Booked already??

[pinknekophiliac]

Soooo.... I figured it would be awhile before Fanime housing info is up, as it seems to take longer and longer, so I decided to see if I could reserve a hotel at either mariott or hilton waaaaaaay in advance for those dates at full price as a regular patron... but much to my surprise, I apparently wasn't the only one with that idea! They are completely booked for those dates!

It's been awhile since I've gotten a hotel room myself for fanime so I don't know if this is a new thing that they do... but I was wondering if those dates are reserved by the staff of fanime so they can offer their housing specials, or if they're genuinely all booked by people, OR a combination of both?

If they're not reserved by Staff already then that's a little disconcerting and I wonder how they're going to allow for people to register via their website when it eventually goes up...?

These may be stupid questions, but I just would like to know... also if there might be a wait list already in place to be able to sign up for?

I've always crashed with friends but wanted to get a room for myself this year.

If anyone can help answer my questions, I'd greatly appreciate it :).

[kookiekween99]

No need to fret. This happens every year. The hotels block off reservations for that weekend until Fanime Housing can negotiate for whatever number of rooms to be available through Fanime.

So there's really no need to worry about it until hotel info goes up anywhere from December to February.

[pinknekophiliac]

No need to fret. This happens every year. The hotels block off reservations for that weekend until Fanime Housing can negotiate for whatever number of rooms to be available through Fanime.

So there's really no need to worry about it until hotel info goes up anywhere from December to February.

Ohhhhh okay! Splendid. I just remember many many MANY moons ago getting a hotel before fanime housing was even near opening. That was waaaaaaay back in the old days, though. So I wouldn't have known :P. Thank you for answering!

[AndurilWielder]

I worry about Fanime Housing as well. It seems to be random whenever it goes up, and I cant ever find any information on WHEN that'll be. I feel like just have to get lucky. One year reservations went up early November, last year they went up early December, and I just don't know when. I wish there could be some sort of notification, but I fear that might just flood the servers.

Not like the hotels should complain, they get tons of money off us I suppose. XD;

[echoshadow]

Wow November or December? I guess you haven't booked in the last 4 years.? Things have been slow and slower each year.

But yeah there is really no set time frame when the hotel reg opens up.
You do know its been a free for all the last 3 years and all rooms have been booked with in hours. That's kind of the reasons why they don't want to tell people months in advance. There are hotel hoarders that get over 4 or 5 rooms. It's unfair to the rest of us, but it happens.

The only way you'll know when the hotel reg is going to be up is keep checking out the web site or the FB/twitter for info. Last year they give us a weeks heads up. And even then rooms where booked up within hours.

So I would check back up when pre-reg opens up that should be the same time hotel reg opens too.

[Saki Usagishi]

Kinda wish they would notify the fans more about Fanime 2014. : /
Normally there is some sort of message sent out about any process they have begun by now, or an hint of a date when the site will go live.

[echoshadow]

Kinda wish they would notify the fans more about Fanime 2014. : /
Normally there is some sort of message sent out about any process they have begun by now, or an hint of a date when the site will go live.

Me too, but that's Fanime for you. I would not expect to hear anything till early next year. That's how the trend is going with Fanime.

[Lucifargundam]

One could only plan for the future, when they know what they have at present.

Life may give curveballs, but the game still keeps going....

[DangerHeart]

I worry about Fanime Housing as well. It seems to be random whenever it goes up, and I cant ever find any information on WHEN that'll be. I feel like just have to get lucky. One year reservations went up early November, last year they went up early December, and I just don't know when. I wish there could be some sort of notification, but I fear that might just flood the servers.

Not like the hotels should complain, they get tons of money off us I suppose. XD;

Actually last year hotels and badge reservations both went up on January 24. I only remember because it was my bithday. I've been booking our hotel for four years now and can't remember it ever going up earlier than mid January(I could be wrong) but I don't  think it's gone up in November. At least not in the last four years.

[Gwydion]

Been going to Fanime for nearly 10 years now, (missed 2004, was in Canada) and I don't ever remember hotels going up in November. Usually it's January, somewhere. One year it was the end of December. Keep checking here on the forums 'cause you'll hear about it before the website gets it.

[lovelessneko]

You also get a discount if you book through Fanime. As for things being slower, I think there's not enough people on staff since Fanime keeps growing. Plus there's construction.

[dajoo]

We are always looking for staff, but traditionally hotel booking hasn't opened till January. For staff last year it didn't open till February. Construction is all done on the convention center and it looks great!

