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[Diavoletto76]

Hello and good morning.

Excuse me if i create this post but, i need some clarification about hotel politicy.

When i book my room for the event in January, i book it for 3 guests and, the costs is 180€, 60€ per person up from 55€ if If I had reserved for two, i can understand that extra 5€ per person and at last for me is ok.

Well, few days ago, Estrel send me an email with his personal last minutes offer.
I copy here the whole email.

"Dear Furry's,

Thank you very much for your bookings at the ESTREL Hotel Berlin to the Eurofurence 2017.
Due to the high demand and strong inflow of bookings on January 16th, 2017, there were well-known some turbulences, so that the hotel was fully booked within a few hours and unfortunately also booked over the basic room capacities of the hotel.
Of course, we would like to hold a hotel room for disposal to each furry with an existing booking and want to dissolve the room discrepancy in advance, so that each of you can enjoy its participation in the event to the fullest extent.
Consequently, we would like to present you an one-time offer, which is available only for a limited period of time and will include a cost saving to everyone who takes part.
This offer is valid for guests with existing reservations in rooms with a momentary single or double occupancy, which agree to move together into a shared room with three or six people.
Please do not merge with guests on the waiting list. This offer is valid only for guests with fixed bookings to resolve the overbooking. Once the room discrepancy is remedied, this offer expires automatically. No guests will be confirmed from the waiting list.

We offer the following constellations:
original booking                rate per  person/night          merge to         new rate per  person/night   

A 3 double rooms                                                  family room
   2 persons each              EUR 55,00                     with 6 persons           EUR 32,50
   
B 3 double rooms                                                 2 triple rooms
   2 persons each              EUR 55,00                    3 persons each           EUR 40,00

C 1 double rooms with
   2 persons and                EUR 55,00                    triple room with          EUR 40,00
   1 sinlge room with          EUR 85,00                      3 persons
   1 person


* Family rooms: The 54 sqm family rooms offer two rooms with a connecting door and a shared bathroom. There is a double bed per room (separable) with an extra bed available. These rooms can only be occupied with 6 persons, not less!
* Triple Room: The 27 sqm standard rooms offer a double bed (separable) with an extra bed. These rooms can only be occupied with 3 people, not more!
In case of interest we ask for a written confirmation. We need the attached form to be sent to the following e-mail: k.lehmann@estrel.com
Please note that only full completed forms can be considered. You will then receive a feedback within 24 hours. In this time we ask for your patience.
We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

ESTREL BERLIN

Katja Lehmann

Assistant Manager Group Reservations"

Now, i can understand their trouble to manage all the furries, i understand that they want to maximize our experience and they want to correct the overbooking but, if you can explain me, why me, my guests and all other furries that book 3 room's spot in january have to pay 60€ for night?

I know, my english is really bad and probably i have misunderstand the email but, if not, can someone can explain me?
I'm sorry for my bad english end excuse me for this post but since I pay, I want to know.

Thanks Diavoletto76

[Cheetah]

Hi,

your question is absolutely valid, but you're asking in the wrong forum. I couldn't answer your question if I wanted to. I would suggest writing a polite email to k.lehmann@estrel.com and ask her to apply the new special rate to your earlier booking. This sounds like something that can be easily solved.

[Diavoletto76]

thanks for your help, already sended an email to estrel's staff.

[Diavoletto76]

In the early years, this kind of "3 people in a 2 ppl room" was used to "fish out" furries from the waiting list. That was a nice way to welcome more people at the con. Here it is not the case. "no people from the waiting list will be accepted"...
Then why turn rooms in dormitories with 6 people in them if it's not to free some already booked rooms? What will become of those?
I just don't understand the use of this...

Cookie Gheysens

(Cookie and me, speak about my post and she notice me about this other problem)

[Diavoletto76]

Dear EF staffs.

This is Estrel reply, I hope that you speak and help us with this problem.

"Dear Mr. Verde,



Thank you for your message and the detailed descriptions.

The triple room costs per person more than the double room, since the cleaning and provision costs of the third bed come into play.

The special price of € 40.00 is, as you have correctly noted, a reduced offer that under normal circumstances would not have existed.

Due to the high demand and strong inflow of bookings on January 16th, 2017, there were well-known some turbulences, so that the hotel was fully booked within a few hours and unfortunately also booked over the basic room capacities of the hotel.

We hope for an increased incentive in triple rooms, since you yourself have ascertained that it would be too expensive for the participants at the regular price, to even the overbooking.
If no one is able to report on this offer, there is only the possibility of banning existing guests in other hotels.

