Hotel reservations open soon: What to expect
On February 1, at 11:00 AM EST, we will publish the url for the Passkey site that will allow you to make your hotel reservations. You will be asked for your Anthrocon badge number (Optional, but appreciated) and a credit card in hand. Please note the following very important tidbits of information:
1) The page that you want to visit will be our hotel page, http://www.anthrocon.org/hotel. There is some very important information that you really ought to read, and then a gigantic link that says you understand that selfsame information. Click that, and it will take you to the Passkey site to make your hotel reservations.
2) Anthrocon's web page has been reinforced against the onslaught, but we can't guarantee that it can withstand the strain of 5000 people repeatedly mashing on the F5 key (please don't do that, if you can avoid it at all). We will also be posting the Passkey link in our Livejournal community, our Twitter account, and on Facebook just in case.
3) There will also be a telephone number on the Passkey page that you can call, but the number of operators is limited! The telephone is not really recommended for that reason. We strongly recommend sticking to the online system.
4) You will only be able to reserve one room at a time. After the room reservation is made, the system will ask if you want to reserve a second; you'll need to go back through the system if you want a second room.
5) Reminder: You must pay a one-night prepayment. That pre-payment is not refundable if you later change your mind and want to cancel the reservation.
6) Your credit card may not be charged right away; the charge may be delayed for up to two weeks due to the volume that we are expecting. Please make sure that you do not go on a spending spree after making your hotel reservation.
7) If a particular hotel is not listed when you log in, it means that particular hotel is not available. You can try shortening your stay in case the early or late days are sold out while the rest are still available; there's a chance that you can extend the stay earlier or later once the reservation is made (assuming there is availability).
8) Supersponsors: You will have the link mailed to you at 11:00 AM EST on Wednesday, the 30th. If you do not receive the link by 12:00 noon, please check your spam-box first, and if you do not see an email from us, contact registration-2013(at)anthrocon.org. Mailers are sometimes a little slow, so kindly do not panic and email us at 11:00:03.
I have no idea what you are talking about. The link works perfectly fine, and it does say the 30th.
Ooooo, just like magic 
or post editing 
QUOTE
On February 1, at 11:00 AM EST, we will publish the url for the Passkey site that will allow you to make your hotel reservations. You will need to have your Anthrocon badge number (it came in the registration confirmation email, as well as the printed registration confirmation that you have either received or will receive presently; or you can retrieve it here) and a credit card in hand. Please note the following very important tidbits of information:
By referring to Badge number needed it implies only preregistered attendees can get a room or was that some mixup from the Super Sponsor catagory?
That's new this year, isn't it? Just curious as to why the change.
If I were to take a wild guess,
it's either to make it even less likely a cancellation will be made later,
or to prevent ghosting. Or both.
That is what I am kind of thinking too. Also probably trying to encourage more people to pre-register. 
One thing I would suggest though: it would probably be a very good idea to make mention of this on the Hotels page of this site (probably in a good sized bold print). I have just read through it again and see that it does not mention the fact that you will need your badge number when reserving this room. I can see an issue come the 1st where people are going to try to reserve a room who have not read this thread and come to find out that they can't reserve a room because they have not pre-registered yet. This will then cause further panic (and load to the website) as they will be trying to quickly pre-reg so they can reserve a hotel room.
A very good idea. I just put it there, in big bold capital letters.
Also probably trying to encourage more people to pre-register.
Maybe a lot more - what's the rate been in past years? This change will force a pre-reg rate of 25-75% (the former if everybody's room-sharing with 4 per room and only the person reserving the room pre-regs; the latter if 50% have no roomies and the rest are at 4/room).
Only pre-registered attendees can get a room.
:shocked:
From a finances standpoint, it would have been really, really helpful to have known this a couple months ago, rather than to find out in the same month where I have just incurred the expense of a hotel stay for one convention (FC)...in the middle of which I had to register for another (EF), and pay in advance, in full, for hotel accommodation there, as well. 
How do we get our Starwood/Hilton/Mariott (depending on the hotel we book) points for our stay at Anthrocon? Does the Passkey system have an option to put our rewards number in depending on which hotel we chose?
If not,
it may be something where you need to contact the corporate office and have them add that
to the reservation or something.
I plan on asking the front desk when I check in.
Yes, knowing one had to have a badge this year before they could get get a hotel room would have been very nice to know. This information could have easily been shared 15 days ago when the first hotel topic was posted.
One cannot think of everything. I'm sure if someone had asked the question in the other hotel thread, it would have been taken care of then. But take into consideration the fact that Kage has enough on his plate, and he, just like everyone else here, isn't a robot (least I don't think so <.< although I might not be surprised if he is...)
gotta admit, I'm really nervous....
I really DO hope to get a Westin room, I've got my SS and everything... this is the first time I'M the one in charge of the room....
What credit card do I need to have "in hand" next week?
For simplicity, I only have one card. And if Passkey doesn't accept my brand, then I'm gonna be SOL next week.
Just googled Passkey, but didn't find anything definitive.
Soggy Otter
The cards shown as being accepted on the Passkey site are:
American Express
Diners Club
Discover
MasterCard
Visa
Thanks, Nicona.
Kinda' figured that Passkey would be "All Major Credit Cards Accepted!" But wanted to make sure.
Also glad that AC came to it's senses and dropped the only just announced "only pre-regs can book a room" rule.
Wouldn't have affected me, since I am already registered as a SuperSponsor. But the only reason that I registered this early this year was to take advantage of early room registration. (Usually I wait until a month or so before the con.)
I am sure that many many many people would have been caught out by that rule next Friday. And then there would have been a great wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Soggy
I dunno about you guys, but I'm just super excited about getting access TOMORROW (30th) for a room. Well worth the price just for that privilage alone, let alone the sheer joy of being blinded by 2's dome whilst sitting front row at his and kage's events <3
Amen, Fox. Amen.
Couple of corrections to what Uncle Kage posted *ducks and covers*
1) In section 1 - the link to the hotel page that Uncle Kage has in his post include a period and a space in it at the end so it comes up page not foud. You can click http://www.anthrocon.org/hotel to get to the page or click on the hotels link on the left side of the page.
2) In section 8 the Wednesday that the supersponsors can start registering on is Jan. 30th, not Jan. 28th.
Assistant Director of Registration