Rooms going faster than last year?
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Posted by noahco
#1

I have a large group and we are getting multiple rooms, last year we were able to get double queen rooms an hour and a half in, right now we aren't able to even find double queen rooms in any connected hotels 30 minutes in.  Anyone else experiencing this issue?

Posted by funny-shaped dice
#2

If you have ability to follow live on Facebook, you should.  Yes, it appears rooms are going way faster than last year.  I’m sure @Alec Usticke will post here as soon as he can.

Posted by austicke
#3

Oh yeah. Last year downtown rooms sold out at 3:55pm. I predicted it would be 2:45pm this year. Was actually 2:11pm.

_____________________________________
Alec Usticke, Fans of Gen Con Facebook Group

Posted by tony_4
#4

My time was 2:04 PM.  There were 3 rooms available downtown.  I booked one of them.  Congrats to whoever got the other 2.

Posted by housedestroyer
#5

1418 eastern time for us... 2.3 miles away was the best we could do.

Posted by kdeeth
#6

Is there any abuse to the system? Year 4 for me. Been very lucky getting DT rooms the first three. We have 4 people all with one badge each and we will double up so we get four lotteries to buy one room.

Couldn't you buy a badge on a few accounts, when you get your time is assigned, if bad, request a badge refund, keep the one with the best time? 

Maybe it's not an issue and more were assigned earlier I just see that as a loophole if I had time.

We had 2:12pm today :(

Posted by tony_4
#7

That's not bad though, quick uber ride, or maybe even jump a bus.

Posted by housedestroyer tony_4
#8

tony_4 wrote:
That's not bad though, quick uber ride, or maybe even jump a bus.
yeah the Sleep Inn and Suites has a shuttle there so thats good, plus free parking. not complaining to loud. Happy to be that close, Last year was a 20 min drive and a parking pass. At this rate next year i might get Skywalk lol.

Posted by fleviseur
#9

I had 214pm everything bone dry.  

Posted by squirecam kdeeth
#10

kdeeth wrote:
Is there any abuse to the system? Year 4 for me. Been very lucky getting DT rooms the first three. We have 4 people all with one badge each and we will double up so we get four lotteries to buy one room.
Couldn't you buy a badge on a few accounts, when you get your time is assigned, if bad, request a badge refund, keep the one with the best time? 
Maybe it's not an issue and more were assigned earlier I just see that as a loophole if I had time.
We had 2:12pm today :(
yes, if you and 3 friends buy badges on 4 accounts, you get 4 times. But in theory all of you are going.

i suppose you could buy badges for people who are not going, get those times, and then ask for refunds on those badges, except for yours and the account getting the room. So you are paying extra for a badge you won’t use, just for the room. But that does seem like abuse.

Posted by tedqsulis
#11

2:06EST and all downtown options were gone. First time we've not had a DT room. Not pleased.

Posted by squirecam tedqsulis
#12

tedqsulis wrote:
2:06EST and all downtown options were gone. First time we've not had a DT room. Not pleased.
count yourself lucky. I havent had a decent lotto time to obtain a DT room for any of the lotto years. Many people are in that same boat.

Posted by kdeeth squirecam
#13

squirecam wrote:
kdeeth wrote:
Is there any abuse to the system? Year 4 for me. Been very lucky getting DT rooms the first three. We have 4 people all with one badge each and we will double up so we get four lotteries to buy one room.
Couldn't you buy a badge on a few accounts, when you get your time is assigned, if bad, request a badge refund, keep the one with the best time? 
Maybe it's not an issue and more were assigned earlier I just see that as a loophole if I had time.
We had 2:12pm today :(
yes, if you and 3 friends buy badges on 4 accounts, you get 4 times. But in theory all of you are going.i suppose you could buy badges for people who are not going, get those times, and then ask for refunds on those badges, except for yours and the account getting the room. So you are paying extra for a badge you won’t use, just for the room. But that does seem like abuse.

GenCon allows you to refund a badge until June, so what I was hypothesizing is that I could make 3 accounts, buy 3 badges, and ask for refunds one the two with bad times. 

My friends and I go for the 4 individual badges for the better odds since we will sleep 2 up. But being so important to ones vacation/convention experience I could see the above as a loophole. Maybe have a refund penalty on badges bought before housing. 4 Days don't sell out until well after at most it would curb the above actions if they are an issue.