We assume, however, that this is still less desired and therefore have chosen this way of dissolving the room discrepancy.
As soon as we are not overbooked anymore, the special offer will end!!

Dear Mr. Verde,

We hope that you can understand our approach better now, and ask for your understanding that we will not change the rate of your room."

[Dhary Montecore]

As Cheetah already explained, Eurofurence has nothing to do with the hotel booking. Any and all question you have need to be addressed with the hotel directly.

However, the email clearly explains why the room rate is different and I see no issue there. But again, Eurofurence is not involved with hotelbookings of any kind.

Dear EF staffs.

This is Estrel reply, I hope that you speak and help us with this problem.

"Dear Mr. Verde,



Thank you for your message and the detailed descriptions.

The triple room costs per person more than the double room, since the cleaning and provision costs of the third bed come into play.

The special price of € 40.00 is, as you have correctly noted, a reduced offer that under normal circumstances would not have existed.

Due to the high demand and strong inflow of bookings on January 16th, 2017, there were well-known some turbulences, so that the hotel was fully booked within a few hours and unfortunately also booked over the basic room capacities of the hotel.

We hope for an increased incentive in triple rooms, since you yourself have ascertained that it would be too expensive for the participants at the regular price, to even the overbooking.
If no one is able to report on this offer, there is only the possibility of banning existing guests in other hotels.

We assume, however, that this is still less desired and therefore have chosen this way of dissolving the room discrepancy.
As soon as we are not overbooked anymore, the special offer will end!!

Dear Mr. Verde,

We hope that you can understand our approach better now, and ask for your understanding that we will not change the rate of your room."

[Suicune]

What I find interesting is that apparently not everyone got this mail. I didn't get it, but my friend got it. We both have rooms in the hotel. Odd.

[JonathanO]

i din't got one so its strange

[Cookie]

I received that email.

But am I the only one finding this sentence in the reply from the Esteel more than worrying???

If no one is able to report on this offer, there is only the possibility of banning existing guests in other hotels.

"... banning existing guests to other hotels"?
I beg your pardon?

I booked a room at the Estrel. A room renting is a contract.
Are they really planning on canceling some rooms last minute??
(The others hotels are full as well, BTW)...

I know that EF staff doesn't handle the hotel reservations.
But having your attendees in geopardy of being kicked from your main  hotel for an overbooking they are not responsible for (the hotel screwed up by selling more rooms than they have) and do nothing...

Disappointing, really...

[Ivanhorse]

I and a friend of mine received the same email, yet another friend did not receive the email.  Since I am only traveling with my mate and would prefer the privacy, we chose not to take the offer.  But this email did have me concerned enough that I took the advice of Cheetah and contacted the Estrel Hotel to confirm that we had a room awaiting us since we were in the original block that managed to get through on Jan 16.  The response was not encouraging:

"Dear Mr. <>,

Thank you for your message.
We are not able to give you a confirmation, that your room I being held, as we do not have a room for everyone booked.
We do our best to solve this situation before arrival.

Kind regards
ESTREL BERLIN
Katja Lehmann
Assistant Manager Group Reservations"


I understand that the con does not handle the hotel arrangements.  I also understand that there was a number of unforeseen problems with the room booking system.  But I wish that someone, either the con OR the hotel would provide me some guidance on what is going on and what I should be doing.  Should I be creating a backup booking at another hotel?  Will that just complicate the problem of overbooking?  Should I be applying for fur suit lockers at the con hotel?  What if I don't need them in the end?  Should I be looking into transit between hotels? Should I just wait and hope that Estrel "fixes" the overbooking issue?  Honestly I have no idea and would love better insight.

I know that every fur who is dealing with this issue want their problems addressed first, but I hope you will understand when I say that I, my mate, and my friends have been planning for this event for nearly a year and have had most of the travel from half-way around the world booked and paid for for 10 months.  And now with about a month left, I'm getting indications that we may not even have a place once we arrive.

Yes, the con isn't in the business of booking rooms, and I do sympathize with the unexpected challenges they have had to deal with.  But at the end of the day my experience of the con, including hotel booking, will reflect on the con and it's staff.  All I ask for is some help and guidance in what's going on.

Thanks,
Ivan Horse

[Dhary Montecore]

Dear attendees,

first of all please understand that the entire situation is more than frustrating to all of the con staff as well. Especially as there is nothing we can do about it. And when you read the following please keep in mind that Eurofurence has NO influence on the bookings and it's all the info that we have.