[MarionetteCosplay]

No need to fret. This happens every year. The hotels block off reservations for that weekend until Fanime Housing can negotiate for whatever number of rooms to be available through Fanime.

So there's really no need to worry about it until hotel info goes up anywhere from December to February.

My boyfriend called to book a room last month I think, and they told us the rooms were booked already. We were able to find a room somewhere else after a couple calls. But if what you say is the case then they should tell us to wait until the hotel booking is up to call, not tell us that the rooms are all booked already. Fortunately, we are able to cancel our spot at any time if the rooms will be open but I'd rather not worry myself because someone didn't translate the situation correctly.

[Gwydion]

You can't call the hotels to reserve as it all goes through a 3rd party, Fanime Housing. You can only reserve through them to get the con rate. I honestly doubt the hotels have any real information to give you, all they know is to reserve the room blocks which is why anyone calling is getting a "full". Of course they're "filled", because the convention is going to take them all. So by calling all you're doing is confusing yourself and wasting your time/money on other places.

Best is to do what everyone else does. Stalk the forums/website/twitter accounts until they post when it'll be opened. It's usually sometime this month, January.

[MeloettaMeridian]

My boyfriend called to book a room last month I think, and they told us the rooms were booked already. We were able to find a room somewhere else after a couple calls. But if what you say is the case then they should tell us to wait until the hotel booking is up to call, not tell us that the rooms are all booked already. Fortunately, we are able to cancel our spot at any time if the rooms will be open but I'd rather not worry myself because someone didn't translate the situation correctly.

What Gwydion and several others said above me is on point. To reiterate, the rooms are listed as "booked" because they've been blocked off by housing so that only con-goers will be able to book these rooms (as soon as housing goes up). Booking will probably be open later this month.

If you do want to keep the hotel room you already have rather than go through the trouble of cancelling and getting a new room later this month (and although I wouldn't recommend it, you can absolutely keep your current hotel room if you want to), just make sure you have a way to get back to your hotel that doesn't involve excessive walking. Downtown San Jose's not exactly a safe place to walk through at night... It might be safer during the con (I don't know, you'd have to ask others about that), but even then, I think you should avoid that situation if you can. Just to be safe, you know. ^_^

[MarionetteCosplay]

My boyfriend called to book a room last month I think, and they told us the rooms were booked already. We were able to find a room somewhere else after a couple calls. But if what you say is the case then they should tell us to wait until the hotel booking is up to call, not tell us that the rooms are all booked already. Fortunately, we are able to cancel our spot at any time if the rooms will be open but I'd rather not worry myself because someone didn't translate the situation correctly.

What Gwydion and several others said above me is on point. To reiterate, the rooms are listed as "booked" because they've been blocked off by housing so that only con-goers will be able to book these rooms (as soon as housing goes up). Booking will probably be open later this month.

If you do want to keep the hotel room you already have rather than go through the trouble of cancelling and getting a new room later this month (and although I wouldn't recommend it, you can absolutely keep your current hotel room if you want to), just make sure you have a way to get back to your hotel that doesn't involve excessive walking. Downtown San Jose's not exactly a safe place to walk through at night... It might be safer during the con (I don't know, you'd have to ask others about that), but even then, I think you should avoid that situation if you can. Just to be safe, you know. ^_^

I'd just rather they tell us that the rooms are put on hold until the housing registration for the con is open. I assume they are familiar with the situation unless the person we talked to was a new guy. We were never able to book a hotel room connected to or by the convention because we were always too late. The whole roster listed as "booked" caused miscommunication. But anyway, once the rooms actually go up, we might be able to get a room in time. Hopefully it goes up soon.

[kookiekween99]

Fanime isn't the only event that ever happens in the convention center. Sure, it's one of the largest, but you can't expect hotel employees to know the details of every event going on in downtown San Jose. Plus, the negotiations with Fanime Housing probably don't involve lower-level employees. All the person on the other end of the phone knows is that their computer screen shows those rooms as unavailable. It's not their job to know why.

[DangerHeart]

Fanime isn't the only event that ever happens in the convention center. Sure, it's one of the largest, but you can't expect hotel employees to know the details of every event going on in downtown San Jose. Plus, the negotiations with Fanime Housing probably don't involve lower-level employees. All the person on the other end of the phone knows is that their computer screen shows those rooms as unavailable. It's not their job to know why.

As a former customer service worker, I can vouch for this fact. Lower level employees never know the whole story, just what they're told and what the computer tells them. Honestly I never had this confusion because before my first con I stalked the forums for all the info I could get and there's always multiple threads about this topic every year, so I guess I don't get why some are still confused by this issue?