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Guide to Hotel Reservations
May. 28th, 2005 09:15 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
misangela.livejournal.comThe hotels ALWAYS wuss out and claim to be full when they are not. I was at the Hyatt in person yesterday and I can tell you 100% that they are NOT sold out. I can't say about the Marriott, but they never ever are, so I can't imagine that this year would be different. These are the steps to navigating Hyatt's phone reservations hell:
1. Call the Atlanta local number if you are here: 404.577.1234. For some reason it seems to get routed better. If not, call the 800#. [If you live here in Atlanta, just skip the phone registration and go down there in person. It's always the best way to get what you want. It's worked for me for years.]
2. Ask for the DragonCon Block desk. It is a different area than the normal reservations and you should be transferred. If not, then harass the person you're talking to until they transfer you. Ask for a supervisor or manager to assist you. Don't wimp out, just keep at it until you get to the DRAGONCON people. If you're still stuck, as for the Suite Desk. Sometimes that will get you to the right person. There are still suites available, FYI.
3. Once you get to the right desk, be very clear that you are booking for the Con and the hotel told you they had rooms available. The room rate is $150/night plus taxes.
4. If you need special access, you should have no trouble booking a room. These rooms are in their own block and they are not booked unless someone asks for one. If you need a room on a low floor to avoid the elevators (like me), then your task is trickier. You must ask for a Special Block to be put on a low floor room, which essentially assures that a particular room is booked for you. It usually requires going down there in person to get a Special Block on a particular room. Your chances at pulling it off on the phone are about 50/50.
5. Add your wireless access if you need it: it's about $30 for 3 days. Or you can do it when you check in, it's easy and it works pretty well.
6. Call back about a month before the Con to check on your room and make sure it's all copacetic.
Trust me on this one, people, I actually choose my room every single year and have it waiting for me. I get the same room, right next to the stairs on the 3rd floor EVERY year, so I know how to work it. :-)
As for the Marriott, I can only assume that their booking system is as shitty as the Hyatt's, so these steps should still work.
Good luck!!
1. Call the Atlanta local number if you are here: 404.577.1234. For some reason it seems to get routed better. If not, call the 800#. [If you live here in Atlanta, just skip the phone registration and go down there in person. It's always the best way to get what you want. It's worked for me for years.]
2. Ask for the DragonCon Block desk. It is a different area than the normal reservations and you should be transferred. If not, then harass the person you're talking to until they transfer you. Ask for a supervisor or manager to assist you. Don't wimp out, just keep at it until you get to the DRAGONCON people. If you're still stuck, as for the Suite Desk. Sometimes that will get you to the right person. There are still suites available, FYI.
3. Once you get to the right desk, be very clear that you are booking for the Con and the hotel told you they had rooms available. The room rate is $150/night plus taxes.
4. If you need special access, you should have no trouble booking a room. These rooms are in their own block and they are not booked unless someone asks for one. If you need a room on a low floor to avoid the elevators (like me), then your task is trickier. You must ask for a Special Block to be put on a low floor room, which essentially assures that a particular room is booked for you. It usually requires going down there in person to get a Special Block on a particular room. Your chances at pulling it off on the phone are about 50/50.
5. Add your wireless access if you need it: it's about $30 for 3 days. Or you can do it when you check in, it's easy and it works pretty well.
6. Call back about a month before the Con to check on your room and make sure it's all copacetic.
Trust me on this one, people, I actually choose my room every single year and have it waiting for me. I get the same room, right next to the stairs on the 3rd floor EVERY year, so I know how to work it. :-)
As for the Marriott, I can only assume that their booking system is as shitty as the Hyatt's, so these steps should still work.
Good luck!!
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