

So I received an email about the new policy of housing cancellation policy. Seems straight forward and no questions there. My question comes when I scroll down to look at my reservation. Everything looks correct except that the field for "Hotel Confirmation Number" is blank. Is that supposed to be blank? Or do I need to be worried?

Posted by indytechguy 7 years agoon 6/20/2017 at 2:27 PM
#2

Good catch. Didn't even notice that the first time I read through the email, it is blank on mine as well. But if I look my Housing page, I do have an acknowledgement number in the Status column. I am assuming I'm good to go? I don't think we need to be worried, but I'm by no means an authority on all this. 

Posted by mcolon3 7 years agoon 7/25/2017 at 11:30 PM
#3

Does GenCon usually wait until the last minute to send info to the hotel? I'm having serious problem because I"m going work related but the hotel hasn't heard of me and the Q Rooms says they don't contact them until August 1st, which seems like it cutting it pretty close. Also the cancellation fee for one nights stay seem harsh since if I release the room I have I don't believe they'll have difficulty filling it. 

Posted by squirecam mcolon3 7 years agoon 7/25/2017 at 11:34 PM
#4

mcolon3 wrote:
Does GenCon usually wait until the last minute to send info to the hotel? I'm having serious problem because I"m going work related but the hotel hasn't heard of me and the Q Rooms says they don't contact them until August 1st, which seems like it cutting it pretty close. Also the cancellation fee for one nights stay seem harsh since if I release the room I have I don't believe they'll have difficulty filling it. 
I think the purpose of the cancellation fee is so people dont snag rooms they really dont need. Its already hard enough to get one through the portal.

Posted by austicke mcolon3 7 years agoon 7/25/2017 at 11:36 PM
#5

mcolon3 wrote:Does GenCon usually wait until the last minute to send info to the hotel?

This year's timing is the same as usual, but I wouldn't call it "last minute". The housing portal closes July 31, and the reservations are transferred to the hotels the next day.

Posted by bith austicke 7 years agoon 7/26/2017 at 2:19 PM
#6

austicke wrote:
mcolon3 wrote:Does GenCon usually wait until the last minute to send info to the hotel?

This year's timing is the same as usual, but I wouldn't call it "last minute". The housing portal closes July 31, and the reservations are transferred to the hotels the next day.
In the world of vacation planning, two weeks is pretty last minute. 

I have a "backup room" that I've promised to someone else... when GenCon releases the housing to the hotels, so I can verify the reservation.  Two weeks is a bit tight, but doable.  And he's a friend, so I have no problem helping him out.  If I didn't have someone to transfer the room to it might be more of an issue.

Posted by austicke bith 7 years agoon 7/26/2017 at 3:12 PM
#7

bithlord wrote:I have a "backup room" that I've promised to someone else... when GenCon releases the housing to the hotels, so I can verify the reservation.  Two weeks is a bit tight, but doable.  And he's a friend, so I have no problem helping him out.  If I didn't have someone to transfer the room to it might be more of an issue.

Huh? You can verify the reservation now via the housing portal. You can also transfer the room now via Q-roooms.

I guess I just don't understand what you're trying to do....

Posted by burrfoot72 austicke 7 years agoon 7/26/2017 at 3:54 PM
#8

austicke wrote:
bithlord wrote:I have a "backup room" that I've promised to someone else... when GenCon releases the housing to the hotels, so I can verify the reservation.  Two weeks is a bit tight, but doable.  And he's a friend, so I have no problem helping him out.  If I didn't have someone to transfer the room to it might be more of an issue.

Huh? You can verify the reservation now via the housing portal. You can also transfer the room now via Q-roooms.I guess I just don't understand what you're trying to do....
I think they just don't trust the system and won't believe they have a confirmed room until the reservations actually go to the hotel and can confirm it with the actual hotel.  At least that is what I am getting out of it.  

Posted by bushmaster burrfoot72 7 years agoon 7/26/2017 at 4:53 PM
#9

burrfoot72 wrote:I think they just don't trust the system and won't believe they have a confirmed room until the reservations actually go to the hotel and can confirm it with the actual hotel.  At least that is what I am getting out of it.  
I understand that feeling if this is the first time that someone has used the system.

Last year was my first time and I had similar feelings. 

To the OP, while it would be nice to be able to plan out the rooms a couple of months in advance (vacation planning as you called it), the timing is not really short.  Once the hotel has the reservations you can do what you wish with the room.  I suggest waiting a couple days to let the hotel get all the data they get from Q-room figured out and entered into their systems.

Posted by glory mcolon3 7 years agoon 7/26/2017 at 8:17 PM
#10

mcolon3 wrote:
Does GenCon usually wait until the last minute to send info to the hotel? I'm having serious problem because I"m going work related but the hotel hasn't heard of me and the Q Rooms says they don't contact them until August 1st, which seems like it cutting it pretty close. Also the cancellation fee for one nights stay seem harsh since if I release the room I have I don't believe they'll have difficulty filling it. 

For what it's worth, I often book hotel rooms through housing portals for very large conventions and I've never had a problem with my work seeing it as a valid reservation for my expense reports and travel schedules. 

Maybe that helps? 

Posted by hawkeye 7 years agoon 7/26/2017 at 11:54 PM
#11

I've only had one problem with Gen Con housing, and it wasn't even Gen Con's fault. Back in 2013 I got a call about a month before Gen Con stating that Crowne Plaza would not be able to take my reservation because they fell behind on their renovations and didn't have the rooms. Unfortunately, they would not give me another connected room for the same rate. My choices were either take another connected room at a higher rate, or stay at the Alexander (a couple blocks walk) for the same rate. Again, this was not Gen Con's fault.

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