Out of Rooms? Need Extra Room for Chicago Hilton on 15th

[pamperedalf]

Anne I just checked too. Even the Sheraton is at $239 on the other sites. I would send HO an email today. You are awesome at words. Then I would start hounding them on Monday Morn. They opened up more rooms last year after people started to complain.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I agree with this Linda.....everyone call & complain.
The directors have to be there at around 7am my director said.....there's no way we can fly in on Monday & make it on time! This is so ridiculous it's not even funny.....& I'm a little annoyed because I left a message with HO, & they never called me back yesterday.

They didnt call me back either, I had to call them back.....not good service in my opinion.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I called the Hilton this morning to find out what the deal was with this. I'm in Wave One and have the same issue. I've got a 2-2 room for Mon & Tues night but not for Sunday. Evidently when HO contracted with Travel Planners they didn't request enough Sunday night rooms. They have fewer rooms available on Sunday than they do for the rest of the week....evidently they didn't project that as many of us would want to come in a day early. I've called Travel Planners to complain (in my opinon, they really don't care about how we feel....) and I've called HO and talked to Beth in the Meeting Coordinator department and she confirmed that that was the case (fewer rooms on Sunday is what they projected), and she would pass on my complaint but she really didn't have a solution to offer. According to the lady I talked to at the Hilton there are still 2-2 rooms available however, if you want to book one of them it cost about 3 times as much as our conference rate! Since Travel Planners only has so many rooms blocked for us they can't give us the rooms that the Hilton still has available. I have a feeling that they will open up more rooms if WE ALL CALL TO COMPLIAN!!!! So CALL, this is not satisfactory.

In response to my email expressing my concern, my Exec Director forwarded an email she got from HO Reservations that they are working to resolve this problem and we should hear in a few days. Rooms are available at the hotel but a 2/2 at the Hilton is $324 (almost double our price!). I do not suggest booking "in case" because then there will be less rooms that they can give to PC!! What I really hate is that they will not "guarantee" that we will get the same price for Sunday. EXCUSE ME?? If I was in Session 2 or 3 I wouldn't have to pay extra for the night before. I have had trouble with bookings with Travel Planners the last 2 times I used them - if the price wasn't so good....

 

[AJPratt]

I did send an email and will hold off until I hear something.

And, no one should be charged more for any date if they are going for conference. Last year, I roomed with someone else (3 others) and they took care of everything. This year, I'm taking Dave, so I am pretty much handling everything.

IMHO, HO should reserve at least couple of days before and a couple of days after. Some have very long flight and that should be taken into consideration. Maybe it wasn't an issue when PC was smaller, but now we have people traveling for quite some time to be able to join us.

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Anne I just checked too. Even the Sheraton is at $239 on the other sites. I would send HO an email today. You are awesome at words. Then I would start hounding them on Monday Morn. They opened up more rooms last year after people started to complain.

Hey, if Anne is so good at words she should compose the letter and then we can all copy it and send it too! I'm pretty good at composing letters but it takes me forever cause I keep making revisions!

I hope that HO gets more rooms on the 15th opened up but come on, this happens every year! They do SO many things really well at conference....bugs me that they keep getting this part "wrong"!

 

[AJPratt]

Sorry to disappoint, but this is all I sent; feel free to use it:

RE: WAVE 3 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

I am trying to register for conference, but I want to make sure I will have lodging. I tried to reserve a room for the day I fly in (July 15th) and according to the travel service, there is no availability for the 15th at any of the participating hotels. What should I do?

 

[BethCooks4U]

Sorry to disappoint, but this is all I sent; feel free to use it:

RE: WAVE 3 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

I am trying to register for conference, but I want to make sure I will have lodging. I tried to reserve a room for the day I fly in (July 15th) and according to the travel service, there is no availability for the 15th at any of the participating hotels. What should I do?

As you know Wave 1 has the same problem with our Sunday. HO and registrations told me to register for the days I can get and then call to be put on a list. We would hear in about a week but it's not guaranteed that we will get that date at the same rate. If that happens they need to hear big time from everyone that has to pay extra - SOO wrong! I personally think they need to find a new travel company to work with.

This is the THIRD time I have had stress due to their incompetency - one of the times I had written verification that I had a suite at Embassy Suites for 2 double beds and pull out for 5 consultants. When we got there we had a king and the hotel said they didn't even have doubles available at all. Travel Service's response? "Too bad. We can't do anything for you. Take two rooms and then request a refund after the fact but we can't guarantee you will get any money back". We ended up with no hotel and stayed at a consultant's home an hour away (thank goodness she lived near). Not acceptable. I never feel comfortable with their reservations until I am in my hotel room. We should not have to go through that kind of stress!!

 

[AJPratt]

Beth you couldn't be more right! I am going to talk to my director and see what she says. We'll both be traveling with our husbands, together.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I called and complained to Home Office and to Travel Planners - guess it worked (either that or they are getting their you know what together!). I got my 2-2 confirmation today for all 3 nights. If you have not called and expressed your displeasure I would do it.....it worked for me, hopefully it will work for you too.

