TOPIC: GenCon 2017 Hotels Reservation Updates

Donald Rients wrote:

Allen John wrote: I got 4:26. Kinda frustrating, since I'm suspecting anything after 3:30 or so is a no-go, but it's close enough that I have to stick around and hold out (possibly irrational) hope. If I got something like 9:45 it'd be clear that I'm not getting one and could get on with my life.

The earliest time of my five draws is after 3:30 P.M. That would be strange (and I think it may be someone has a finger in the pie) that a five chance draw got no rooms. On average I think that less than 20% would get a DT room to be way out of the norm. This is the first year they have done this. Is there some stat or additional information that points to the 3:30 line in the sand for DT rooms? Information like how many the were allocating for each minute would be nice.

Not really, think of it as a D12:

noon eastern -1 : 12
1-2: 11
2-3: 10
...
11PM - midnight: 1

You are saying you rolled five d12's and got nothing higher than a 9.

The odds of that are 24% - not great, but it happens all the time...


For reference, my gaming group had 6 entries and got 1 time before 3:30.

Harlax wrote:

David Harris wrote: Do you think there is a significant up tick in the number of people buying badges/rooms early? Sort of seems that way.

Could be, with this being the 50th Anniversary.

If you look in the Gen Con forums you'll see people who are first timers, or long time lapsers (haven't been in a decade) coming back for GC 50 - so I think it's safe to say that will be a factor.

On the other hand, attendance has leveled out over the last 3 years at 55k, 61k, 60k.

We may simply be at the limit of what Gen Con can attract.

its getting to the point (this and then cost)
where people are going not go to gen con and to start going to smaller cons and taking a long vacation and probably still save money

lazlo_hollyfeld1985 wrote: its getting to the point (this and then cost)
where people are going not go to gen con and to start going to smaller cons and taking a long vacation and probably still save money

There was much speculation that housing issues were a main cause of atenence growth plateauing last year.

If I could get XP and the full TD experience at a small Con, I'd be all over that. TD is my only reason to go to GenCon now.

Harlax wrote:

lazlo_hollyfeld1985 wrote: its getting to the point (this and then cost)
where people are going not go to gen con and to start going to smaller cons and taking a long vacation and probably still save money

There was much speculation that housing issues were a main cause of atenence growth plateauing last year.

If I could get XP and the full TD experience at a small Con, I'd be all over that. TD is my only reason to go to GenCon now.

Yeah, I used to go to Gen Con for many reasons and even used to run some games. Now it's primarily TD and without TD I doubt I'd go. I do think hotel availability is a major factor in Gen Con's attendance plateau.

As far as the system they use, it's as good as any. As has been pointed out, disappointed people have a tendency to list reasons the system was unfair and come up with changes that benefit them. If there was a huge outcry by people who got downtown rooms that the process was unfair, that might be different, but you don't see that happening. Mostly they breathe a huge sigh of relief and move on.

Dave wrote:

Harlax wrote:

lazlo_hollyfeld1985 wrote: its getting to the point (this and then cost)
where people are going not go to gen con and to start going to smaller cons and taking a long vacation and probably still save money

There was much speculation that housing issues were a main cause of atenence growth plateauing last year.

If I could get XP and the full TD experience at a small Con, I'd be all over that. TD is my only reason to go to GenCon now.

Yeah, I used to go to Gen Con for many reasons and even used to run some games. Now it's primarily TD and without TD I doubt I'd go. I do think hotel availability is a major factor in Gen Con's attendance plateau.

As far as the system they use, it's as good as any. As has been pointed out, disappointed people have a tendency to list reasons the system was unfair and come up with changes that benefit them. If there was a huge outcry by people who got downtown rooms that the process was unfair, that might be different, but you don't see that happening. Mostly they breathe a huge sigh of relief and move on.

Wait, you're telling me there are other things than True Dungeon at GenCon?

I agree this system is superior to what was before. Having suffered through crashes, having put a room in the cart only to be told it was not available when I went to check out seconds later... I haven't booked through the block in the last 4 years.

Ryan Short wrote:

Dave wrote:

Harlax wrote:

lazlo_hollyfeld1985 wrote: its getting to the point (this and then cost)
where people are going not go to gen con and to start going to smaller cons and taking a long vacation and probably still save money

There was much speculation that housing issues were a main cause of atenence growth plateauing last year.

If I could get XP and the full TD experience at a small Con, I'd be all over that. TD is my only reason to go to GenCon now.

Yeah, I used to go to Gen Con for many reasons and even used to run some games. Now it's primarily TD and without TD I doubt I'd go. I do think hotel availability is a major factor in Gen Con's attendance plateau.

As far as the system they use, it's as good as any. As has been pointed out, disappointed people have a tendency to list reasons the system was unfair and come up with changes that benefit them. If there was a huge outcry by people who got downtown rooms that the process was unfair, that might be different, but you don't see that happening. Mostly they breathe a huge sigh of relief and move on.

Wait, you're telling me there are other things than True Dungeon at GenCon?

No, that is a lie perpetuated by the rare non td playing crowd. If i could get xp and full story or most of it I'd gleefully take it vs the cost and headache of gencon. Too much invested in way of time and money for suboptimal experience and basically anything but td.

Here's to stalking portals and forums until May when absolute go\no go decision must be made.

I finally got on. Will say this. If you have anything later then I did at 7:00. Might want to start pouring through Hotels.com now.

Grand total of 21 hotels on the far fring of the city left, and they are the lower quality ones for the most part. Nearest is 11 miles out.

I still have another hour to go before I can get in. I can't wait.

So thankful I already had a room booked.

Dave wrote: I still have another hour to go before I can get in. I can't wait.

So thankful I already had a room booked.

I didn't book, so I can still pour through it.

Down to 18 hotels now. 12 miles out is now the closest.

If the hotels are any indication to this years con. I can only imagine how fast TD will sell out.

I just got into the system to see what my hotel choices were - closest is 11.7 miles out. I think I'll stick to booking out of the block.

I wonder if hotels are putting fewer rooms in the block and renting more out of the block. They are pretty much guaranteed to sell out of the downtown rooms, they might as well sell more of the rooms at the higher non-block rates.