Open Forum

Hello Cvent Community, I have never used the hotel fee option in an event but I am trying it now. Does anyone know of any downside to charging the conference fees this way - in the hotel widget - instead of as an admission item? I am finding that when I use the admission item - Single Room/Double Room for example - some people neglect to actually choose their hotel room on the housing page - they think they've done it already when they selected the admission item. And, I thought this might streamline the registration process since they are only staying one night. But I don't know what I don't know about doing it this way. Thanks for any feedback.
#EventApp-Building/managing
#ManagingRoomBlocks

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT
------------------------------

/following

We are including 3 hotel nights in the admission fee and charging for shoulder dates.
So...
There is a possibility that someone won't select their room? I hadn't thought about that.

Edit:
I just did a test registration.
I had to select hotel and when I didn't select room type I got this warning.

You haven't submitted your travel request. If you continue without submitting, your request won't be processed. Do you want to go back and submit it?

It's not that a lot of people bypass the hotel widget, but some do. I set it up so the admission items are Single Room Occupancy, Double Room Occupancy, Commuter, and then set the up hotel room type to that admission item. That part is great but, because we have commuters, I cannot force everyone to choose a hotel room so some people for whatever reason blow by the hotel widget - even though I highlight it and do the text in bold and red. I do have to run reports of people with no housing who chose single or double admission items. Then I have to reach out to them to confirm that they do want a room. That's why I thought for one night I could just add the fee under the hotel room but I was having a problem with Cvent not refunding the fee after the cutoff date for refunds. It seemed like it would still refund. Sorry if I'm rambling! Housing is the most difficult part of my job.

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-04-2022 11:37
From: Steven Schlossman
Subject: Adding fees to hotel rooms

/following

We are including 3 hotel nights in the admission fee and charging for shoulder dates.
So...
There is a possibility that someone won't select their room? I hadn't thought about that.

Edit:
I just did a test registration.
I had to select hotel and when I didn't select room type I got this warning.

Heads up!

You haven't submitted your travel request. If you continue without submitting, your request won't be processed. Do you want to go back and submit it?

I don't think I read your entire post Steven - sorry. It's not that they don't choose a room - they don't even select the hotel. I think it's because once they select the admission item called single or double occupancy, they think they have reserved their room. I tried putting the hotel widget on a separate page all by itself but if someone is a commuter, they just see a blank page with Previous or Next and it doesn't look good. I haven't heard of any other client having this issue though.

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-04-2022 11:54
From: Jayne Ferro
Subject: Adding fees to hotel rooms

It's not that a lot of people bypass the hotel widget, but some do. I set it up so the admission items are Single Room Occupancy, Double Room Occupancy, Commuter, and then set the up hotel room type to that admission item. That part is great but, because we have commuters, I cannot force everyone to choose a hotel room so some people for whatever reason blow by the hotel widget - even though I highlight it and do the text in bold and red. I do have to run reports of people with no housing who chose single or double admission items. Then I have to reach out to them to confirm that they do want a room. That's why I thought for one night I could just add the fee under the hotel room but I was having a problem with Cvent not refunding the fee after the cutoff date for refunds. It seemed like it would still refund. Sorry if I'm rambling! Housing is the most difficult part of my job.

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT

Original Message:
Sent: 03-04-2022 11:37
From: Steven Schlossman
Subject: Adding fees to hotel rooms

/following

We are including 3 hotel nights in the admission fee and charging for shoulder dates.
So...
There is a possibility that someone won't select their room? I hadn't thought about that.

Edit:
I just did a test registration.
I had to select hotel and when I didn't select room type I got this warning.

Heads up!

You haven't submitted your travel request. If you continue without submitting, your request won't be processed. Do you want to go back and submit it?

Hi Jayne, 

You might want to have your admission items be Commuter and Overnight Guest then have the hotel widget, to try and force people staying overnight to select lodging. I don't know how you do your accounting but I'd be worried that bundling hotel and registration fees might complicate your accounting down the line. 

Cheers,

------------------------------
Béline FALZON
Conference Program Specialist II
California Teachers Association
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-02-2022 16:18
From: Jayne Ferro
Subject: Adding fees to hotel rooms

Hello Cvent Community, I have never used the hotel fee option in an event but I am trying it now. Does anyone know of any downside to charging the conference fees this way - in the hotel widget - instead of as an admission item? I am finding that when I use the admission item - Single Room/Double Room for example - some people neglect to actually choose their hotel room on the housing page - they think they've done it already when they selected the admission item. And, I thought this might streamline the registration process since they are only staying one night. But I don't know what I don't know about doing it this way. Thanks for any feedback.
#EventApp-Building/managing
#ManagingRoomBlocks

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT
------------------------------

Hi and thank you for your suggestion. You are right - it is much better to use the admission item and force the hotel option than to charge for the room. I thought since it was just one overnight, it might work; but, I'm back to using the admission item. So much easier!

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-09-2022 12:02
From: Béline FALZON
Subject: Adding fees to hotel rooms

Hi Jayne, 

You might want to have your admission items be Commuter and Overnight Guest then have the hotel widget, to try and force people staying overnight to select lodging. I don't know how you do your accounting but I'd be worried that bundling hotel and registration fees might complicate your accounting down the line. 

Cheers,

------------------------------
Béline FALZON
Conference Program Specialist II
California Teachers Association

Original Message:
Sent: 03-02-2022 16:18
From: Jayne Ferro
Subject: Adding fees to hotel rooms

Hello Cvent Community, I have never used the hotel fee option in an event but I am trying it now. Does anyone know of any downside to charging the conference fees this way - in the hotel widget - instead of as an admission item? I am finding that when I use the admission item - Single Room/Double Room for example - some people neglect to actually choose their hotel room on the housing page - they think they've done it already when they selected the admission item. And, I thought this might streamline the registration process since they are only staying one night. But I don't know what I don't know about doing it this way. Thanks for any feedback.
#EventApp-Building/managing
#ManagingRoomBlocks

------------------------------
Jayne Ferro
Support Staff Specialist
NYSUT
------------------------------