Didn't get your room? READ THIS!
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Posted by lmengsol timjs21
#26

timjs21 wrote:
marimaccadmin wrote:
I understand the frustration.  Gen Con is very popular now.  There's not a whole lot that can be done.
This is not the proper attitude to have.  You have a serious problem with housing downtown which you might think is a 'good problem' to have.  It isn't.  Unless Indy is going to add room capacity downtown - which I haven't heard is happening - then the best option is to move to a city that can accomodate what this convention has grown to.  The success of GenCon seems to have reached the point that Indy just can't handle it anymore.  Believe me, I love Indianapolis and it's a very convenient location for me, but I won't put up with this convention much longer if something doesn't change.
What limited suppy they are adding is not sufficient and they have 4 more years beyond this year on their contract unless they can opt out. I too love Indy and it's convenient for me but, it's time to look at another location, their just isn't sufficiient support infrastructure for a convention of this size.

Posted by alans ellis1138
#27

ellis1138 wrote:
This is our first year not being able to get a hotel for Gencon. We absolutely need a downtown one, due to physical limitations, and "go catch a cab" is not an option. While BlueIndy is great for those who are capable of driving, it's not an option for those who are not. From what others are saying, if you get a wait time of anything past 1 hour 15 minutes, you won't get a downtown room. So now, in addition to my having sat and waited, and then checked and refreshed for 2+ hours, I'm told I get the honor of checking daily for months, in the hopes I can actually go.
When is the cutoff date for badge refunds?
I've read before that there are handicap rooms set aside - not sure how to get on that list.  Mari?

Posted by sherilyn timjs21
#28

timjs21 wrote:
marimaccadmin wrote:
I understand the frustration.  Gen Con is very popular now.  There's not a whole lot that can be done.
This is not the proper attitude to have.  You have a serious problem with housing downtown which you might think is a 'good problem' to have.  It isn't.  Unless Indy is going to add room capacity downtown - which I haven't heard is happening - then the best option is to move to a city that can accomodate what this convention has grown to.  The success of GenCon seems to have reached the point that Indy just can't handle it anymore.  Believe me, I love Indianapolis and it's a very convenient location for me, but I won't put up with this convention much longer if something doesn't change.

So you want it to move to imaginary land? What you're asking for simply does not exist. 

Posted by marimaccadmin alans
#29

alans wrote:
ellis1138 wrote:
This is our first year not being able to get a hotel for Gencon. We absolutely need a downtown one, due to physical limitations, and "go catch a cab" is not an option. While BlueIndy is great for those who are capable of driving, it's not an option for those who are not. From what others are saying, if you get a wait time of anything past 1 hour 15 minutes, you won't get a downtown room. So now, in addition to my having sat and waited, and then checked and refreshed for 2+ hours, I'm told I get the honor of checking daily for months, in the hopes I can actually go.
When is the cutoff date for badge refunds?
I've read before that there are handicap rooms set aside - not sure how to get on that list.  Mari?
You call at 317-688-1323  for ADA room access.

Posted by hapakismith burrfoot72
#30

burrfoot72 wrote:
holien wrote:
Just been told no wait list this year...
There wasn't one last year either.  I just checked a couple times a day every day until I found something. 
Checked where?  How?

Posted by marimaccadmin hapakismith
#31

hapakismith wrote:
burrfoot72 wrote:
holien wrote:
Just been told no wait list this year...
There wasn't one last year either.  I just checked a couple times a day every day until I found something. 
Checked where?  How?

You just keep going back into the system, and also, check the subforum here to find hotel drops.

Posted by greengirl22
#32

Hello,

This isn't just about availability.  Demand is demand. What's idiotic, is that that they don't have a Wait-list system that will allow people to actually get on a list for the days in highest demand.

There are hotels with Wed-Thursday days open (which I would take), but their SYSTEM will now allow those to be booked, which makes any hope for an extension into days that open up impossible.

This WAS possible in the past, and they've actually made the system worse. 

That's just poor management.

Posted by alans
#33

Disability-compliant ADA rooms are restricted from online booking: Individuals needing ADA rooms are invited to call 317-688-1323 to make their reservations. On opening day Call Center assistance will be provided only to individuals needing to book ADA rooms and individuals needing assistance with existing reservations. 

Posted by david greig- ma
#34

Unless my airbnb comes through then it's down southport way for me. Only had 2 hotel options for the dates I needed when I finally got through so no point.

Posted by k3lit0
#35

Maybe they should have two gencons every year, not everybody is going to go to both.  They could also do what Pax does and have Gencon East and Gencon West etc.  Baltimore has a massive convention centre and so do many cities.  Indy's is nice, and the hotels there are nice, but the rest of the area is absolute garbage.  

Are there going to be any shuttles?  I heard they weren't doing the same thing as last year but is there an alternative besides cabs/uber?  Do hotels out of downtown usually provide any transportation?

