So, I made reservations at the Hilton in Santa Rosa for the Vineman weekend at the race rate of $155/night and just got an email from them saying they apologize for overbooking and that they have re-located me to another property - the Holiday Inn Express at the same RATE!
Nice, very nice! Someone’s going to get an earfull.
Is there a video tape?
Well DUH! They upgraded you! I can see the post race interview after you set the course record - “No, I am not a professional triathlete, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!”
You are getting screwed on the rate, call them, piss, moan, complain, they will adjust it.
What are the other good hotels in the area to stay at if doing the race? Anyone stayed at the Courtyard in Santa Rosa?
Last time I stayed there I was in a conference room! Pretty funny!! The beds like folded out of the wall!
OK, for a Peaceful Tribe hat donated to CAF in your name who’s done the best in negotiating a better deal. (I’m buying one hat… ) Close this one on Tuesday, July 26, 05
1)Hotel/Motel:
2)Event:
3)Advertised Rate:
4)What you negotiated:
1)Super 8
2)ASA slow pitch tournement
3)$89.00 double occupancy
4)$46.00 51.7%
Paris or Nikki? How was it?
I managed to get a room at the Courtyard Marriott for the Sunday night at $129 a night by directly booking through them… it was to be $169 with the Vineman hotel website booking folks. I had to give in and get a booking for the Sat through the website, but I was pissed off that they are charging $40 more per room per night. Logic would dictate that you would block book a large number of rooms at a discounted price and make money through the realised savings as you sell the rooms at normal prices… or God forbid slightly lower. Would be nice if someone from Vineman could chime in and explain why they are allowing the evnt to be made even more expensive for the athletes
Weeman
So, I made reservations at the Hilton in Santa Rosa for the Vineman weekend at the race rate of $155/night and just got an email from them saying they apologize for overbooking and that they have re-located me to another property - the Holiday Inn Express at the same RATE!
Nice, very nice! Someone’s going to get an earfull.
Call the national number for Hilton, and very politely ask for a supervisor. Politely and calmly explain the situation (you reserved a Hilton room, and you are being offered after-the-fact what you consider to be an inferior accommodation at the same rate). Tell the supervisor that you are not satisfied with this situation, and that it reflects quite badly on Hilton. Ask them to give you the room they confirmed with you. If they cannot do that, insist that they lower the rate (looks like the HIE in Santa Rosa has rates below $100/night) and “make it up to you” somehow.
I had a truly horrible experience at a newly built hotel in Miami Beach years ago, and the national HQ for the higher-end chain gave me a four night complimentary stay at any of their hotels in the country (I used it at one on Dupont Circle in DC).
Remember that Hilton (not necessarily the hotel you booked) wants to retain you as a customer, and it is cheaper for them to do that than to acquire a new customer.
Give a call to the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa - Last year I stayed there and loved it. Old time resort feeling - lap pool with lanes set up in the morning.
That is where I would stay.
the Holiday Inn express in Tulsa OK is $40 a night… 
I stayed at the Hilton in 2003 and it was OK…so good, in fact, that this year I’m staying at Hotel La Rose which is just up the street from the host hotel.
I made my reservations the other day, they may still have some rooms available.
Hey Gang … chiming in from Vineman world! I’ll be honest and say i do not know how SportsAmerica tours ets up the bookings and the rates and what hotels choose to hold rooms or what the Hilton does. (It does sound like the Hilton may have some problems in general) This is not in the realm of what i handle so i apologize for not knowing more. Other things:
-I sent alot of people myself to the new Holiday Inn Express in Windsor & the one in norther Sants Rosa because of location … i also encouraged folks who wanted a quiet stay to look n Guerneville for cottages etc.
-Weekend hotel rates in general here are escalated (not just because of our event) as it is a general vacation area for wine tasting and for the next 3 weeks (believe or not) the Sonoma County Fair!
-If people call me here in the office i give them the info for Sports Amnerica Tours but also encourage folks to yahoo or mapquest on their own and the list of properties that comes up is MASSSIVE and their are plenty of more affordable options.
We are not trying to make the event more expenisve for athletes, in fact if I talk to people i try to send them to more affordable properties. As an athlete i understand the cost issue and when i travel to events i do a little digging on my own and have always found something less expensive the host hotels etc.
Hope that helps out … see ya’ll next week!
Thanks Dave, SportsAmerica are a disgrace unfortunately and when I spoke with them I got a “that’s the way it is” kind of line given to me. They are basically monopolising the hotels in the area and at an increased rate above the hotel’s actual rates. To me they are no better than ticket touts.
On another note- what time does T1 close, when do we have to collect our bikes by?
Weeman
Weeman … Swim to Bike T does not ever close so if you have a later wave you can arrive later tot he beach (just give yourself some time) T2 will be secured up to about 5pm but we’ll have people breaking down T2 well after that.
As for SA Tours … please send them a tasteful note to voice your concern and please copy me (dave@vineman.com) I will file it my folder that i save things in to discuss w/ the RD when we begin to address next year and potential changes etc. Not sure what our options are for change but maybe we can offer some alternative options as well for next year.
Cheers …
Send them this link and advise that you are almost done the ‘Hilton version’.
http://www.hyperorg.com/misc/DoubleTreeShow_files/frame.html
That’s excellent! especially slides 8 and 13…
I also thought this was about Spastic getting screwed by Paris at Vineman. I wanted the details… did she have her mexican dog in bed with her, was it a threesome with the greek guy, was there a hamburger involved, etc etc
THis is why I will just stay in my motor home right next to the swim start.
Dave
Don’t feel too bad about the holiday inn express. I booked it a couple of months ago and checked it out recently. The place is brand new and looks pretty good.