So I received an email about the new policy of housing cancellation policy. Seems straight forward and no questions there. My question comes when I scroll down to look at my reservation. Everything looks correct except that the field for "Hotel Confirmation Number" is blank. Is that supposed to be blank? Or do I need to be worried?
Good catch. Didn't even notice that the first time I read through the email, it is blank on mine as well. But if I look my Housing page, I do have an acknowledgement number in the Status column. I am assuming I'm good to go? I don't think we need to be worried, but I'm by no means an authority on all this.
Does GenCon usually wait until the last minute to send info to the hotel? I'm having serious problem because I"m going work related but the hotel hasn't heard of me and the Q Rooms says they don't contact them until August 1st, which seems like it cutting it pretty close. Also the cancellation fee for one nights stay seem harsh since if I release the room I have I don't believe they'll have difficulty filling it.
I have a "backup room" that I've promised to someone else... when GenCon releases the housing to the hotels, so I can verify the reservation. Two weeks is a bit tight, but doable. And he's a friend, so I have no problem helping him out. If I didn't have someone to transfer the room to it might be more of an issue.
I guess I just don't understand what you're trying to do....
Last year was my first time and I had similar feelings.
To the OP, while it would be nice to be able to plan out the rooms a couple of months in advance (vacation planning as you called it), the timing is not really short. Once the hotel has the reservations you can do what you wish with the room. I suggest waiting a couple days to let the hotel get all the data they get from Q-room figured out and entered into their systems.
Maybe that helps?
I've only had one problem with Gen Con housing, and it wasn't even Gen Con's fault. Back in 2013 I got a call about a month before Gen Con stating that Crowne Plaza would not be able to take my reservation because they fell behind on their renovations and didn't have the rooms. Unfortunately, they would not give me another connected room for the same rate. My choices were either take another connected room at a higher rate, or stay at the Alexander (a couple blocks walk) for the same rate. Again, this was not Gen Con's fault.