Hotel Questions

Free water bottles in the rooms - Thank you!

zorinlynx — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:55:13 -0700

I don't know if it was the hotel, or the con who arranged for the free water bottles in the rooms this year, but THANK YOU!

It is so nice to see the hotel not nickel-and-diming us on this. Paying $3 for a 30 cent bottle of water is completely absurd, and this is the first hotel I *EVER* see where the water bottles are complimentary.

I just wanted to post this because I want the hotel and con staff to know how much this little detail was appreciated.

Thanks again!

So when can we . . .

Recherei — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:46:08 -0700

I have heard, (but have not confirmed), that the Omni will not be available at all next year. How soon can we start asking when hotel reservations will be available for 2009?

My thoughts on the hotel issues

locadocoon — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:04:03 -0700

I checked in today the 25th at the Westin.

The front desk informed me that they REQUIRED an additional 40% deposit for the duration of our stay, even though we already paid the room stay deposit in cash for all our nights, to alleviate any damages you may render to your room or if you happen to smoke in your room. Also, your room is REQUIRED to be accessible by the hotel room housekeeping after 10am everyday to check for cleanliness, and if your room is unclean, you will be assessed an additional $50 fee for each occurrence. Now back to the subject of the additional deposit, we are staying till Monday morning, meaning this is an Acct hold on my bank acct for an additional $230 since I did not have the adequate amount of cash.

I would of really appreciated a forewarning to the mandatory charge. I understand the hotel must cover its bases due to the state of the previous convention years.

extra hotel charge?

Artiamus — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:27:15 -0700

Last year when my roommate and I checked into our room at the Omni, we were told that there was a additional charge that we would have to pay. We were told it was a deposit against damages done to the room. We payed it since it was the only way we'd get into our room, but we were still surprised at the fact that this charge was present as we had never heard of anything like it before. As our budgets were very tight (and still are), we had to dip into our food money in order to pay this deposit, though we were able to get them to cut the price in half since we had never been told of it beforehand and were unable to balance our budgets to compensate for it. After the con, when we checked out, the money was returned, but later I found a charge on my card (as the room was reserved in my name) from the hotel that was listed as damages to the room, damages that we did not make.

Westin: How much to add people to my room?

Alty — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:32:12 -0700

Right now it's just me in the room. But 3 friends might room with me now. Does it cost extra to add people?

Credit card required at booking time?

KitsuneWolf — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:14:26 -0700

I understand that either a debit or credit card is required at booking ,but i am not clear on whether the credit or debit card paid at the hotel has to be the same one used to pay/make the reservation online? Can they be two different cards?

Also, is it alright if i use a credit card that has the same last name(its my father's credit card) ,but not first name? Or does my name on my ID have to match the name on the card exactly? Would a written and signed consent form be okay and/or necessary?

Thanks!

New housekeeping policy, seeking clairification

Narei Mooncatt — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 09:09:27 -0700

I received this as part of an email from the Westin, but I'm asking here because unless your name is on the reservation, you wouldn't get the email I'm talking about. Here's the specific quote I'm refereing to:

Quote:

HOUSKEEPING DURING YOUR STAY

To keep up with your activities and enhance your guestroom experience, housekeeping will maintain a daily cleaning schedule for all rooms. This schedule will begin at 10am and continue throughout the day. Please note this is a standard of the hotel and is not optional. If “do not disturb” signs are placed on doors, housekeeping will still need to get into the room to make sure it is up to Westin standards for all guests. At the request of Anthrocon directors, housekeeping staff will not begin their schedule prior to 10:00 AM. Please note that there is a $50.00 additional charge if the room is in need of excessive cleaning.

A question about checking in with the debit card (a problem)

Volknochi — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:48:07 -0700

I have a similar problem that others have presented. I live paycheck to paycheck and money has been extremely tight as of this year (what with losing a job and some other emergency costs). I've used my debit card to reserve a room (and have already taken care of the one-night stay reserve), however the rest of my roomies aren't showing up until Thurs or Fri (when they will be paying me), but I'm checking in Wednesday. I'm not going to have the full amount in my bank account to check in, will that cause a problem? Cause I only have about $550 something in my account and I DO need some money to spend at the con (like food and gas), which I will be taking about $200 out to ensure I can cover just those expenses. Even my credit card with it's very small lmit ($300) is maxed out.

