Gen Con asked me to set up an official housing questions thread, where you can ask questions about how housing works, and particularly, questions you think other people might be interested in having the answer to as well.  Please do read the housing page first to see if that answers your questions:

http://www.gencon.com/attend/housing_travel

Also, please don't expect an answer here 5 minutes before housing goes live, but we'll do our best to get questions answered here, thanks. :)

marimacc
Forum Moderator

Is there a way to private message people on these new forums?  In the days/weeks/months after housing, if you found that you didn't need a room, you could post it on the old forum, allowing someone to PM that they'd take it.  But I don't see a way to send PM's here.  So I guess that's out?

There is not, yet, a way to private message people on these forums; I don't know when that will be implemented.  You can still certainly post a room on this forum to give away, it's just that, until PMs are implemented, you'd have to have them contact you with the person info via email.
 

Any hotel recommendations outside of downtown that wouldn't require us to drive in to the city (public transit)? We're driving down to the con, but only going to be attending the the 4th and 5th as we'll have to drive back to Canada (leaving early morning on the 6th) Any tips appreciated!

You can use meltmail.com to get a temporary 24h email forwarder address. Just come on the forum each day if you haven't got a taker and update the address.

But I agree it is poor privacy practice to request email addresses be posted. (I forsee many kik accounts)

Can you further explain the randomized hotel options? I didn't do this last year and I just don't know what to expect. Will I have some different options at varying price ranges or will I just be randomly assigned to one hotel option and I have to take it or leave it? Thanks for you help!

The hotel options aren't randomized.  Everyone's entry time into the system is randomized; you can reserve a room at any open hotel once you're allowed into the system.

Yes, this is not like some other cons in which you will be randomly assigned a hotel room.  You will pick from the remaining inventory when your number comes up. :)

Is a priority assigned to people who purchase multiple badges?  For example person A buys 6 badges for himself and his family vs 6 other people who buy badges individually.  When assigned lottery numbers is a priority given to the person who bought more badges vs the people who buy less?

However,

Badge purchasers are allowed to book one hotel room for every 1-2 badges purchased.

• 1-2 badges = 1 room
  
• 3-4 badges = 2 rooms
  
• 5-7 badges = 3 rooms
  
• 7+ badges = etc ...

  So someone who buys six badges can book three rooms.
  

If I plan to GM 200+ player hours, and have another friend or two who also want to GM that much, how is the best way to get the same room in the GM block of rooms?  I am new to the GM system at Gen Con and want to make sure the room gets reimbursed for my work.

Thanks for the quick replay, just to clarify, since I don't want to mess up room reservation, when reserving a room it will clearly state whether the room is in the GM block or not?  Also, is their a minimum number of GM player hour's that need to be submitted before I reserve a GM room?  Thank you for your time.

First off, as a new GM, you really really must look over the Event Host Policy, here:

https://files.gencon.com/genconeventhostpolicy.pdf

But as noted in that document, you can only qualify for the "GM block" if you have an established relationship with Gen Con as a gaming group, and as a group run 800 player hours of events.  There is more specific info there, but basically, since you are a new GM, unless you are running with an established group, you're not going to qualify to get into the GM block, which is a seperate group of rooms that neither attendees nor GMs can book on their own.

The majority of GMs, including you, as well as attendees, will book rooms in the regular block.  They will not be GM specific rooms simply because you are GMs.  If you get a room in the block, and then run a certain number of player hours, 200, you will be able to apply for reimbursement after the show of 1/4 of your room, or $50, whichever is lower, for three nights, possibly Wed night as well if you run an early Thursday game and request approval of that night.

So again, to be clear, yes, you are a GM, yes you will be requesting reimbursement after the show, but no, you will not be requesting a GM block room, you'll be in the same pool attempting to get a hotel room that all attendees are.  Make sense?  Please do look over that Event Host Policy, it explains this all in even more detail.

Hello!

I am interested in attending the Trade Day educator track and I saw on the website that I need to submit proof of employment to do so.  Is my account is on hold while that happens or will I count as having a badge in the system?  I am worried that it would effect my ability to reserve a room on housing day.

Thanks!

They will email you for proof.  If you don't send it your trade day badge will be revoked, and I think it's safe to assume any hotel reservations made with that as well.  But no, if you have the badge it won't prevent you from getting a room until the proof is sent.

So I have a question about doing multiple room reservations. Is it similar to Event registration where we can link our accounts and have that count for hotel reservations, Or do you have to buy 3 badges on one account to get 2 hotel rooms together?