Texas: Disappointed at Sheraton TSGA Hotel

Jeff Campbell · Post by **Jeff Campbell** » 9 Mar 2016 3:25 pm

The last 15 years I've worked I traveled and stayed in hotels a average of 6 nights a week every week , once I booked a room (I did mine all online) they take your credit card and supposed to hold the room until the day you check in. They WILL charge your card that day even if you dont show up, the card is always used to hold or pay in advance to get a set rate (with no refund), but if you get a confirmation they processed everything and should know how many rooms they have available. There is always cancellations too and rooms open up. I understand what you mean by staying in the hotel the event is in ,I have a artifical knee and can't walk very far and sure don't like driving from place to place.... you should talk to corporate management about what happened.

Henry Matthews · Post by **Henry Matthews** » 9 Mar 2016 3:55 pm

I didn't want to make big deal but happened to me last year. Had two rooms booked and only got one.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 9 Mar 2016 4:57 pm

This thread scared me. I just called to make sure I had a room, or would I have to bed down in a manger.

I'm cool. My condolences to those who have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. I'd be pissed off if it happened to me.

Dan Klotz · Post by **Dan Klotz** » 10 Mar 2016 12:46 am

i was able to clear my schedule so I can attend on Saturday. I've never been before. Any recommendations for a hotel?

Paul King · Post by **Paul King** » 10 Mar 2016 3:19 am

I made my reservations in October. I checked over the weekend to make sure that it was still there. No problem on our reservation. I just do not understand how they could make such an error as this. I know this is a setback but do not let it ruin your trip to this show. It is a blast being there.

Charley Hill · Post by **Charley Hill** » 10 Mar 2016 3:32 am

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

I would take it to the HOTEL complaint office......

I hope that you get your issue resolved, soonest.

Don Ricketson · Post by **Don Ricketson** » 10 Mar 2016 6:26 am

Ed I'm not much on walking too far either. I've had a total hip replacement and two hernia operations. I still haven't received a confirmation for the Westin. We're headed that way tomorrow. May have to sleep in the van $:\$ . Dan, you might try the Sheraton. They seem to let the last reservations come first. Good luck. So mote it be Brother.

Dan Klotz · Post by **Dan Klotz** » 10 Mar 2016 2:30 pm

Don,
Great idea. They did have a room available. Maybe from a cancellation?.... See ya'll there!

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 10 Mar 2016 2:35 pm

Dan Klotz wrote:Don,
Great idea. They did have a room available. Maybe from a cancellation?

Meh, judging from what happened to the OP, they prolly just bumped someone else off the confirmation list.

Gary Cooper · Post by **Gary Cooper** » 10 Mar 2016 4:19 pm

Don, I agree with you 100%. The Sheraton should give you a room for free on you next visit. The restaurant prices last year were outrageous and below average in quality, in my opinion.

Don Ricketson · Post by **Don Ricketson** » 10 Mar 2016 5:32 pm

Well, the Lord works in strange ways. Tonight the Sheraton called me and said they have found two rooms with two double beds just like the ones we wanted in the first place. I appreciate all the sympathy from you guys. All is well now and it's been resolved so we'll be staying at the Sheraton. Hoping to have a nice steel guitar jamming weekend. Don.

Dave Potter · Post by **Dave Potter** » 11 Mar 2016 7:09 am

Sheraton must have someone reading this forum for customer feedback. This sort of thing isn't what makes for good public relations.

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 12 Mar 2016 9:55 am

After reading through this thread, all I can think is, it's no wonder steel guitar is fading away.. $:\$

J R Rose · Post by **J R Rose** » 13 Mar 2016 8:30 am

I had made my reservation the first week of November last year. Standard room with two beds. About two weeks ago I thought I better call and check on it even tho I had print out letter of reservation and confirmation. Well, they had me booked for two rooms with King beds!! Have to say that they did find me the room with two beds even through they were booked up??
We were their and all was well, food is and drinks are really overpriced but I think all hotels are that way.
I can live with that just to have the convenience. It is only once are twice a year for me anyway. Overall I think they do a good job considering how many people show up all at once. We had a good time. I thought the crowd was off quite a bit and a lot less vendors this year. But we did hear some music, Jay Dee Maness, Buck Reed, Eddie Dunlap, Rusty Danmyer & the list goes on. Their was just so much good steel and vocal everywhere. Our Best, J.R. & Lou

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Mar 2016 9:23 am

ahhh...the famous reservation.... As Jerry said....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2GmGSNvaM

Mickey Adams · Post by **Mickey Adams** » 14 Mar 2016 4:18 am

On Friday around noon, I purchased A room for Friday and Saturday... This should put another issue on the table..

George Duncan Sypert · Post by **George Duncan Sypert** » 15 Mar 2016 5:21 pm

Another slant on this situation. I arrived Thursday to check in and was told that I had two rooms with 2 double beds reserved. In fact, I had only requested one room. My roommate had reserved a room at the same time I did and guess what, he had no room. They had put both in my name. We always book one each because we don't who is going and cancel one room about a month before the show if we don't need it. You are right about a completely new crew this year.

