Check your AP reservations

[kallahar]

Just a reminder for those staying at the AP (well, AV now but that sounds nerdy). You should call them up (phone number at alexispark.com) and make sure you still have a reservation. They always seem to lose a few so it doesn't hurt to make a call. I also heard that the confirmation numbers have changed, but your reservation is under your name so that's not a huge deal.

14 days! (well, 11 for me)

[astcell]

I worry about calling in at times, now that they have my reservation up[ and on the screen they can do anything with it, even by mistake.

I got the reservations clerk to hand write my reservation in her own writing. And they charged my card. And I have been fine since DC8. Damn you Kallahar if they lose my reservation this year!!! :>

[renderman]

Checked a week ago, just incase

Oh, side note: If your coming into town early and don't want to pay the insane rates at the AP/AV for mon-wed, the Hard Rock Hotel has a number of cheap rooms for about $99/night from sun-wed night. You just have to call them and reserve as those rates are not available on the website.

[Voltage Spike]

I had called in earlier to change my reservation, so here is my tip: the Alexis Villas is now important enough to outsource their reservations late at night. For us, this means that calling in results in a "we can't find your name or reservation number on file" (Defcon reservations aren't shared with the outsourced company?). Calm down, call back in the morning, and make sure you are talking to the front desk next time.

[Deviant Ollam]

If your coming into town early and don't want to pay the insane rates at the AP/AV for mon-wed...

the trick i've use for a while now is as follows...

1. call the AP and make your standard defcon reservation for fri-sun, mention the con and get the $130 rate

2. call back a couple of days later and say that you will be flying home on monday, and could they extend your reservation an extra night? typically they will give you the con rate (i think they do this pretty standard now for monday checkout) but just to be sure, you can say, "alright, so that's $390 total... what will it be with tax?" or some such deal. if they balk and say anything about the last night being more, just push a little (you all know the appropriate pressure to politeness ratio needed in social engineering situations) and you'll typically get the low price.

3. a couple weeks later (and at a different time of day, in the hopes of getting a different person completely) call and "confirm" your reservation. be very professional sounding, etc etc. inquire whether or not there looks to be availability during the week before the con. explain that you might be conducting other business in town blah blah blah before friday. they'll naturally explain that there should be room and that pushing the reservation back should be no trouble at all. get their name, and say you'll call back after you check about moving your airline reservation (say this even if you're not flying)

4. call back 15 or 20 minutes later, try to get the same person ("yes, this is mister john smitherton, so-and-so was helping me with my reservation a moment ago" blah blah) explain that you just successfully switched your flight reservation. gripe noticably but politely about those "wretched alteration fees that airlines charge" or some such cock and bull story. say that, yes, it would be wonderful to check in earlier, say wed, tuesday, whatever you want. when they punch it in, ask them the total. most of the time, since your reservation is already in the system at one rate they'll just extend that rate back to whatever day you wanted. if they give you a higher total, ask why and then when you're told "well, it's not the convention rate mid-week" you can come back with "you should have said something about that when we spoke only minutes ago! i just went through all the trouble and cost to change my flight. i can't believe this." either by dealing with them under those parameters or by escalating the call to a manager (which i've never had to do) you will undoubtedly get the $130 rate for any number of days you wish.

[astcell]

I once paid $89 per night (regular rates) because I guessed at the Defcon weekend and reserved before anything was scheduled. The good thing is that if you are wrong, you get your deposit refunded.

The one hole in your idea...once 500 people try it they may wise up.

[dataworm]

the trick i've use for a while now is as follows... [...] you will undoubtedly get the $130 rate for any number of days you wish.

I would be embarassed if I was you

Sure they will do you the 130$ Rate anytime, actually if your with defcon they JACK your price instead... So there is no sutch thing as a GROUP deal for defcon... It's a GROUP rape

Do you really think this hotel could charge that many money for they room that are falling apart?

Here are the going rate for day before defcon:
Monarch Suite
26 Jul $79.00
27 Jul $79.00
28 Jul $109.00
31 Jul $89.00
01 Aug $69.00
02 Aug $69.00

[Deviant Ollam]

actually if your with defcon they JACK your price instead

interesting, i was not aware of that. then it begs the question... why don't more people book way way ahead of time and just claim to be tourists instead of defcon attendees. i've never known people to do that, but if the rates are as low as you say i'd expect that someone would try to do so.

my apologies, but i also fail to see a reason to be embarassed... since i don't stay in vegas when i'm not in town for defcon i have no experience with typical room rates and every other con i've ever attended the "con rate" is better than the typical rate. just my $0.02.

