" Cold Wars Host "Pre sign up's lost"" Topic

HMGS Board,

In case you've not heard, the bright lights at the Host have apparently lost many if not all pre sign ups for Cold Wars reservations you may have made at Fall-In.

If you thought you were staying there, it's best to call soon. 717-299-5500

Dave Waxtel

Thanks for the heads-up, Dave. My reservation was still there, but they'd lost my credit card info and somehow declared me handicapped--or at least put me in a handicapped room.

I'm sure it's all part of the improvements.

I don't think I'd want to stay there given they are that screwed up. Makes one seriously wonder what else has been overlooked, forgotten, lost, too.

Reminds me a bit of Seinfeld's car reservation episode…….

I'm confused…Waxtel addresses this to the HMGS Board but it appears on TMP…did he mean to post it here…has HMGS sent anything out officially via email to the members and/or posted anything on the website? This would seem to be a significant issue…

The Cold Wars convention director is in touch with the hotel management to determine if it was just an isolated incident concerning a 4 room reservation that someone had made. In any case, it will be fixed. If it's a larger issue, the convention director can send out a notice very quickly with any relevant information and instructions. I think Dave was just a little too quick on his "cut and paste" efforts. He meant well.
Respectfully,
John Spiess
Treasurer
HMGS, Inc.

Curious. My memory isn't what it used to be, but
isn't Dave W. on the Board ???

I just called and confirmed my reservation. The lady I spoke to said they did lose some when they switched over the system.

I did ask for and receive a confirmation number.
Thanks for the warning Yankees.

Tom

Haha, the Host. What a dump.

Yankees was quite right, Brian98. We're a month out, nothing happens quickly at the Host these days, and this is a perfect set-up for selling the same room twice. Once they've taken 350 reservations for a 330 room facility, it won't matter how sorry they are. Much better that the people who think (hope) they have room reservations verify them--which is, please note, the only way to find out whether they've lost reservations. How else was the BOD planning to determine this? Trust the Host management?

If they didn't want a couple of hundred wargamers calling to confirm reservations, they should have done a good, thorough spot check when they changed systems. But better people than the present Host management have failed that test.

Dear Dave and John,

Thanks for the update.

Hope to see you there.

I just called and made a reservation. No issues and received a confirmation number.

In talking to the guy at the front desk, they just had in one of the regular groups like ours, but 2500 people. They were showered with complements. Hotel is 90% done.

The rooms have been totally redone for a few cons now. The lobby bar, restaurant and a new Starbucks have been added.

Those who have not seen the refurbished hotel, should take a look:

https://www.hmgs.org/page/Wyndham

Here is an article on the renovation:

link

Time to put up or shut up.

Thank you, BrigadeGames. We'll see how things go. The link made no comment on the restaurant, for instance. Just by way of nitpicking, the rooms have not been "totally done for a few cons now." I've made every convention since this thing started, and Fall In was my first convention in a rehabbed room. Even at that, there were unfinished rooms between me and the lobby. But I'll be glad to see the place restored to its former glory.

In one of the articles I read, the restaurant is going to be farm to table.

I would imagine with 2500 guests recently they had to hade some food service. From what I could tell in a search, it was a MARLCNA convention. There was breakfast, lunch and dinner service.

I rated the absence of any way to sit down on site and have a comfortable dinner at the end of the day as the worst inconvenience of the past--has it been four conventions?

But it was the continual "next convention the restaurant will be back" which caused me to disbelieve any Host management promises. Mind you, I've been committed to attend since as soon at the BoD picked the site. But it takes a lot to convince me that this or that part of the facility will be up and running.

"In one of the articles I read, the restaurant is going to be farm to table."

As opposed to the prior method of dumpster to table.

"I rated the absence of any way to sit down on site and have a comfortable dinner at the end of the day as the worst inconvenience of the past--has it been four conventions?"

That's quite the hardscrabble life you lead at conventions Robert; no sit down dinner on site as opposed to the 900 restaurants along route 30, many of which are within easy walking distance from the site, having to hump your flea market wares five miles on a cart with a flat tire like some WWII refugee fleeing the advancing Germans, it sounds like these conventions are a real hassle for you.

