Annual reminder: Hotel Room Type Is NOT Guaranteed!
Every year it seems that I need to remind our attendees about a very basic rule of the hotel industry: While requests are taken to heart, the specific type of room or amenities available are NOT guaranteed! That means that just because you asked for a double room, there is a small possibility that it will not be available, and if you asked for a rollaway or a refrigerator or an extra bathrobe, you may not receive it. The hotel will make every effort to accommodate your request, but please remember that they have a limited supply of amenities. Almost everyone at Anthrocon wants a rollaway and a refrigerator, but the Westin does not have a giant warehouse out back filled with these items. The reason that hotels do this, as I have explained exhaustively over the years, is that people change their minds. The hotel cannot afford to tell every guest, "Sorry, all the rollaways are spoken for" and then have the four people who asked for the rollaways change their minds or not show up at all. All of you folk who are advertising room shares and saying, "I've got two beds and a rollaway" seriously need to make contingency plans in the small-but-not-zero chance that you might wind up with less bed space than you anticipated.
This is not something that the Westin invented for Anthrocon. This is how hotels everywhere have been operating for decades. It is something that experienced travellers have come to accept, but which those who only travel periodically often have trouble understanding.
It is a sad reflection of today's society that someone who has a medical need for a refrigerator may not get one from a hotel. In our experience a large percentage of requests for refrigerators come with claims of medical necessity, whether real or not.
Im wondering...You know, someone who needs refrigeration for medical supplies, might not need a whole refrigerator, just for themselves (though that would admittedly be much more convenient, and preferred)...but would it be possible for _one_ refrigerator to be kept in the administrative space, accessible only by front desk personnel, for storage of _many_ people's medications?
If you need to keep insulin or some other medication cold, it might be possible for the hotel to keep it for you; when you need it, anytime 24 hours a day, come down to the lobby, and request the desk person to get your insulin - or, more probably, a small box or plastic bin with your name and room number on it - and give it to you; after you have taken/used the appropriate dose, return the box/bin to the desk person, and he or she will take it back into the office/admin space or whatever, and put it back into the 'fridge.
Yes, it would be a bit inconvenient for the user, and another task to put on the shoulders of what might be otherwise overburdened desk-people, but it _does_ solve the problem of keeping meds chilled when there aren't enough individual refrigeration units to go around.
I could see where Hotel Staff would reasonably object to such a service, but I see nothing unreasonable in suggesting it or making the request. What do you think Jaime might say?
Very true.
In our experience a large percentage of requests for refrigerators come with claims of medical necessity, whether real or not.
Either people are making it up, or we possibly have a real medical epidemic on our hands. ...or the hotel just doesn't carry very many refrigerators.
This is why, when I was offered an "Accessible" room at MFF this last year, I asked the clerk several times if they were sure they didn't need it for anyone else.
It helps that there are 17 accessible rooms in the Hyatt Regency O'Hare 
-Duncan, who moonlights as the MFF Hotel Liaison
Ahh, that does help, yes. I asked until I got a funny look, if I recall.
I was offered an "accessible" room at another convention a few years ago (coincidentally, in the hotel where the original Albany Anthrocon took place, although it's under new management/brand name now), and they made me promise to vacate if the room was needed for a guest with special needs.
And I'd have done the same.
Whoa, so this means that I might not get a refrigerator for my insulin?
Well, this sucks, but I think people might want to recall, not ALL insulin HAS to be refrigerated.
As a note to fellow Type 1 Diabetics out there who may read this. If you use a pump, or have a Insulin pen, Novolog will not expire for a month at room temperature, meaning that you may keep it UNREFRIGERATED for a month. But you will have to keep track of date and when you used it.
~I will not be held liable for any emergencies, and you take this knowledge and use it at your own risk. Talk to your doctor to check up on this.
You can pick up small "dorm" refrigerators at walmart and k-mark fairly cheaply. Walmart has one for $69 with free shipping or you can just go get one at their store http://www.walmart.com/ip/Haier-1.7-Refrigerator-White/8471093 These are small enough to move around but will take up a good bit of space in your car but its better to have it and not need it then need it and not have the hotel have it for you. You can also look into the camping areas in stores for thermoelectric coolers which you can plug into your car lighter port to keep it cool on the way there and then use a wall adapter once you are in your room. These are MUCH smaller and thus easier to move and find room for though they'll tend to cost almost what the dorm fridges cost. Walmart carried one for $58 http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-16-Quart-Thermo-Electric-Cooler/11030648
As for the hotel and having things, its first come, first serve. I requested a roll-away last year which I was promised one would be waiting for me when I reserved the room, I was told I'd have one when I called months after to check my reservation, and again a couple weeks before the con when I called again to check but when I got there they said they didn't have any reserved for me and would try to find one. I got there Thursday very early in the morning too. Luckily they did find me one. If you're planning to have extra roomies/crashers then the best plan is to bring a pillow and sleeping bag or a air mattress just to be safe. If not needed you can always leave them in your car. Always be prepared.
*points to her above reply* I did link the portable coolers, but it bears repeating.
Wait, her?!?
I believe Tyrrlin was referring to her own reply much higher up in the thread where she gave links to portable coolers.
That's precisely the thing. I thought Tyrrlin was a guy, especially with all of the military talk from before.
Uncle Soggy's con-tip #47
One thing about those solid-state thermoelectric coolers that needs to be pointed out:
They are OK for KEEPING things cold, but they aren't very good at cooling things.
For example: If you fill one with warm bee... oops... I meant soda-pop. Yeah, soda-pop. That's what I meant to say! If you fill one of them with warm "soda-pop" in the morning, expecting to serve the furs at your room party, that evening, cold "soda-pop", then you and your guests will most likely be very disappointed!
Do what I do. Bring an ice chest and fill it with ice from the ice-maker.
(Actually, in '08, I forgot the ice chest, and just filled one of my room's plastic garbage bins with ice!)
Soggy
Thanks for this info!
I'm calling The Westin tomorrow and telling them that I'm coming in from Philadelphia on train and it doesn't arrive in Pittsburgh until about 8:00 ... so I need to tell them to hold my reservation for check in until then.
For those of you who need to have refrigeration (meds, dietary requirements, etc), it might be a valuable investment to get a plug-in cooler and adapter for your stuff.
Plug-in cooler available at Walgreen's
http://www.walgreens.com/store/catalog/Accessories/Soft-Sided-Cooler/ID=prod3447241-product?V=G&ec=nt_&srccode=cii_9324560&cpncode=24-84791630-2
A/C adapter for said cooler, also at Walgreen's
http://www.walgreens.com/store/catalog/Accessories/12V-Adapter-to-110-Watt/ID=prod1833608-product?V=G&ec=nt_&srccode=cii_9324560&cpncode=23-88161462-2
~Tyrrlin