Tampa Marriott sold out for bar exam
 

I'm taking the bar at the end of July and like the title says it looks like I'm stuck at the Westin as I need something walking distance to the convention center. Apparently the rooms are blocked off according to the reservation phone agent. As a Gold and ten nights short of Plat are there any tips or tricks to getting a room to open up at a sold out hotel? Any and all advice welcome. Thanks.

Go Gators

what dates?

Call the hotel and ask.

First, find out if the PLT override will even work or if they have an exemption. Either ask the hotel or give us the exact dates and a PLT will try and book it.

Then if you really want 10 nights fast for PLT, do one of these. Although if you are studying for the bar, you might not want to waste your energy doing so. Good luck!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...-required.html

Quick Google search returned July 29-30 as the dates for the exam. I'll call and check on the override now.

EDIT: Was just offered an override at $329/night.

If it's Waterside, that's the rate I'm being offered (logged in as a plat). Good luck on the Bar.

Remember, though not next door, there are a Courtyard and Residence Inn in downtown. They are north of the convention center, closer to the highway. Its within walking distance for a healthy person, though a sweaty FL walk. There are restaurants in that area as well,, near the office buildings and some apartment towers and performing arts center/museums. There is a downtown 'trolley' bus that runs, maybe up to the hotel in the hours ya would need.

Thanks for looking. I'm looking to stay from the 28th to the 31st. I'd be happy to pay $329 but I'm not a platinum. Tried calling the hotel once and they sent me to the reservation "desk" which was the Marriott 800 number. The next time I call I just ask "hey I know you guys are sold out but is there any way you can open a room up for a gold, I really don't want to stay at the Westin"?

Yeah I know about the CY and RI but they aren't walking distance from the convention center, parking is excruciating apparently. We get a break between exams and I'd love to be able to run back to the hotel and grab lunch/dinner and review my notes in my room.

Is there a trial platinum status or anything I could get a hold of to get the plat override? Thanks

Go Gators

Bingo, I think there is a challenge although you get the status immediately? Others will know for sure. Call & ask.

So just to update. I called the hotel again and was sent to their reservation desk. The first agent booked me no problem, had him reconfirm the dates 28th-31st. Great rate of $189 for water view with balcony. I had a feeling that it was too good to be true. Of course check my reservation online and he had the dates wrong.

Called back to change the dates and the agent puts me on hold to come back and tell me that they are oversold and sending guests to other hotels. I asked about the platinum override and she reiterated that they were oversold.

Looks like I'll end up doing the platinum challenge even though I don't have plans to stay that many times to meet the challenge. Looked at my account again, I'm 15 days short of platinum not 10...

One thing that worries me though. If they are that grossly over sold what are the odds of getting walked if I do pull off getting a reservation there, that would obviously defeat the purpose of this whole exercise? Might have to just pound sand and stick with the Westin...

Go Gators

Find out what the last date it is for bar takers to postpone taking the bar, and then call the hotel back on that date. Might be a few cancellations at the hotel.

FWIW, I stayed at that Marriott in Feb. 2014 when I took the bar exam, and I was not impressed. The Westin is nicer, in my opinion.

That's a good idea, but it looks like you can postpone it right up to kick off, the fee for postponement increases a week prior to the exam. I'll check back with the hotel a week before to see if anything opens up.

Good to know about the Westin, perhaps all is not lost. I do have SPG gold through Amex so that's at least worth some free internet...

Go Gators

You are talking about the Tampa Marriott Waterside, on Franklin Street, correct?
And you need July 28-31, 2014?

If so, I just checked and they are showing availability at marriott.com for those dates, at $349/night. I also see some better rates elsewhere. They are prepaid, however, so would not qualify for LNF. But since I doubt you will be canceling, maybe that is the way to go?

EDIT: Disregard the mention of the lower rate. The site I was referring to was averaging the rate for the three nights. The last night is cheaper.

I'll be damned, thanks for looking it up. I just booked it. They must have just opened up some rooms. So much for the agent saying that they were already walking people...

Great work everybody, a lot of hustle, that's what I like to see, FT is the best, wish me luck

Go Gators

Edit: I'll go ahead and cancel my Westin reservation unless anybody thinks the risk of being walked is big enough to keep it, I can cancel by 6pm day of check in to get a refund.

