No Room At The INN

[ixrayu]

I guess being a gold badge member is losing it's perks all over. One of the BIG perks(to me) was finding out when the festival dates were before everyone else so that I could book the hotel I wanted(the Granada/Artmore). Which I have stayed at every year since PPUSA V. I understand that isn't to be for Next year, and I don't have a problem with it for NEXT year. My problem is, "the Artmore" has decided that they are OVER booked for this year and now my reservation is no good. I booked the day the festival was announced to those of us gold badge members, and I have my confirmation email to prove it. The hotel is saying they can not accomodate me and several others for THIS year because Glenn needed a "new" block of rooms for THIS years festival. This is out of the mouth of the manager Michael. I find it hard to believe that this wasn't taken care of a VERY LONG time ago. I find it not only poor management on the part of this hotel to have "over booked" for these dates, but to alienate those of us who booked a room first and who have been giving them our business for years is disturbing. To top it off, they wait till less than 3 weeks before the show to call me and tell me my reservation is no good is simply unacceptable. I guess being a good customer(and a gold badge member) in the past doesn't amount to anything these days. As much as I have enjoyed staying there in the past I will never book there again. I just wanted other to be aware of the shady business practices of this Hotel and that if you book it for next year, you maybe out in the cold come festival time.


Troy

 

[freakchylde]

That sucks, it's happened to me at the RI before, only they were kind enough to let me know when I got there. Your best bet will be to go up the chain of command within their hotel structure. That said, I know there were concerns earlier with the hotel, when it was undergoing renovations, did you confirm sometime back then?

Otherwise, for Friday and Saturday, there is couch space in the room I'm in, if it's just you and a friend.

 

[Harvester]

That's bullshit. While I can't fix the hotel situation, I will be on the phone tomorrow with the real sales manager, David, to get them to take responsiblity on their own.

 

[ixrayu]

I made sure to get confirmations from this hotel. I have a confirmation e-mail from last november as well as this March. The hotel is now independemtly owned and no longer affiliated with Best Western. the Manager (Michael) said he is as high as it goes for complaints. Thanks for the couch offer. I dont think all of us will fit on it. Whcih is just another issue. There are 8 of us (4 couples in different rooms) who were going to stay at the Artmore, now we will be scattered about, at different places. So much for the experience we have all been talking about for almost a year!

 

[Harvester]

I am truly sorry for what happened. However, I want to make this perfectly clear that I had nothing to do with it. My rooms were booked a long time ago.

In regards to your gold badge complaint, I would remind you that you are only paying $25 difference than the regular ticket buyer. If you do not feel the experience is worth, I don't blame you one bit for dropping your status. I'm doing the best I can to keep the festival alive and that means catering to the regular public next year in regards to the hotel and rewarding everyone for coming, not just the gold badge members. The email I recently sent explained this to you and had other things in it than you must have skimmed over.

If I can do anything else to assist, I will do so in a hearbeat. I can tell you of a close hotel that can indeed accomadate you all together if you wish.

Glenn

 

[Jibrille]

That really sucks. I'm pretty sure people have complained they did this before back when they were still Best Western.
I don't know what your rate was but it looks like there's still rooms at the Residence Inn which is the next closest hotel. I did a quick check and you can get a queen + sofabed for $160/n or a 1 bedroom suite for $170/n. However, you could also keep contacting the Artmore as people will often cancel reservations at the last minute.

 

[YtseJammer]

Welcome to the club. You're not the only person who has been "removed" from the Granada. So much for honoring year-long reservations (with confirmation numbers!). What kind of operation are they running over there?

 

[YtseJammer]

Update: Apparently 25 or more patrons have been told that their reservation cannot be honored. While the hotel is happy to transfer you to another hotel, it's a matter of principle. When someone makes a reservation they expect it to be honored. After all, that is the point of a reservation, no? Perhaps people once had very good reasons to book at the Artmore far in advance...

 

[Jibrille]

At the very least it should be a first come first serve. If all the people getting bumped booked a year ago it's a BS move. Newer reservations should be the first to go but of course, rates have probably gone up so it's probably more beneficial to get rid of the early birds.

 

[nailz]

That's bullshit. While I can't fix the hotel situation, I will be on the phone tomorrow with the real sales manager, David, to get them to take responsiblity on their own.