[octalpus]

interesting, i was not aware of that. then it begs the question... why don't more people book way way ahead of time and just claim to be tourists instead of defcon attendees. i've never known people to do that, but if the rates are as low as you say i'd expect that someone would try to do so.

my apologies, but i also fail to see a reason to be embarassed... since i don't stay in vegas when i'm not in town for defcon so i have no experience with typical room rates and every other con i've ever attended the "con rate" is better than the typical rate. just my $0.02.

If you'd read the archives, you'd know this one. We used to book well in advance before Defcon dates were confirmed so that we could get the cheaper rates. Now, they only allow booking for Defcon attendees, so if you don't say you're with Defcon, you don't get a room (at their assraping prices).

[Deviant Ollam]

Now, they only allow booking for Defcon attendees, so if you don't say you're with Defcon, you don't get a room (at their assraping prices).

holy hell... why do we put up with this hotel? (is the reason simply "because they put up with us" or something better?)

[TheCotMan]

holy hell... why do we put up with this hotel? (is the reason simply "because they put up with us" or something better?)

There are some plusses that we have at the AP:
* They allow DC people to take over their CCTV system and broadcast events on hotel channels
* They have an open space outside fo chilling (the whole "resort" is a chill-out area.

I've attended DC at other hotels prior to the AP, and I like the "feeling" of the ouside space of the AP in comparison.

I think when this came up before, the counter statement was, "Why don't you suggest a place in Las Vegas?"

It is a tough problem to resolve. Suggestions for new locations that give us more than what we have (or at least the same) and better service?

[[Syntax]]

I can't imagine any place tolerating the things that go on at Defcon. Im thinking the next move when it comes is going to result in people being kicked out, arrested, or having charges brought against them. Alexis has had time to learn and prepare. Thus the invent of the damage price lists, informing the staff of the nature of the event, and securing anything that isnt bolted down (and even that stuff isnt safe)

[Abby_Normal]

I think when this came up before, the counter statement was, "Why don't you suggest a place in Las Vegas?"

It is a tough problem to resolve. Suggestions for new locations that give us more than what we have (or at least the same) and better service?

Why must it be in Las Vegas? Why don't we go somewhere that is actually big enough for us, doesn't gouge and treat us poorly, and doesn't have 120 degree weather?

I'm was really pissed when after returing home from a nice dinner on sunday and expecting to have a swim before bed, only to be told that the pool was closed and we were to go to our rooms! WTF?!! As an (over)paying guest I expect full use of the hotel, grounds and pools.

Don't get me wrong, I like going to vegas every year, and if there was something better there that would be my first choice.

[Deviant Ollam]

I'm was really pissed when after returing home from a nice dinner on sunday and expecting to have a swim before bed, only to be told that the pool was closed and we were to go to our rooms!

the whole time that was happening, i kept kicking around in my head the idea of how that asshattery by hotel staff could have been countered. i mean, what if all the paying guests just spontaneously decided to resist and peacefully sit there? does a hotel have the right to arrest you for sitting in a public area like that? can you be charged with "tresspassing" if you're paying to stay there? yes, technically you're tresspassing if you are asked to leave and don't comply... but then that could possibly bring the legal question "why was this guest asked to leave? were they causing a disturbance?" what rights do hotel guests have when it comes to being denied a room? hmm.... ok, now i'm just rambling due to a mind that's not all here at the moment. arg, that incident may have pissed me off more than anything i can recall at all the defcon's i've been to.

[noid]

the whole time that was happening, i kept kicking around in my head the idea of how that asshattery by hotel staff could have been countered. i mean, what if all the paying guests just spontaneously decided to resist and peacefully sit there? does a hotel have the right to arrest you for sitting in a public area like that? can you be charged with "tresspassing" if you're paying to stay there? yes, technically you're tresspassing if you are asked to leave and don't comply... but then that could possibly bring the legal question "why was this guest asked to leave? were they causing a disturbance?" what rights do hotel guests have when it comes to being denied a room? hmm.... ok, now i'm just rambling due to a mind that's not all here at the moment. arg, that incident may have pissed me off more than anything i can recall at all the defcon's i've been to.

To play devil's advocate for a second. The hotel is private property. As a guest, you cant be charged with trespassing because you have a room there, however the hotel can kick you out. Provided the hotel isnt kicking you out for reasons of discrimination (discrimination in this instance being the standard HR definition: race, creed, color, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, etc) they can boot you at their will. It is, afterall their property and they can decide who they want on it.

That said, I dont know why they chose to respond the way they did last year (by the time all this happened, I had de-gooned and gone drinkin) as its just bad business. My only thought on it is that Sunday evenings have been a source of headache for them in the past, so this may have been their way of preempting further issues.