FIRST Championship Housing Available

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by MrJohnston

Silly me. I thought I could attempt to book rooms two weeks before we could possibly qualify and get something... Experient has put me on a "wait list" with no promises... I've contacted about 20 hotels and found nothing. Aargh.

You're lucky - we haven't heard back from Experient at all...

We tried to follow the 'rules' and not reserve until we were sure we were going.

I foresee a lot of teams who booked before qualifying, and ended up not qualifying, dropping their rooms and creating more availability. Lucky break for the Week 6 & 7 qualifying teams who'll get blocks at great hotels.

Not so much for those who waited to know if they were actually going before putting themselves in.

[MrJohnston]

Originally Posted by Libby K

You're lucky - we haven't heard back from Experient at all...

We tried to follow the 'rules' and not reserve until we were sure we were going.

I foresee a lot of teams who booked before qualifying, and ended up not qualifying, dropping their rooms and creating more availability. Lucky break for the Week 6 & 7 qualifying teams who'll get blocks at great hotels.

Not so much for those who waited to know if they were actually going before putting themselves in.

I called Experient so that I could "hear back" from them.... Follow the "rules"? If there were "rules," why did Experient inform me that I needed to call on January 5 (before anybody had even built a robot - except Ri3D) if I wanted to have rooms for Champs?

I have got to think that there is a better way to do this? Giving teams some sort of "code" to use when they qualify that would be particular to that one team and is required for making reservations might help? Or, don't open up the registration process at all until a much later date - in late March, perhaps? I have got to think that there is a lot of "extra labor" involved in the current system as teams that end up not going, cancel. When rooms become available teams jump from one reservation to a "better one." Etc.

I do know this: Unless the system changes, I'm going to be making my reservation very early next year...

[Libby K]

Originally Posted by MrJohnston

I called Experient so that I could "hear back" from them.... Follow the "rules"? If there were "rules," why did Experient inform me that I needed to call on January 5 (before anybody had even built a robot - except Ri3D) if I wanted to have rooms for Champs?

I have got to think that there is a better way to do this? Giving teams some sort of "code" to use when they qualify that would be particular to that one team and is required for making reservations might help? Or, don't open up the registration process at all until a much later date - in late March, perhaps? I have got to think that there is a lot of "extra labor" involved in the current system as teams that end up not going, cancel. When rooms become available teams jump from one reservation to a "better one." Etc.

I do know this: Unless the system changes, I'm going to be making my reservation very early next year...

Sorry - wording choice was poor on my part. There were, obviously, no rules. We were just trying to not to take spots away from teams that would actually qualify/be able to commit earlier than we possibly could, instead of blocking them out of spaces they could use. That's all I meant. (Follow the way it should be done, I suppose.)

I agree - there's a lot missing from the current system. Either open it only to teams who qualify during a certain date range, use a 'code' as you mentioned... there are quite a few solutions that would be better than this.

Edit:: I find it interesting they were receptive to your call. We've called a few times and they essentially shut us down, saying "Everything has to be done online, I can't help you over the phone." Guess we got the wrong person on the wrong day...

[Chi Meson]

I have to say that I'm rather "OK" with the results. I have had some of the issues mentioned by previous posters, but ultimatlely I prefer this system far beyond the horrifically inaccessable Steele Meeting folk that left me high and dry on three occasions.

They have returned my emails quickly and answered my question completely.

I am less impressed with the more recently revealed "travel resource program". I think that there's a guy on the other side who is essentially doing the same thing I can do with my own computer.

In short, we have decent hotel rooms, but I wonder how we'll get there?