Grrrr...ALL PBH suites booked first week of January

[goofy!]

My children's school district recently approved a new calendar, giving the kids a 2.5 week Christmas break. Since they are going to be home for so long, I am going to need a break.

Just tried to book PBH with Platinum upgrade to a suite for the first week of January. Kids have to be back in school on the 9th. Couldn't find any availability on either Loews.com or AAA.com, so I called the Loewsfirst number, who in turn transferred me to Universal reservations. Universal could get me into a garden level room ($269.00), but said that all suites are booked through January 10th. I told the guy that was ok - just give me a Villa Suite instead of the Portofino suite (Hey, a girl has got to try ) He said -No, I didn't understand, ALL suites are booked until 1/10/08.

WTH - Is there a convention of Suite Testers? I thought the first week of January was a bit slower after the big Christmas/New Years rush. Heck, I even managed a Villa Suite during the hugely busy Thanksgiving week.

Hopefully the guy was just clueless, because he also told me that the AAA rates were not in the system yet. So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the suites just haven't been opened yet.

Anybody know of any Huge conventions, where they prefer suites, for January?

 

[AlexandNessa]

Eeek! I don't know of any conventions, but did you try calling the hotel directly? That sounds weird that only all the suites are booked, especially at such a slow time.

 

[goofy!]

Eeek! I don't know of any conventions, but did you try calling the hotel directly? That sounds weird that only all the suites are booked, especially at such a slow time.

I will call tomorrow. It probably was not the best idea to call on a Sunday, let alone Mother's day. My guess is all the senior people had the day off.

The guy who was manning the phone had to keep putting me on hold - first of all when I asked for my dates. He had to go ask his supervisor as his computer was not showing any availability of any rooms at all.

He then came back, told me they did have rooms, and what kind of room did I want? Asked for the rates- he gave them to me. Asked for AAA rates - said they were not in they system yet. When I told him I wanted Garden View with the Platinum upgrade to the suite - he uhh, uhhed and said hold on. After an extended hold, he came back to tell me that all the suites were booked. He said "wow that is weird, all suites are booked until the 10th. Asked for the Villa, nope -ALL suites were booked.

Since both Loews.com and AAA.com were not showing any availability for PBH or HRH for January, that was my clue to hang up and just call back later

I am pretty certain all rooms and all suites cannot possibly be booked from 1/3 - 1/8.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

This has happened to me a couple times in the past booking FL resident/APH rates at HRH. Both times were considered low-crowds (mid-September and the end of February). I was looking to book a room about six months in advance. The website was showing no rooms available, and when I called the hotel direct, their computer was showing the same. The reservationists always seem confused and even say, "There's no way the hotel is booked yet."

I've always just waited a month or two until the rooms become "available."

It is weird, tho. We have some must-do dining over at WDW, dining that often requires us to call early in the morning on the 180th day out. Then I call over to USO to book a room and I need to wait until it gets a little closer to the trip.

 

[joloco]

are you sure they have any rooms for first weekend in 2008? i am trying to get march 08 and reservationist said they only had until first week in january available to book - not sure what date she was talking about.

 

[lookingforward]

Sounds to me like they have it blocked out for some reason. No way they can have all those rooms already booked and I can't think of any conventions that would be scheduled so close to the new year. Email the manager.

 

[goofy!]

I talked to PBH directly yesterday.

As I thought, although RPR is completely in the system already, PBH and HRH is not. Which is why all the suites appear as booked.

I was told that sometime in June, all the AAA and other rates - and suites - will be in the system and I can book then.

If I still run into problems, I will e-mail the director of rooms at PBH. He is a great guy and responsible for putting us in the Villa Suite during Thanksgiving. (Thanks RyGuy and Motherfletcher!)

I just thought it funny that the poor guy on the phone on Sunday was insistent that ALL the suites were booked. All of us know that can't possibly be true on a slow week, but this guy, although amazed himself, kept insisting that there was no way to get a suite.

I knew I should just call back later