Still in all, got the second room cancelled about 1:30pm on Thursday so maybe that was one of the rooms you got.

Still enjoyed the weekend and will go again next year health permitting and a little cash left over from the current political situation.

George

Lee Barber · Post by **Lee Barber** » 17 Mar 2016 6:33 am

As long as we have used this hotel you would think they would take care of us. They booked a airline attendant school and I think they took the rooms.
The cosy of the hotel food is to high, so at breakfast I east a pound of bacon to get my money's worth, I wouldhave any way. Beer is 5.50 mix drinks around 8.00.
Need to find a new hotel.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Mar 2016 7:21 am

Either that or quit drinking.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 17 Mar 2016 8:51 am

Granted, there will always be problems with a venue and attendees being unhappy and/or dissatisfied in individual circumstances. That said, finding a new hotel is a massive undertaking involving hours of driving, investigation, negotiation and more. Which will undoubtedly NOT be performed by those complaining about the current hotel.

Relatively few hotels have ballrooms, meeting rooms, and floor space necessary to hold a convention the size of the TSGA Jamboree. Not to mention convenient to an airport.

But...

Expensive drinks can be avoided by bringing your own alcohol to your room and imbibing there. More than a few folks do that, including your correspondent.

Expensive food can be avoided by going one block up the road to Denny's. You'll save $3-5 per meal, but no going back for second helpings. Alternatively, attendees can bring their own food in coolers and consume at their leisure.

Bob Blair · Post by **Bob Blair** » 17 Mar 2016 11:03 am

In my experience the kind of prices one encounters at hotels convenient to airports will not vary that wildly, and certainly you will not find an abundance of facilities with lower prices than what I have experienced at the Dallas, St. Louis and Phoenix Show. I encounter more expensive venues than the Sheraton DFW all the time in my business travel. Herb has the right idea - if you want to save money on breakfast go to Denny's. I actually do know of some hotels in Western Canada that actually have a Denny's connected to them, but they don't have the kinds of convention facilities needed at a show like the TSGA. It needs also to be remembered that the farther a venue is from a hub airport the more it costs out of town visitors to get there.

Lee Barber · Post by **Lee Barber** » 17 Mar 2016 11:07 am

Herb,
I would agree and we brought drinks, but sometimes you want to sit in the bar and visit. As far as food, some people don't want to leave when they get there especially if the weather is bad as it was 2 years ago. Service was a little better than before.

My main concern would be with the cancelation of rooms booked more than 6 months in advance.

This was the hotel's fault and I hope they did it by first come first served.
The show was good and no problem with the venu other than a smaller crowd, which may or may not have been caused by the weather.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 17 Mar 2016 2:16 pm

I'm not sure why you lot are grizzling about the cost of food and drinks etc ....none of you have to shell out for a return airfare from New Zealand just to get there hehe !!!!
The Sheraton is a great hotel from what I have seen of it over my 8 visits to the TSGA

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 19 Mar 2016 8:20 am

Part of duties at my day job include arranging business and training events with hotel involvement. Perhaps I can turn the curtain back a bit on how that industry operates, and help folks plan.

In this case, the Sheraton is part of the Starwood properties (hotels and resorts). The Westin across the road is also part of that. I noticed there are two Element hotels nearby, also Starwood.

So there is probably a regional Starwood sales manager, a sales manager for each of the properties, and associate sales peoples in a web downward. It's a high pressure, high turnover business. Their fondest dream is a full hotel.

The Jamboree folks I am assuming have made a big package deal, with sleeping rooms, ballroom, meeting rooms, etc. It seemed it past years that there were a certain amount of sleeping rooms on that 'block' that were available for attendees (not just staff and artists), but certainly not the entire hotel. So even though this big event is a nice feather in the cap of the sales manager, they will still be interested in filling the other rooms.

Don't just make a reservation with the 1-800 number. Contact the hotel directly and reserve a room with a sales associate. Get names and contact info of the staff helping you. Tell them you are attending the Jamboree but can't get on that block. If you can get a few friends to join together in a group, that's even better. It might be good to join the Starwood Preferred Guest program. If you can't get into the Sheraton at first, ask the sales manager to find you a room at another Starwood, noting that you would like to be on a waiting list for the Sheraton. (The regional sales manager makes sure the different properties talk to another; they share shuttle services, make deals, etc.)

Give feedback along the way and after the event. Email your contacts and write a review on the web. This kind of information is definitely entered into corporate knowledge. Make sure to mention the Jamboree as the reason for staying at Starwood properties.

It takes two sides to build a good business relationship. IMHO, TSGA has made a good choice for venue.

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 19 Mar 2016 9:39 am

My old friend Bobby speaks volumes! Take heed.

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