Luckily the further ones are a little cheaper to make up for transport costs.

Posted by lehane
#14

The past few years we have gotten out of block DT rooms prior to the lottery. This year I never saw any available and was checking 3-5 a week. Was this the experience for anyone else that looked out of block?

Posted by tusic
#15

7 miles out at 3pm.  I'll have to spend some time checking the portal over the next 180 days to see when a downtown room opens up I can snag.  I've done it before, not a huge deal.

Posted by mhayward1978 kdeeth
#16

kdeeth wrote:
squirecam wrote:
kdeeth wrote:
Is there any abuse to the system? Year 4 for me. Been very lucky getting DT rooms the first three. We have 4 people all with one badge each and we will double up so we get four lotteries to buy one room.
Couldn't you buy a badge on a few accounts, when you get your time is assigned, if bad, request a badge refund, keep the one with the best time? 
Maybe it's not an issue and more were assigned earlier I just see that as a loophole if I had time.
We had 2:12pm today :(
yes, if you and 3 friends buy badges on 4 accounts, you get 4 times. But in theory all of you are going.i suppose you could buy badges for people who are not going, get those times, and then ask for refunds on those badges, except for yours and the account getting the room. So you are paying extra for a badge you won’t use, just for the room. But that does seem like abuse.

GenCon allows you to refund a badge until June, so what I was hypothesizing is that I could make 3 accounts, buy 3 badges, and ask for refunds one the two with bad times. My friends and I go for the 4 individual badges for the better odds since we will sleep 2 up. But being so important to ones vacation/convention experience I could see the above as a loophole. Maybe have a refund penalty on badges bought before housing. 4 Days don't sell out until well after at most it would curb the above actions if they are an issue.
Luckily the further ones are a little cheaper to make up for transport costs.

You could do that - there is a $5 or $10 fee for refunding a badge.

I'm not sure if this kind of behavior is a violation of Gen Con's terms of service, which might endanger the whole thing.

Posted by squirecam lehane
#17

lehane wrote:
The past few years we have gotten out of block DT rooms prior to the lottery. This year I never saw any available and was checking 3-5 a week. Was this the experience for anyone else that looked out of block?
there are out of block rooms right now. You can get one at the Hilton garden inn right now, it will cost you $416 a night or 40,000 HH points.

Posted by tusic kdeeth
#18

kdeeth wrote:
squirecam wrote:
kdeeth wrote:
Is there any abuse to the system? Year 4 for me. Been very lucky getting DT rooms the first three. We have 4 people all with one badge each and we will double up so we get four lotteries to buy one room.
Couldn't you buy a badge on a few accounts, when you get your time is assigned, if bad, request a badge refund, keep the one with the best time? 
Maybe it's not an issue and more were assigned earlier I just see that as a loophole if I had time.
We had 2:12pm today :(
yes, if you and 3 friends buy badges on 4 accounts, you get 4 times. But in theory all of you are going.i suppose you could buy badges for people who are not going, get those times, and then ask for refunds on those badges, except for yours and the account getting the room. So you are paying extra for a badge you won’t use, just for the room. But that does seem like abuse.

GenCon allows you to refund a badge until June, so what I was hypothesizing is that I could make 3 accounts, buy 3 badges, and ask for refunds one the two with bad times. My friends and I go for the 4 individual badges for the better odds since we will sleep 2 up. But being so important to ones vacation/convention experience I could see the above as a loophole. Maybe have a refund penalty on badges bought before housing. 4 Days don't sell out until well after at most it would curb the above actions if they are an issue.
Luckily the further ones are a little cheaper to make up for transport costs.

All times are assigned on Saturday.  Any new tickets bought after all the times are assigned are placed at the end of queue so you couldn't do what you're hypothesizing here.

Posted by noahco
#19

I'm just curious as to what changed, would be interesting of staff chimed in but I figured it has to be:
- More people allowed per time slot
- More VIGs
- Less rooms

Someone abusing the system via multiple accounts wouldn't change the rate rooms are booked so i doubt that's it.

Posted by nomad
#20

too late for a DT room, but got the best I could.  wondering if there will be a wait list again this year to get on to try to get a DT room if someone decides to give one up?  the wait list on gencon site is just for additional days to add to your stay.

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