What can I do? I don't want to be left out in the cold, seeing as how unexpected roomie events have taken place.

Paying cash

Dogai — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:20:15 -0700

So, when I check in under my debit Mastercard, I can pay in cash, right? Which would be the full stay of the room plus a $200 deposit?

Need some help: paying at the westin

kaleotter — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:52:04 -0700

I have a problem with paying at the westin. Until a couple of days ago, i was working under the impression that the people i was staying with would be paying for the hotel, and i would be paying my share back at the end of the con, however, they are now not arriving until the day after i do (I arrive on the 24th) This has caused a problem, because i have already taken all of the money on my debit card and turned it into travellers cheques and cash, as i didnt intend to take it. So i need to know if i can pay in cash, and if i can get that back when my freinds arrive and put it on thier cards.
Thanks for any info you can give me.
-Kale.

A rare instance

Exkhaniber — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 07:45:24 -0700

Okay, so today I received my new card from my bank. The reason is because my old one expires in July.

Now, the hotel has my old numbers and charged my old card for one night's stay according to the rules set up for reservation. Everything is fine that far. But when I go to check in Wednesday afternoon, I'll be presenting this card with new numbers. It is linked to the same account the old card was. I'm rather forced to use the new card, because the old card will be expired by the time the hotel's charge goes through the bank.

So I'd like to ask Jamie, the wonderful woman and wizard of whipping up wacky and wonderful winning solutions, if there will be a problem with this? I don't suspect there will be, but I'd rather find out sooner rather than later.

My room is forfeited?

KitsuneWolf — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:12:46 -0700

I was given an email that they had trouble charging to my credit card. The email stated that the room would be considered forfeited if payment was not received by may16...I was sent the email may 15th.

I am not able to check my email every night. So just tonight i was able to check it ,and i find out my room is forfeited.

I'm not sure what to do or what can be done?

What's included at the Omni?

Tyr — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:07:39 -0700

I've never stayed at the Omni before, but heard the rooms were rather spacious.

Does anyone know what ammenities are included in the room? I've heard "just an iron and coffeemaker" to "microwave, coffeemaker, fridge, etc"

Does anyone know what REALLY comes with the room?

I suppose I could always email them and ask, but you never know whether or not you'll get an answer.

No longer needing fursuit floor

Narei Mooncatt — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:15:03 -0700

I had asked for a room on the fursuit floor with my reservation at the Westin, but now the suiter will not be staying in my room. How do I go about removing myself from that list? Keep in mind, I'm not cancelling the entire reservation, just the fursuit floor request.

Narei

The great migration

U T Tiger — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 16:03:54 -0700

When I call for a luggage handler with a cart on Monday morning, the reaction is usually hysterical laughter or intense sobbing.

I was wondering if it's possible for the hotel to bring in extra staff and carts for the mass exodus that is always Monday morning?

If you are arriving before Thursday

Unclekage — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 09:53:47 -0700

The Westin is completely booked up on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, which means if you are arriving on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, you will likely not be able to check in before 3 PM. You can always leave your bags at the bellman's desk and take a tour of the beautiful city of Pittsburgh. Also, Anthrocon's famous "Zoo" does not open until Thursday and another group will be in that ballroom on Wednesday evening. If you want to hang out somewhere, though, Jaime is letting us gather in the Westmoreland Room on the 2nd floor. Please do not linger in the lobby! It gets very crowded very quickly and the Fire Marshall gets his bloomers in a twist over it.

anyone at Marriott Pittsburgh City Center?

Kelix — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:52:10 -0700

Is anyone else staying at this hotel and if anyone's been there before what can you tell me about it.
The person who was to make reservations for our group couldn't get them at the doubletree for some reason. ;.;
Seriously AC is taking up a LOT of hotels now.

Shipping Luggage Reliability?

KitsuneWolf — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:53:58 -0700

Has anyone had experience shipping luggage to the Westin? I'm considering doing so to save myself the hassle of carrying my bags with me ,and with the changing luggage policies it might be necessary for me to send one or two items. I can't help but be wary of the reliability, though.

What are the chances that my bag gets lost?