The important bit is that there is 99.9% chance that everyone with a confirmed booking will get a room. To our knowledge there are a mere of 12 overbookings left in total and that number is decreasing. The email you got is meant as an offer to all attendees, but more to relax the situation faster than to resolve it at all. The Estrel does have "emergency hotel rooms" in case of overbookings like this that they would use in case these last few people really can't be sorted out. So everyone who got a confirmed booking will get a room. But the Estrel is a company and the chance is 99.9%. And because that 0.1% chance that one or two may not fit in exist, they have to tell everyone that the worst case is possible. That is the entire story.

I can only ask and urge you to keep calm and get excited about the convention. The Estrel WILL sort you out and they have a reputation to loose.

Now I know even though everything is fine I know you will want to know what happens if there really is any overbooking left in the end: First of all we're talking about less than a handful of attendees so even if that would happen, chances that it hits you are even lower. As I said the Estrel has some "emergency rooms" which are regular hotelrooms but not normally in use. These would be activated first and that would be the end of any problem.

Just to clarify on the legal state @Cookie: Yes, if you have a booking confirmation you have a legal contract with the hotel, but before you paid it in full it's still open and (like every hotel on this planet) the small print in the terms and conditions allow the Estrel to move your booking into a different hotel of the same class and give you vouchers for a taxi for the days for example.

To summarise: EF has nothing to do with nor any influence on the bookings. What we know is only that there are very little overbookings left and the hotel is extremely confident that they will sort everyone out in the end. But as a company they can not give you any hope if there is the slightest chance that things don't work out. (yes their wording with "banned" is horrible and will be addressed).

So everyone keep calm, it's all under control and the entire staff is just as frustrated as you but also really looking forward to give you your time of the year in only four weeks from now! :3

[Ivanhorse]

Thank you very much Dhary Montecore.

I know the con doesn't have control over the hotel, but just the information you provided in your reply has gone a long way to alleviating my fears about our travel plans.  I hope that as more information comes to light, you will continue to keep us informed.

And yes, I am getting excited about a great con!  Can't wait to see all of you in Berlin!!

Thanks,
Ivan Horse

[MrEvers]

I do feel that, as soon as it is possible, there needs to be an official EF announcement with mails and such to address the issue before rumours and half-truths start to spread and to calm people down who might be worried they won't have a room after all.
I already know a dozen friends that aren't coming this year, because ladenpocalypse left them without a room. The longer this is left hanging, the more negative it will reflect on EF, even if we can't do anything about it.

EDIT: I'm paying up front, btw, you can ask the hotel to pay them by bank transfer, this way I have a reserved and paid for room.

[Cheetah]

I do feel that, as soon as it is possible, there needs to be an official EF announcement with mails and such to address the issue before rumours and half-truths start to spread and to calm people down who might be worried they won't have a room after all.

That's easier said than done As Dhary has said earlier, we've been told this only affects a very small number of people, and we do not know the names. If I sent an alarming mail to all 2500+ registered people instead, I'm afraid that would make it worse

I think it's save to say: If you have booked a room with the Estrel, you have a valid contract, and they are obligued to give you accomodation. So under no circumstances should ANYBODY arrive at the con, and find out they have no place to sleep. If you have a reservation, you will have accomodation.

The Management knows very well that their bookings provider have screwed up, and they are trying everything to minimize the number of affected people.

[MrEvers]

Of course, but the mail from the Estrel might cause alarm and confusion in and of itself.

[Ivanhorse]

I am pleased to report that this morning I received another email from the Estrel Hotel regarding this issue.  It seems they have sorted out their booking issues:

"Dear Furry`s,

First of all, many thanks for the numerous responses.

We are very pleased to inform you that because of your help we have been able to successfully resolve the overbooking situation. We are now able to guarantee each of you his/her confirmed booking. Thus our special offer loses its validity now.

A very special thanks goes to those of you who have noticed our offer and have merged their rooms. We wish you all an unclouded anticipation of the Eurofurence 2017 in the Estrel Berlin as well as a good journey and an unforgettable stay.


For any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

kind regards,

ESTREL BERLIN
Bettina Beyer
Manager Group Reservations"

This certainly has put my mind to rest.  I would like to thank Dhary Montecore and Cheetah for helping in keeping this thread informed.  But it still might be a nice gesture for the con staff to get the word out as well.

Very much looking forward to the con!  See you all there!

Thanks,
Ivan Horse