Hopefully things will get better as the Host finishes up their renovations, we move to a beautiful new site in downtown and we move to a newly renovated site in Valley Forge.

No where for you to go but up; think positive fella.

Don't mention "up" Double G. I'm waiting for the con directors to decide that shoving us into the attic at midnight has worked so well that holding the flea markets on the roof at 2:00 AM will work even better.

As for restaurants on a Friday and a Saturday night, I stood in enough lines in the service, thank you. Of course, if I cut my trip to the dealers' hall short, I could beat the crowd.

I like the upstairs location, the stuff is more spread out, the aisles don't look like a rugby scrum/stampede down the streets with the running of the bulls/evacuation of the US embassy during the fall of Saigon, I also like the night time flea market, gives me as a dealer a shot to buy some of those wonderful bargains I've been hearing about for years.

As far as waiting in lines, call/text ahead seating via your Iphone is your friend, no waiting. SO many nice choices along route 30 to eat, the one time I did eat at the Host, it was one of the worst dining experiences of my life, the waitress was defeated and had an attitude like she checked out mentally in the 1950's, the cook was either an ex prison chef or went to a culinary school he found on a matchbook cover and the dining choices were worse than what's offered to a death row inmate as his last meal.

Why subject yourself to that, you only go around once, no refund on the ticket, so enjoy the ride.

As far as you cutting your trip to the dealer hall short, that's a shame, in the end you're really only hurting yourself, I guess we'll all have to learn to live with the disappointment.

Update on hotel reservations – I had the Wyndham audit all of the reservations for Cold Wars and if there was an email on the reservation an emailed confirmation was sent out. It does not appear that this was a widespread occurrence and very limited in scope (2 reservations were missing) when the registration batch was moved from the old computer system to the new system.

If you did not receive an email and you have a reservation, you can call the hotel to confirm (717) 299-5500 your reservation. There are a few rooms left in our block if you do not have a reservation yet.

The Cold Wars Convention team is visiting the hotel on Friday, Feb. 15th and I will be providing additional updates afterward.

Any concerns may be sent to me at director@coldwars.org

Heather

Thank you, Heather and the rest of the CW team.

Thank you for the heads up. No problem with our reservation.

FYI: I had mailed in the form a while back and had not heard, and so e-mailed the Host. I received a reservation, printed it out (yes. I know, old school), and all seems well.

Russ, glad you'll be there. I look forward to reading any game reviews that you publish.

Thank you, Heather and board for all the time you devote to this.

Heather , did you visit the Host today?

I conducted a site visit at the Wyndham Lancaster (Host) on Friday, February 15th with members of the Cold Wars staff. There are photos posted here – click the New Photos link to jump to the new section – https://www.hmgs.org/page/Wyndham

The renovations are moving forward. The front of the building looks a bit intimidating as they are creating a whole new area with a second floor lounge and a changed driveway so there is framing and fenced off areas. The entrance to the building is still through the new doors into the Lampeter room as it has been. The Lampeter will be one of the last rooms redone as part of the front entrance area but there are new windows and doors facing the parking area and we'll have full use of the area. There are new stairs going in from the Lobby to the Lampeter room near the front bathrooms.

The new elevator (down to Distelfink/up to 600 level) is in, inspected and ready for us to use. It's larger and doesn't to that great lurch at the bottom anymore.

The Distelfink room is nearing completion. There is new lighting, new drop ceiling and new carpet. They are finishing up the crown molding and it will be fully available to us for Cold Wars.

They've moved many of the storage containers in the parking lot and will be moving more before the show. Parking will be improved but not perfect. We will have use of the Dutch Wonderland parking lot for overflow parking as well as parking attendants onsite to assist with attendee parking.

If anyone has any concerns, please feel free to contact me directly, I am in communication with the facility frequently and we are working hard to make this a great show. director@coldwars.org

From the other thread –

HMGSColdWarsCD 18 Feb 2019 1:56 p.m. PST

We will be running a cart shuttle to and from the Expo Center. We are also going to be using the top door as an entrance with a marked path for attendees. I am doing everything possible to make it as smooth as possible for attendees and exhibitors.

That is all excellent news. It is kind of ironic that some of the logistical issues now at the Host/Wyndham were the same ones we faced at the Ike – split venues, shuttles, etc.