If the risk is small, i'll do it ,but it'd be nice to hear some experiences if poissible!

Thanks!

AV in Hotel Guest Room?

Kewne — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:33:50 -0700

I browsed the fourms, and I just had a quick question. This one differs hotel to hotel, chain to chain.

Does the Westin guest room Television Sets have AV in ports (RCA, S-Video, etc.)? Example, I have a notebook with an S-video out port, so I might want to use my notebook as a DVD player (or, for some peculiar reason, browse the internet on a very uncomfortable illegible resolution.)

Reminder:

Unclekage — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:59:25 -0700

RE-CONFIRM YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS NOW!

(And thanks to ZeroCreature, you can do that online here for the Westin and here for the Omni)

Transferring rooms: some precautions

Unclekage — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:55:16 -0700

Some people's plans inevitably change at the last minute, and there will always be a few people who have a hotel reservation for which they have paid a non-refundable deposit who now want to find a way to transfer it to someone else so that they do not lose their deposit.

First off, two very important points:

1) The hotel cannot transfer the reservation for you to another person. They simply do not have a mechanism for it.

2) We are very sorry, but Anthrocon cannot help you with such a transfer either. Please do not ask us to.

We do not recommend transferring the reservation to a person you do not know. If you made the original reservation, then you are going to be held responsible for that room. Do you really want to have a stranger staying in a room that you are responsible for if you are not going to be present?

parking fees for the lot under the hotel.

firehopper — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:30:37 -0700

Do we know what the fees for parking are this year.. I didn't see it on the hotel info, are we getting a discount this year.. jamie?

Westin Parking Garage Renovation

fritzywolf — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:05:06 -0700

It's mentioned on the parking page that the Westin's parking garage will be undergoing renovations April 1-July 4th. I was just wondering if there's any update to this information, and if this is going to be a big problem for people parking/staying at the Westin.

My Room Is GO!

Skippy DI — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:47:57 -0700

I, too, had a credit card hiccup but thanks to Ms Waterman everything is cleared up and I have my confirmation. Yeah Me

Westin has more rooms!

Unclekage — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:47:00 -0700

I just got word that the Westin has worked through its waiting list, and there are TWO king-bed rooms available for Thursday through Sunday. There are also six corner suites that are only available for Friday and Saturday nights. To reserve the king rooms, you need to call Ms. Sam Waterman at (412) 560-6365. To reserve the suites, email ceo(at)anthrocon.org with WESTIN SUITE very prominent in the subject line. Don't wait - these will probably go very quickly!

Different from last year? A question on travel too the Westin From the Airport and back again.

fuzzyroo — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:31:26 -0700

Last year there was like some sort of coupon or something that allowed us to purchase transit for anthrocon that got us too the hotel and back...

is there coupons or what ever this year? or was that something that horribly failed last year and won't be doing again?

Westin Fursuit Floor requests now being taken

Unclekage — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:01:46 -0700

In an effort to make things a little easier for our fine costumers, the Westin has set aside some rooms on lower floors that are easily accessible by stair to someone with limited eyesight and big floppy paws. Just click on the Fursuit Floor link in the menu bar to the left for more information. Remember, you must be a fursuiter yourself or have one staying in your room, and you must already have a confirmed Westin reservation.

Question about the Convention Center

johnnyblanco — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:36:20 -0700

Okay, I went last year and I noticed something temperature wise (becuase I am a fursuiter)

It seems like the AC was really cranked at the westin , making it a great pleasure to fursuit in and run around in. But once we got over to the Convention center it felt more than a few degrees hotter! Heck when we were waiting for the fursuit parade it was REAL hot and we were scrambling to get fans and such..

Is there anything that can be done about this or are we going to have the same thing every year?

Johnny

Adding a day to reservation

bluedragon — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:52:18 -0700

Would it be possible to add June 25th to my reservation? I tried calling the hotel and they told me that they can't add a day at the group rate for some reason and it would have to be at the full rate.

Card billing error?

gaz_a — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:45:52 -0700

I was just checking my credit card online and found two charges for $131.10 on the 26th April. I definitely having only one booking, and it's not a hold because it's a UK card and we don't get holds listed. Is this a known problem or something I need to call and sort out?