Posted by marimaccadmin k3lit0
#36

k3lit0 wrote:

Maybe they should have two gencons every year, not everybody is going to go to both.  They could also do what Pax does and have Gencon East and Gencon West etc.  Baltimore has a massive convention centre and so do many cities.  Indy's is nice, and the hotels there are nice, but the rest of the area is absolute garbage.  
Are there going to be any shuttles?  I heard they weren't doing the same thing as last year but is there an alternative besides cabs/uber?  Do hotels out of downtown usually provide any transportation?

I beg of you, please read the threads here and your newsletters.  For the fifth time, this is from the Jan 6th newsletter:

Transportation Update
In 2016, Gen Con will not contract with prior shuttle providers. Instead, Gen Con is investigating other non-shuttle transportation options for attendees. Attendees are encouraged to find the transportation and parking needs that best suit their convention and housing plans. If additional transportation options become available, Gen Con will announce them via email newsletter and messaging on gencon.com.   
 

And we are NOT turning this into an alternate location for Gen Con thread, take that discussion to off topic please.

Posted by dasbeerd
#37

I booked a room for 4 at the Hyatt by the airport,10 minutes away from the convention center according to GPS. 200 bucks a night is a little high but being so close and having a car we can drive in every morning. Anyone else staying or stayed in the past in the airport area? Might need some late night gaming partners. 

Posted by lakoda
#38

"Attendees are encouraged to find the transportation and parking needs that best suit their convention and housing plans."

So basically, FU, you are on your own. Typical.

Posted by marimaccadmin lakoda
#39

lakoda wrote:
"Attendees are encouraged to find the transportation and parking needs that best suit their convention and housing plans."
So basically, FU, you are on your own. Typical.

Well we had a shuttle for the past two years, and people didn't really like that service either.......

Posted by pmavers k3lit0
#40

k3lit0 wrote:
Maybe they should have two gencons every year, not everybody is going to go to both.  They could also do what Pax does and have Gencon East and Gencon West etc.  Baltimore has a massive convention centre and so do many cities.  Indy's is nice, and the hotels there are nice, but the rest of the area is absolute garbage.  

I guess people forget, they did have a West-coast GenCon for a few years. It never took off.

Posted by greengirl22
#41

To be clear.  This "system" is so poorly designed that you can go through the whole process of selecting an open room (which randomly pops up) and then NOT get it--have it sold out from under you.

You can't get on a waiting list, and GenCon apparently expects people to sit around HOPING to get lucky enough to find an open room and then STILL not get it.

This is utter incompetence, year after year. 

Posted by joelf847
#42

While it might not make a huge difference, I think with the insane demand for downtown hotel rooms they should stop reserving some for the VIG program.  Completely not fair that some can pay extra to get a preferred hotel room if your lottery system is supposed to be fair for everyone.  There's no reason Gen Con should have a top 1% situation.

Also, I'm all for a Gen Con East and West in addition.  While I know they tried Gen Con So Cal before, that was back when attendence was around 25-30K for the main con.  It's double that now, which could mean a very different situation for spin-off con locations.  Also, So Cal is relatively expensive and another expensive big con doesn't work as well for exhibitors always.  Seattle is already a hub for many game companies (and while their con space isn't ideal, it does support Pax Prime).  I'd suggest Gen Con look into this (only slightly self-serviing since I live in Seattle).  

Posted by ginamarie72 greengirl22
#43

greengirl22 wrote:
 This "system" is so poorly designed that you can go through the whole process of selecting an open room (which randomly pops up) and then NOT get it--have it sold out from under you.

This is my one major complaint.  I got a crap time and by some miracle after rechecking, a downtown room was there.  I picked it and then - boom - it was not available.  

Posted by greengirl22 ginamarie72
#44

ginamarie72 wrote:
greengirl22 wrote:
 This "system" is so poorly designed that you can go through the whole process of selecting an open room (which randomly pops up) and then NOT get it--have it sold out from under you.

This is my one major complaint.  I got a crap time and by some miracle after rechecking, a downtown room was there.  I picked it and then - boom - it was not available.  

Right--we can't complain that we deserve a room more than anyone else, but if there is an open room and we choose it, we should get it, without these constant "errors".

Further, GenCon's idiotic rules are preventing us from booking rooms on Wed-Thurs that ARE available, and thus preventing us from the opportunity to even get on a Waiting list.

Utter incomptence, and all we hear year after year is excuses.

 

Posted by steffles
#45

Yes that happened to me.  I had 1 hour 6 minute wait.  JW Marriott was available.  After I selected it....it suddenly wasn't available.  I don't understand how that can happen. Are multiple people vying for the same room and the fastest fingers get it?

So, like many others, we didn't end up getting a room downtown.  We have a room that will cost $400 per night (with parking) out of block.

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