No Room At The INN

[Sumeet]

I can understand that in certain businesses (hotels, airlines, car rental) overbooking is commonplace. I wonder though, if it would be possible for next year to have the option of guaranteed reservations at the Artmore. Since the hotel will be reserved solely for ProgPower attendees next year, I have to think it will be a guaranteed sell-out even factoring in last-minute cancellations. I'm thinking it would be simple for them to do... simply tell people when they are booking their room for next year, that if they want a "guaranteed" reservation for next year with no possibility of getting bumped via overbooking, then they will have to agree to still pay maybe one or two night's charges even if they cancel. This way, the hotel can assure they don't get totally jacked if cancellations occur. Customers could, however, avoid this rather steep cancellation charge if they could find someone willing to take over their reservation... which should not be too hard, since there will doubtless be lots of people on this board who couldn't get an Artmore reservation initially, but would love to stay at the "official" ProgPower hotel.

Anyway, just a thought. They're obviously going to run things the way they see fit, but this does seem like a pretty simple way to eliminate a major headache both for them and for their customers.

 

[Yippee38]

YardleyBates and I would still be interested in sharing our 1 bedroom suite at the Artmore if any of you displaced people would be interested. Shoot me a PM.

 

[Harvester]

Just got a message on my answering machine that the reservation has been "relocated" to the Four Seasons.

This shall be interesting. Will keep you informed. I wonder if they will honor the Artmore rates?

Four Seasons? I would indeed check that rate as that would be sweet indeed.

 

[Sumeet]

Heh... yeah, The Four Seasons is usually like $400+ a night for a single non-suite room. If you get The Artmore rates there, it may well be worth the somewhat longer walk to stay in a super-luxury hotel, heh.

 

[freakchylde]

Left a message with David at the Artmore, I'll post a message when I find out what's going on.

I remember walking past the Four Seasons last year. Steve kept saying "It would be so cool to stay here next year!" Well, he may get his wish!

Who knows who'll be home that weekend too!!! That's where Elton John used to live.

 

[booB]

Is it possible that they are bumping the people who are coming in on Thursday or Friday, and giving preferential treatment to those who have Wed-Sun booked? I have not received a cancellation notice, and I was one of the late-comers, and I am booked for 4 nights.

I was considering giving up my room so that one of the bumped people could have it... but I probably won't. I was one of the people who got screwed by the Granada in 2001, and I bitched about it for years after that, to the point where people were telling me that it's all in the past, and I should let it go. It's other people's turn to get screwed and bitch about it.

 

[zekeyou]

We had the 4 Seasons message as well...

 

[kellsco]

UGH. I just got home and started reading this thread and just freaking knew I'd better go check the phone and sure enough there was a voice mail. I had three rooms....one being a two bedroom apt that I paid for IN FULL through Expedia last September. How do you bump someone that had a room paid for IN FULL for a year. One of my rooms was Wed-Sun. Two were Thur-Sun.

And I just called last night and was told all was fine. assholes.


Of course all the managers are gone for the day. I was also told that Glenn needed more rooms than he thought and that they were also over booked by 30+ rooms to they are now cancelling. I asked what kind of crap criteria they were using to bump people because obvisously they were not using the last in first out method, and I wonder if they are bumping first the people that booked when they were still the Granda and the ones that got in after the switch to the Artmore they are keeping.


edit: Ok. well never mind my original edit. I didn't stop to read the board until now, and just saw the sticky at the top. Whatever the reason, I still don't think it was right to cancel a prepaid reservation. You get my money a year in advance, let me make plans for myself and others, and then three weeks before the room is needed you blow me off?

 

[Diamond45]

I booked right after they changed to the Artmore. Even though the Best Western site had said the hotel was booked solid, for some reason I managed to get a room after the change over. I knew it was too good to be true, so I kept my Super 8 reservation as a backup. Still have it just in case this one goes south.

And I had called last night as well. They said everything was fine. 24 hours later it isn't so fine. WTF?

 

[kellsco]

I just called the Four Seasons and they have no knowledge of any rooms being booked for any of us, and this is the first they have heard about it. The lady I just spoke to knew I was freaking pissed as hell and is calling the Artmore herself right now.

