I do not expect the host hotel to start walking people to the overflow hotel until they are at capacity (of guests checked-in, not just reserved) in their own hotel. The reason everyone books through HI is so that HI fills its own rooms first.

It's highly unlikely that HI is going to pay another hotel to accommodate a guest when they have unused rooms of their own, regardless of whether the reservation originally specified "overflow hotel" or not. Having no inside knowledge, I fully expect HI to fill its own rooms by order of arrival without regard to original reservation details. It's the only way that makes business sense, especially when you consider the 50%+ dropout rate experienced at the MR DO earlier this summer.

The "overflow hotel" description is almost certainly just a rate description for the rate loaded that allowed booking above normal capacity.

Registration # 313 Confirmation # 64024533

Delta #1612 Arrival 10/15 2:37 PM JAX/ATL/ORD

Delta #2977 Depart 10/18 9:55 AM ORD/ATL/JAX



Thanks

Hopefully this detail will be sorted before people start checking in. I'm booked for Overflow hotel and would really like to know which hotel to show up at and which airport shuttle to take! Especially considering I'll have had a full workday before flight and I'll be ready for some relax time!

The below info is according to my own travel experience, and without any inside knowledge of any event-specific procedures that may or may not have been planned for this DO.

Regardless of which hotel you sleep at, you always need to check in at the hotel you are paying. In this case, that means you take the shuttle to the HI to check in there with your credit card and account for your reservation. If the property does not have room for you there, it is standard practice to arrange for your lodging elsewhere at no additional cost, including transportation to the substitute hotel.

It would be HIGHLY unorthodox to ask guests who are paying HI for their stay to skip the HI checkin desk entirely and proceed directly to an alternate property. Remember, even if you sleep at another property, you are still paying HI for the room, two meals, and the event meeting space. If you're walked, HI pays the overflow hotel out of its own pocket, not you.

Personally, I will be arriving at ORD just shy of midnight Friday. If even half of the registered guests show up, the host hotel is sure to be full by the time I make it to the hotel. Even though my reservation was made in the "first batch" before there was even talk of an overflow hotel, I expect to get walked by the HI to the overflow hotel. If I'm in bed before 1AM, I'll be pleasantly surprised.

(None of these comments are meant to be disparaging to the event organizers in any way, who have put in a tremendous amount of effort putting this all together. I am simply stating the situation as I understand it.)

Nevermind, this is all covered in the hotel registration post:

So just wait for your phone call I guess!

Confirming 2 locals #439 -Jim 87 and #440 - Jim 87+1. We are staying at the hotel.

Please cancel registration #254 bhatnasx - registered for 3,4,7,8,10,11

I have to cancel. :(

I can't make this one - I feel bad as this one was going to be THE DO of the DECADE (yes, it competes with the StarAlliance Mega-DO for that title - but this one is open to the masses & attended by the the masses & will be some pretty intelligent information sharing!)

I wish I could be there - thanks to the folks putting it on & I hope you'll put something on like this again next year if this wasn't too much of a pain in the neck!

^^

cancellation
 

I had sent a cancellation email back in early August but still see my name in the registered list - so I figure I'll post my cancellation in here as well just in case.

Please cancel broms registration #351. I've tried every possible configuration with regards to work, school, and family (not in that order in case my wife is reading) and I just cannot make this event. I agree with previous posts that this will be THE event to attend thus far, and I hang my head with regret having to post this.

Please don't get the wrong idea, when I registered and paid for the event in May, wife and I were definitely able to go. Unfortunately circumstances have changed and it just will not work out.

Thanks again to all of the organizers of this event, and I'm sure that everyone who attends will have an excellent time.

I'm a local . ..
 

and I'll be there will bells on.


thanks for pulling this together everyone.

Are you at Holiday Inn or SpringHill Suite overflow?
 

At the time of this writing, we do not have 100% confirmed answer yet. This is due to the reservations are still changing a bit. Few people had to cancel and few people are booking now. DO NOT rely on your reservation room code. In any case, I will confirm the Holiday Inn will be at full capacity with FlyerTalkers. Holiday Inn already/will WALKED all non-FlyerTalkers or POINTS reservations. Once the hotel do not see the reservation listing changing, you will get a phone call or email from the hotel to inform you which hotel you will be staying and which shuttle to take.

Again, no difference between 2 hotels, shuttle will be provided.

Seminar Confirmation
 

Party of one #368 with reservations at Holiday Inn
Arrive ORD on Alaska 26 at 11:34pm Friday
Depart ORD on Alaska 29 at 7:45pm Sunday

Please note, my flyertalk id was incorrectly listed as
W. C. Powell and powellwc
It is mtdog

Reg #139 KeepTraveling confirmed
Flight from 05:40 PM IAD 06:57 PM ORD confirmed
Main Hotel

KT

I certainly hope this does not mean my hotel confirmation for an Executive Non-Smoking 2 Double Beds at the Holiday Inn is not accurate. I raced to get in my info and payment based on the advice early on that executive rooms would be available for those that got in their reservations first. I hope it's not now based on who arrives at the hotel first.

Confirmed #140.

Was going to stay LOCAL but it might just be easier to book at the hotel. Still deciding....

Renting a car so don't need a shuttle.

Thank you!!!!!!!

Confirming for awc4
 

On UA 693 on 10/15, getting into ORD at 8:44pm CDT.

#169 and #172 confirmed, tima1212 and MrsTima

Arriving early, staying and eating offsite, shuttle not necessary

Will only attend DO on Saturday; schedule requires early Sunday AM departure