Denver convention rooms sold out?

[Michael J.]

I was looking to make reservations at the Crown Plaza Denver Airport Hotel for next year's national, and found they have no rooms available, all sold out. So are there rooms at the overflow hotels since these have already been booked? And what are the nearby overflow hotels?

[Paul O.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

Mike

It is my understanding that the host hotel is a Sheraton not a Crown Plaza.

Well it is the Crown Plaza that means I was asleep at the point of the meeting. My bad

[Michael J.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

Oh, OK, then wonder why the Crown Plaza is sold out a year ahead of time. But I was certain it was the Crown Plaza at the Airport, based on this from the RM Chapter:

http://ncrsrmc.org/Downloads/Jul-2014-Newsletter.pdf

See page 2 by Jack Humphrey

[Harry S.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

I called the Crown Plaza last week. Both the front desk and the central reservation office said it was at the crown plaza. They just did not have the rates yet and the block was not open yet.

What I think they do is fence off the block as booked and when the event coordinator from the RMC tells the hotel to open the block they become available. Just my guess as that is what appears to have happened at the 2015 Florida Regional.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

I called the Crown Plaza last week. Both the front desk and the central reservation office said it was at the crown plaza. They just did not have the rates yet and the block was not open yet.

What I think they do is fence off the block as booked and when the event coordinator from the RMC tells the hotel to open the block they become available. Just my guess as that is what appears to have happened at the 2015 Florida Regional.

I would agree. We (I) did that with the Regional in 2008 over here. And, the entire town of Champaign does that for the Bloomington Gold show.

[Michael J.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

Thanks guys, maybe that is it, it's just I have never seen the entire host hotel blocked off before, so no one can make any reservations that week. At previous Nationals, I had always been able to get rooms early, as they left many for their frequent traveller club members, like Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton, etc. Maybe Holiday Inn hotels are different.

[Terry B.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

Maybe they are trying to be fair to everyone by blocking the host hotel until they announce it to the entire membership of the date in which you can start making reservations. Seems like a great idea to me.

Terry

[Michael J.]

[Reba W.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

I believe it is standard procedure to have an official date for the convention hotel to open reservations--usually after January 1.

[Michael J.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

I believe it is standard procedure to have an official date for the convention hotel to open reservations--usually after January 1.

It was not that way last year at Hampton, or this year at KC, those host hotels allowed people to make reservations before the NCRS room block details/codes and rooms were released. I booked both these national hotels (Sheraton at KC, and Embassy Suites in Hampton) about this time of the year, 11 months before the dates, they had rooms available to reserve for people outside the NCRS room block. But not the Crowne Plaza for next year, the entire hotel is blocked.

[Wayne P.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

Would it be posible for someone to post the convention info? Host hotel, conventon center and surrounding hotels etc. I always book my room, flight and rental car as soon as I can, then look for better deals on flights from two airports until the event.

NATIONAL CORVETTE RESTORERS SOCIETYBoard of Directors MeetingOverland Park, KansasJuly 18, 2014

2015 Rocky Mountain Convention – Mike Ingham.Mike Ingham and Mark visited the Denver site recently.
The site is half way between Denver and the Denver airport and appears to be a workable sit of approximately 80,000 square feet.

[Terry M.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

It was not that way last year at Hampton, or this year at KC, those host hotels allowed people to make reservations before the NCRS room block details/codes and rooms were released. I booked both these national hotels (Sheraton at KC, and Embassy Suites in Hampton) about this time of the year, 11 months before the dates, they had rooms available to reserve for people outside the NCRS room block. But not the Crowne Plaza for next year, the entire hotel is blocked.

Mike,
I am just making a guess here because I usually try to stay away from those hard jobs like running the convention.

I think in the case of The Sheraton in KC and Embassy Suites in Hampton NCRS did not block the whole hotel. My guess is that in the case of the Crowne Plaza in Denver the whole hotel is blocked. In some past years that Reba refers to the entire hotel was blocked, in other years and locations it was not. It all depends on the number of rooms available on the property, the number of attendees we expect, and the policy of the property, and what is negotiated between NCRS and the property.

I know for example there was no problem booking rooms in San Diego outside of the NCRS block, but of course at a much higher rate.

[Michael J.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

I'm sure you are right Terry, in checking it shows the Crowne Plaza only has about 250 rooms, the others are 300+ to 400+, so it is much smaller. It is just that those of us who like to plan ahead and have some certainty will make reservations elsewhere long before the NCRS room block comes free, or we can take our chances and wait, it is our choice.

[William G.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

Greetings,
On this issue of national convention hotel room availability, I've thought for some time that this could/would get to be a serious issue given that NCRS has decided to include virtually all years of our favorite auto for inclusion in the organization. I suppose that my suggestion, if implemented, would create headaches as well but my solution is to have separate conventions for the various years of Corvettes. This would create many headaches for the national office but the problem (not sufficient rooms for all those wishing to attend) was created as soon as the decision was reached to include all years in NCRS. Not to be branded a SA but in the future perhaps the lottery system needs to be put in place--you can only attend if your membership number is drawn. Did the national office foresee this as a potential problem when the decision was reached to expand to, what, something like 45 years (or more) of cars? Perhaps the solution would be to assign NCRS regions the responsibility of hosting separate conventions for the various years and have the national office act as clearing house to deal with arising problems. Or am I creating a problem which doesn't exist? Room reservations seem to fill up awfully fast.........at times "no vacancy" signs seem to be lit before the convention is even open for reservation.

[Don H.]

Re: Denver convention rooms sold out?

To my knowledge, NCRS does NOT include all years, only 1953 - 1996. If too many cars try to register for a class, it is determined on first come, first included. I do not see more than one convention as feasible. Don H.