 

[mrssyvo]

I reserved Sun-Mon-Tues at The Palmer House, through Travel Planners the morning that reservations opened, and I got all 3 nights for $162 a night. When my director tried to make her reservations at Palmer House, they told her that Palmer House was not a listed hotel, and they could not make reservation for her.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I reserved Sun-Mon-Tues at The Palmer House, through Travel Planners the morning that reservations opened, and I got all 3 nights for $162 a night. When my director tried to make her reservations at Palmer House, they told her that Palmer House was not a listed hotel, and they could not make reservation for her.

Sounds like Travel Planners. No Palmer House is not one of the hotels this time. But who knows they may add it.

I was on hold forever with them today and still don't have a room for Sunday. I have lodged a complaint with them and with PC about this mess. Like it does any good.

 

[AJPratt]

Travel Planners said I could get on alist and request the Sun night and find out in 10 days if I get it... then if I don't call the hotel direct to see if they have room. I called the Hilton and they have nothing. Called the Sheraton and Sun night would be $265 Sun night. This sucks. It hasn't even been a friggan week and its a mess.

 

[AJPratt]

Bumping this... curious to see how everyone is making out?

 

[BethCooks4U]

Bumping this... curious to see how everyone is making out?

I just got off the phone with a manager at Travel Planners. He said what we all have heard: The hotel releases so many rooms at the rate and it is based on past conference usage. First he was saying that TPlanners is responsible to pay for the rooms not used so they don't want to have TOO many, and then he said the hotel didn't release that many rooms...

I still don't have a room for the 8th (our Sunday) and he said they are still working on it but still won't guarantee the price. (The hotel says the price is $324 for that room on that night.) My director put her reservation in before I did and she got email notification this morning that she has the Sunday so there is some hope I guess.

He did say he was sending me a $50 voucher to use this year or in the future for my troubles (I had major problems with the Atlanta Reservations for Leadership last year too). Want to bet that my room will become available at $50 more than the $179??

 

[AJPratt]

I made the reservation for the nights avail and then called them this morning to put in a request for Sun night. So, we'll see...

Did your Dir get it at the conf rate? I know the Sheraton has vacancy. I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I chatted with one lady at the Sheraton and she said that there were a bunch of conferences going on at the same time and that most of the hotels will be booked fast.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I made the reservation for the nights avail and then called them this morning to put in a request for Sun night. So, we'll see...

Did your Dir get it at the conf rate? I know the Sheraton has vacancy. I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I chatted with one lady at the Sheraton and she said that there were a bunch of conferences going on at the same time and that most of the hotels will be booked fast.

Yes my director got the conf rate. The supervisor I talked with asked if I wanted to book that night in a different type room or another hotel. NO.

 

[AJPratt]

They didn't ask me those questions. They just put in the request. Hmmm... I wonder what we'll wind up with.

 

[AJPratt]

Anything new with anyone? Sorry! I'm neurotic!

 

[Katrob]

I booked my flight before we could register for conference and so I too am waiting for a room on the 15th. It is stressful to wonder if you will have a place to stay! I booked at the Hilton for the nights that were open. Now it's just a waiting game to see if they get us a room!

 

[AJPratt]

It is stressful to wonder if you will have a place to stay!

YES! It certainly is! Worse comes to worse, I guess we'll find a hotel for the one night and then just go to the Sheraton. I really don't like that idea, and hope it works out, but I figure we'll make it work somehow.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I still don't have a room for our first night in Chicago yet either. Worse case, we'll all camp out in other rooms for the first night. I am blown away that they could run out of rooms that fast. Unacceptable.

Got an email from a supervisor at TP tonight - "still working on getting you a room". Right.

 

[AJPratt]

I haven't gotten any kind of email from them about that.

Oh, and I got an email back from HO...
Hi Anne,
You need to call Travel Planners and get on a wail list. The number is 800-221-3531. They are adding more rooms daily....

That's it. No signature, identifier or anything. I am trying to be positive as well as polite, but I just don't find that comforting.

My response:
Yes, I did get on the waiting list, but wasn't sure if the Home Office knew this was such a problem. And Travel Planners isn't guaranteeing anything, so I might not have anywhere to stay since Chicago is very busy because of other conferences going on at the same time.

 

[AJPratt]

So, say we can't get in a conf hotel... where should we stay on Sunday?

 

[BethCooks4U]

So, say we can't get in a conf hotel... where should we stay on Sunday?

Is there a Travel Planners office in Chicago? I think we should camp out there!

 

[AJPratt]

Seriously. And after the response I got from HO, I'm thinking the HO looks pretty good right about now, too.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Seriously. And after the response I got from HO, I'm thinking the HO looks pretty good right about now, too.

You've got that right!

 

[AJPratt]

Just bumping to keep this showing up. Curious how everyone is making out.

 

[BethCooks4U]

Just bumping to keep this showing up. Curious how everyone is making out.

All I'm hearing is silence.

 

[AJPratt]

LOL I think this thread turned into the "Beth & Anne" thread.

 

[pamperedalf]

I have a hotel room for all 4 nights, but it makes me mad that some people only have a room for 3 nights and might have to pay a higher rate for the night before. I don't think HO is being very accomodating.

I just wanted to add to your Beth & Anne thread!!