 

[kellsco]

I was just told that since the Artmore is 'walking' us to another hotel it is standard practice for any cost for a same or similar room(s) that is above what our quoted rate at the Artmore would have been will be paid by the Artmore. She asked me if the Four Seasons was acceptable to me or did I want to try to find something elsewhere. Riiiight...


So once all the managers get in tomorrow, with any luck, we should all have new rooms at no additional cost to us at the Four Seasons.

 

[booB]

I was just told that since the Artmore is 'walking' us to another hotel it is standard practice for any cost for a same or similar room(s) that is above what our quoted rate at the Artmore would have been will be paid by the Artmore. She asked me if the Four Seasons was acceptable to me or did I want to try to find something elsewhere. Riiiight...


So once all the managers get in tomorrow, with any luck, we should all have new rooms at no additional cost to us at the Four Seasons.

Wow! Here's hoping I get bumped.

 

[poundingmetal74]

I'm at the Marriott on 14th st, its right by the Starbucks and 2 blocks from the gas station that sells beer. Its .4 miles from the venue they had rooms when I booked mine last week.

I can't believe hotels around the venue suddenly have rooms available! I tried to book at several hotels within a mile of the venue to no avail back in early April. I ended up getting a room at the Georgian Terrace - which is about 1.5 miles away. Shitty how they're screwing over people who booked long in advance. I'd refuse to book there again.

 

[Pellaz]

I guess I'd better call the Artmore tomorrow and re-re-re-re-verify my reservation.

 

[Diamond45]

I'm at the Marriott on 14th st, its right by the Starbucks and 2 blocks from the gas station that sells beer. Its .4 miles from the venue they had rooms when I booked mine last week.

Unfortunately (according to Freakchylde) it looks like the 14th street bridge may not be done yet. You'll have to cross over either on the 10th street bridge and walk by the Turner Broadcasting campus, or walk over on the 17th street bridge and walk through a couple of neighborhoods. I did both last year. Not exactly fun - and especially now that I have a bum knee .

 

[Diamond45]

I guess I'd better call the Artmore tomorrow and re-re-re-re-verify my reservation.

Probably not a bad idea, but they'll change it the next day so don't bother!

 

[Diamond45]

OK, here's an update as of this morning, subject to change.

Talked to David at the Artmore. He said that he is in the process of setting up a reservation for me at the Four Seasons down the street (I think it's on 14th street IIRC). Anyhow, the rate that I will have to pay is $139 per night - which is considerably cheaper than the going rate ($400/night) at the Four Seasons, and is even cheaper than I would have paid at the Artmore (I think around $149 or $169).

A confirmation should be sent to me via E-mail soon. I'll believe it when I see it though.

Supposedly the Artmore overbooked by 20 rooms because that's how many people cancelled last year. This year they haven't had any cancellations. Hence they're trying to work this out prior to the event. Hey, at least they're being proactive this year about it instead of showing up and saying you don't have a room!

Though I would have liked to have stayed at the Artmore simply because of it's distance from Center Stage and the MARTA stop, I'll take the free upgrade to the Four Seasons. So what if I have to walk a couple of extra blocks?

 

[SavaVIDude]

I'm at the Marriott on 14th st, its right by the Starbucks and 2 blocks from the gas station that sells beer. Its .4 miles from the venue they had rooms when I booked mine last week.

I've stayed there the past 5 years. It's gone from $129 to $199/night. They are suites, so doubling up is easy. It's a REAL nice place!! After all these horror stories, I just checked my reservtion and they assured me it's still good. I have NEVER had this problem there.

Chris

 

[The Invisible Guest]

I reconfimed my reservation last night .. all is well still. I told the guy on the phone I was concerned about losing my room .. he told mine was secure because I reserved directly from them as opposed to going thru a 3rd party. Did all you folks that got bumped book thru a 3rd party, or was this just an excuse they are using?


Britt

 

[Matt Crooks]

The Four Seasons is really nice, just be careful of the mini-bar... it's quite pricey