You're welcome! I'm a bar exam taker/survivor of a year ago, so I'm glad to help. Best of luck on the exam! I have no clue about the odds of being walked, so I will leave that to someone else...

30 days before the event (give or take a few) is a common date for hotels to release previously blocked rooms. I'd say your timing was impeccable, and is a good omen for a positive exam result! :)

Really? I am treated exceptionally well at that property and stay quite often. Upgraded to a parlor suite about 75% of the time.

Asked earlier this year if the pizza guy could deliver to my room because I arrived late from a delayed LGA flight and wanted to get out of my clothes... "You're a Platinum, of course we'll allow them to go up."

Rooms are nice, clean and it's really a beautiful property.

$349 is steep to be sure, but that's what happens around a special event.

Best of luck on the bar OP, even though you're a Gator.

I like it, I'm going to run with that logic. ^

Yeah the price we pay for civilized society...

Congrats on the BCS championship, the Gator nation will be back before you know it...

Go Gators

That makes sense, but... Wasn't he trying to book a blocked room? Or do you mean that perhaps they release block rooms from another group?

The rooms were blocked by a group but I didn't get the invite. I started checking for rooms in that hotel back in April and the phone agent said the whole hotel was blocked. Don't know by whom.

Go Gators

My issue with the place was I booked a king bed, at check-in they only had 2 queen bed rooms left. I asked for compensation under the room type guarantee, and they tried to act like I deserved none. I had to go up to the Club Lounge and print off the MR T&Cs to show them that I was entitled to $100.

Also, I found the bathroom to be no better than a Courtyard's.

Gotcha. Here, they block rooms for the exam takers so I thought that was the situation there.

There is no free lunch. Somewhere, there is a middleman earning a commission for contracting & blocking a bunch of rooms at the Waterside for the exam dates... Glad it work out for the Gator fan, loved Tebow when he was with the Jets and should have been the #1, good luck!

Good luck on the exam! I've stayed at that hotel quite a bit before and had nice results.

-Fellow Gator in GNV

No advice about Marriott from me, but I did want to wish you good luck on the bar exam. I just finished my 1L year so I'll be in your shoes in two years.

If OP is concerned about being walked, he or she should plan to arrive early. That plus Gold status should be OK. However, if OP is confident about remembering to cancel the Westin reservation, I'd try to keep it until after check in at the Marriott even if doing so might make getting a room tough for another bar exam taker.

plat override works even if they are overbooked with a few restictions and it is at their highest price.
Use the ap with mobile checkin and you can check in before you get there and your room will be held

Just to bring this thread in full circle.

Had a great stay at the Marriott waterside in Tampa. The hotel was slammed. There was a Farmer's Insurance convention going on as well which apparently was the group that had the hotel locked up with a group rate. Very proactive "Elite Coordinator" emailed me before my stay asking if I needed anything for the week. She set up lunch to be delivered to my room during the lunch break each day of the bar exam. She also set up a car service to pick me up from the airport.

Arrived on Sunday. Booked the lowest tier city view room. Upgraded to a corner water view room with balcony. Check in was smooth with typical "thank you for being Gold elite etc". Lounge had a decent spread. Dinner time had various cheeses and meats and one or two hot items that changed each day and an honor bar. Breakfast was fairly robust with your typical continental spread but also numerous hot items. Lunch was nonexistent with fruit and some pretzel bags. Great location for downtown and numerous cabs/Uber to get around town. Proactive bellman will call a black car for you if needed.

Internet was spotty. The enhanced/highest speed internet was free for elites but didn't seem to make a difference as internet was pretty spotty in terms of speed. The bandwidth I'm sure was getting crushed since the hotel was fully booked. So I used my phone most of the time as a hotspot.

I ate all of my dinners at the lobby bar which you can order from any restaurant within the hotel (3 different restaurants). They hand you three menus when you sit down. Bar staff recognized me by the end and pumped me full of gratis tequila shots after I finished the exam which was nice of them. Overall great stay, but hopefully I passed and won't have to go back to Tampa...

Go Gators

Thanks for the update on the property. Now we need one more - when you get the news you passed the bar exam! :)

Cheers.

Tampa Marriott sold out for bar exam
 

Great... What America needs.... More lawyers. LOL

Thanks so much, hopefully I'll have something good to report

Isn't that the truth...

Go Gators