I wouldn't be surprised if a room "suddenly opens up" for ix once you're on the phone. It's nice that you're so on our side and willing to do some bitching.

ix: Believe Glenn has a lout more clout than you in this issue, seeing as that he runs the fest that brings them a full hotel every year (and next year, specifically). This "Michael" jackass is bullshitting you with the "I'm as high as it goes". He doesn't own the place, and hopefully, when Glenn talks to them, this bullshit (that happens every fucking year) will finally be cleaned up. It happened to me my first time down, except I had just driven 16 hours from New York. The manager on duty, as luck would have it, was from Tonawanda (my home town), and a 'room just became available' to me that instant.

 

[OrbWeaver]

The Regency Suites still has plenty of rooms, as far as I know. And it's a straight shot from there to Center Stage, if you don't mind the walk. And the walk really isn't all that bad.

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Off topic but I stayed at the Residence Inn last year (and this) and thoroughly enjoyed the Social Hour (free grub & booze). Is this standard for other hotels in the area?

 

[Sumeet]

There were major problems with overbooking and reservations disappearing at the Granada back in 2001. After that first year that still happened to some degree, but not nearly as much. It seems now with the changeover to The Artmore, this clip is once again appropriate...

 

[Dominick_7]

Is Super 8 any good? Close/within walking distance?

 

[Bobby Williamson]

Phuk!

I'd better check my reservation! Eeeks.

 

[Bear]

I called last week, my reservation is still good to go....

Bear

 

[Matt Johnsen]

We had two rooms reserved, one for me and my (pregnant) wife, and one for my friend Roman and his wife. Three of us are gold badgers. And now none of us have a room at the Artmore. We also reserved a year ago. When they called today to give us the boot, they also said this was because Glenn needed more rooms. They made us reservations at the Residence (for lesser rooms- thanks a lot) and guaranteed that we will never book a room at that place again.

 

[jem777az]

We had two rooms reserved, one for me and my (pregnant) wife, and one for my friend Roman and his wife. Three of us are gold badgers. And now none of us have a room at the Artmore. We also reserved a year ago. When they called today to give us the boot, they also said this was because Glenn needed more rooms. They made us reservations at the Residence (for lesser rooms- thanks a lot) and guaranteed that we will never book a room at that place again.

They did the same thing to me too. They told me the reservation could not be honored and booked a room at the Residence Inn for me. It will end up saving me some money, but it still sucks.

 

[Purveyor Of Evil]

I called last week, my reservation is still good to go....

Bear

I called about 45 minutes ago and so far it's still good.

 

[ixrayu]

I am truly sorry for what happened. However, I want to make this perfectly clear that I had nothing to do with it. My rooms were booked a long time ago.

In regards to your gold badge complaint, I would remind you that you are only paying $25 difference than the regular ticket buyer. If you do not feel the experience is worth, I don't blame you one bit for dropping your status. I'm doing the best I can to keep the festival alive and that means catering to the regular public next year in regards to the hotel and rewarding everyone for coming, not just the gold badge members. The email I recently sent explained this to you and had other things in it than you must have skimmed over.

If I can do anything else to assist, I will do so in a hearbeat. I can tell you of a close hotel that can indeed accomadate you all together if you wish.

Glenn

I in no way intended to make it out that I have a problem with Glenn in ANY way. I wanted it to be known this idiot at the hotel(Michael) is using his name as the excuse to why they are now over booked. I was 99.9% sure he was not telling the truth. I specifically asked him for clarification that Glenn needed more rooms for this years show, and is the reason my reservation can no longer be honored, he said YES. They DID offer me a room at the residence, which would've been a small consolation if I wasn't traveling to the show with several others that will be at the Artmore. My statement about being a gold badge holder was to point out the fact that I KNOW I booked my room LONG in advance of others that are not being moved. I did get the e-mails, and read through them(thank you Glenn). I'm aware of the other "perks" available to me as a gold badge member, and have NO interest in giving up my status as such. I just wanted to point out this was one of my favorite "perks". I take pride in my role as a Gold Badge member and would still pay the extra amount if there were NO perks at all, just knowing it is a big help to Glenn is enough.
The other point of my post was for others to be aware of what these Jackass's are doing and to give people head's up who may be moved this year, who havent got the call yet, and a caution to those who may want to book this hotel next year.