Westin reservations for Anthrocon may be transferred starting February 23.
The Westin has helped us come up with a mechanism for transferring reservations for those who reserved a room but find now that they cannot go. Starting Monday, February 23, 2009, someone with a reservation at the Westin may transfer that reservation to another party; it is not, however, without risk.
When the non-refundable deposit was set up, it was with the intention of delaying the filling date of the Westin and of discouraging people from reserving rooms "just in case" when they had little or no real intention of attending the convention. This worked substantially as intended; however, there was one thing we had not taken into consideration when that policy was enacted: the state of the global economy. We have had a few plaintive inquiries from people who have found themselves in unforeseen and difficult circumstances, and naturally we wanted to help them as best we could.
We cannot simply drop the non-refundable deposit requirement since we feel that it will lead to an unhappy situation that has plagued us for years, namely a sudden rash of cancellations on the day before the convention that leaves us with dozens of empty hotel rooms. We have thus spent many hours in discussions with the Westin’s management, and with their help we have come up with a solution that we hope will benefit those who have a genuine need to change their plans.
PROCEDURE FOR TRANSFERRING A ROOM RESERVATION AT THE WESTIN:
Starting on Monday, February 23, 2009, if you have a room reservation at the Westin that you wish to transfer, you will need first to find someone that you know to take over the reservation for you.
Once you have found someone, you must call the hotel directly at 412-281-3700 and ask for "internal reservations;" alternatively, you can send an email to 01370RevenueMgt(at)westin.com. Note that the room block is finalized and cannot be changed by anyone at the Starwood national reservation number. Any changes or cancellations must be made directly through the good folks at the Westin Convention Center.
You will need to provide the following information (primarily to ensure that you are you):
1) The name the reservation is currently under.
2) The confirmation number
3) The last 4 digits of the credit card used to make the reservation.
4) The name of the person to whom the reservation is being transferred.
This will transfer the prepaid room-night to the new person's name. Here's the catch: your name still remains attached to the reservation, which means that you retain the responsibility for the room should anything happen. For that reason, we strongly suggest that you choose someone that you know personally and trust, or find someone who comes with stellar references.
All financial dealings are strictly between the parties in question. The original reservation holder and the transferee assume all risks and neither Anthrocon nor the Westin can get involved. EXCEPTION: Anyone who demands a sum of money greater than the actual cost of one night’s room and tax (US$131.10) will find it very difficult to get a hotel room (or to attend Anthrocon at all) in the future. Should you be approached by someone who asks for more money or who offers to allow you to bid on a room, please send any such correspondences, screen captures, names, etc. to ceo(at)anthrocon.org.
We apologize if the risk associated with the transfer of a room reservation does not alleviate any hardships that our members may face. We are limited in what we can do for you, however, while still maintaining our ability to provide affordable and convenient hotel accommodations for the rest of our attendees.
When the non-refundable deposit was set up, it was with the intention of delaying the filling date of the Westin and of discouraging people from reserving rooms "just in case" when they had little or no real intention of attending the convention. This worked substantially as intended; however, there was one thing we had not taken into consideration when that policy was enacted: the state of the global economy. We have had a few plaintive inquiries from people who have found themselves in unforeseen and difficult circumstances, and naturally we wanted to help them as best we could.
We cannot simply drop the non-refundable deposit requirement since we feel that it will lead to an unhappy situation that has plagued us for years, namely a sudden rash of cancellations on the day before the convention that leaves us with dozens of empty hotel rooms. We have thus spent many hours in discussions with the Westin’s management, and with their help we have come up with a solution that we hope will benefit those who have a genuine need to change their plans.
PROCEDURE FOR TRANSFERRING A ROOM RESERVATION AT THE WESTIN:
Starting on Monday, February 23, 2009, if you have a room reservation at the Westin that you wish to transfer, you will need first to find someone that you know to take over the reservation for you.
Once you have found someone, you must call the hotel directly at 412-281-3700 and ask for "internal reservations;" alternatively, you can send an email to 01370RevenueMgt(at)westin.com. Note that the room block is finalized and cannot be changed by anyone at the Starwood national reservation number. Any changes or cancellations must be made directly through the good folks at the Westin Convention Center.
You will need to provide the following information (primarily to ensure that you are you):
1) The name the reservation is currently under.
2) The confirmation number
3) The last 4 digits of the credit card used to make the reservation.
4) The name of the person to whom the reservation is being transferred.
This will transfer the prepaid room-night to the new person's name. Here's the catch: your name still remains attached to the reservation, which means that you retain the responsibility for the room should anything happen. For that reason, we strongly suggest that you choose someone that you know personally and trust, or find someone who comes with stellar references.
All financial dealings are strictly between the parties in question. The original reservation holder and the transferee assume all risks and neither Anthrocon nor the Westin can get involved. EXCEPTION: Anyone who demands a sum of money greater than the actual cost of one night’s room and tax (US$131.10) will find it very difficult to get a hotel room (or to attend Anthrocon at all) in the future. Should you be approached by someone who asks for more money or who offers to allow you to bid on a room, please send any such correspondences, screen captures, names, etc. to ceo(at)anthrocon.org.
We apologize if the risk associated with the transfer of a room reservation does not alleviate any hardships that our members may face. We are limited in what we can do for you, however, while still maintaining our ability to provide affordable and convenient hotel accommodations for the rest of our attendees.