[CQ-Contest] Is anyone else pissed off...

[Kenneth E. Harker]

     Most hotel chains now offer rooms at a slightly lower "advanced 
purchase" price.  When you choose advanced purchase, your credit card 
is billed immediately, and you are not entitled to a refund if you need 
to cancel.  If you reserve a room at the hotel's "flexible rate" (the name 
varies from chain to chain), the hotel may or may not put a hold on your 
credit card for the amount of the reservation, but not charge you for it 
until the nights of your stay.  And with a flexible rate, you have the 
ability to cancel the reservation up to a short time before the stay.

     Right now on the Intercontinental Hotel Group's online reservation 
system, Dayton downtown Crowne Plaza rooms appear available for the 
Hamvention 2011 weekend for $209 "flexible rate" or $176 "advanced 
purchase".  The DoubleTree does the same thing, but it's rates are a lot 
lower for that weekend: $89 "unrestricted" or $71 "advanced purchase". 

     It's been years since I've been to Hamvention, but when I went we 
always stayed at the DoubleTree and were happy with it.  It's not
like we spent very much time in the room anyway.  Among other things, 
the DoubleTree public areas were non-smoking when the Crowne Plaza still 
tolerated smoking in their lobbies.  It's a 10 minute walk between the 
two hotels.  Several years ago, it seemed safe enough even at night - I 
don't know what downtown Dayton is like now.

-Ken WM5R



On Fri, Jul 02, 2010 at 11:00:51AM -0400, Richard F DiDonna NN3W wrote:
> not sure how you're getting that.  I get the following error 
> message...Through the IHG website.  The CPDayton website refers yo you the 
> IHG site engine.
> 
> There are no rooms available for your requested travel criteria. Please 
> consider either modifying your requirements or searching alternate hotels.
> 
> 73 Rich NN3W
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <Jimk8mr at aol.com>
> To: <Paul at k9pg.com>; <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 10:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Is anyone else pissed off...
> 
> 
> > FWIW the Crowne Plaza web site lists rooms for Thursday though Saturday
> > night of Dayton at $165.00 plus tax. This is up from $153.67 for one week
> > earlier.
> >
> > Don't know if you can actually make a reservation that way.
> >
> > About 10 years ago I pissed off at CP Dayton, and have stayed at cheaper
> > places up north. This year we stayed right across from the airport for
> > $50/night plus tax for a double. Not fancy, and you have to drive back 
> > after the
> > suites, but certainly cost effective.
> >
> >
> > 73  -  Jim  K8MR
> >
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 7/2/2010 6:32:05 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> > Paul at k9pg.com writes:
> >
> > ....  about this amazingly disgusting rate hike by the Crowne Plaza?
> >>From $125 or so all the way to $209?
> >
> > This is a 70% increase
> >
> > I  thought that $125 a night for the average rooms & service that we get 
> > is
> > a  bit high... but $209?
> >
> > The DoubleTree 2 blocks away is just as nice and  under $100 a night
> >
> > I bet that if enough people call the Crowne directly  and voice an opinion
> > and threaten to go elsewhere, they might have a change of  heart.  I'm
> > currently in email contact with the marketing manager...  probably gonna 
> > talk to
> > him tomorrow.
> >
> >
> > Paul  K9PG
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-- 
Kenneth E. Harker WM5R
kenharker at kenharker.com
http://www.kenharker.com/