booking tournament hotels

[Unregistered]

that's bs - the group rates usually aren't anything spectacular, but they typically are a little less than regular. To have the group rate be almost double is utter bs. It's a tricky game, but don't let your club boss you around - you're the customer and typically these clubs are run by people that are good at soccer but are awful at running a business.

Who has more selling power ... a local soccer tournament or Expedia? Think before you speak!

[Unregistered]

Who has more selling power ... a local soccer tournament or Expedia? Think before you speak!

of course - so pay the Expedia price. Why would a soccer parent want to subsidize a hotel chain?

[Unregistered]

I’m the original poster. And thanks everyone for the comments. Just to clarify, we are staying in the same hotel as the team, but through Expedia it’s 84 a night and through the tourney it’s 142 a night. Same room. I just want my kid to play, but paying so much more seems absurd.

Here is what to do.

Keep your reservation you made through expedia. Make a 2nd reservation through the tourney. Make sure to put reservation in a different name, ie husband or wife's name. Make sure you make note of the cancellation policy. It is normally 48 hours. Cancel the tourney reservation just before the cancellation closes.

Here is what happens. The tourney and or travel agency starts checking the room block pick up about 10 days out and starts to notify clubs if the rooms went unsold to put pressure on them to meet whatever minimum they agreed to. You will show up as a player who booked a room and will not get any nasty emails from your club. Now because the cancellation policy lets you cancel 48 hours before arrival, the tourney and or travel agent is too busy now or does not have time to check back to see how many cancellations they got and how it affected the group block.

Like I said above, make sure the two reservations are in different names because the hotel might think they are duplicates and cancel one of them without letting you know.

[Unregistered]

Here is what to do.

Keep your reservation you made through expedia. Make a 2nd reservation through the tourney. Make sure to put reservation in a different name, ie husband or wife's name. Make sure you make note of the cancellation policy. It is normally 48 hours. Cancel the tourney reservation just before the cancellation closes.

Here is what happens. The tourney and or travel agency starts checking the room block pick up about 10 days out and starts to notify clubs if the rooms went unsold to put pressure on them to meet whatever minimum they agreed to. You will show up as a player who booked a room and will not get any nasty emails from your club. Now because the cancellation policy lets you cancel 48 hours before arrival, the tourney and or travel agent is too busy now or does not have time to check back to see how many cancellations they got and how it affected the group block.

Like I said above, make sure the two reservations are in different names because the hotel might think they are duplicates and cancel one of them without letting you know.

Ugg. Ok. As if this soccer is not time consuming enough already. But thanks for the tip.

[Unregistered]

I’m the original poster. And thanks everyone for the comments. Just to clarify, we are staying in the same hotel as the team, but through Expedia it’s 84 a night and through the tourney it’s 142 a night. Same room. I just want my kid to play, but paying so much more seems absurd.

If you booked the same hotel through Expedia using your last name (assuming that you have the same last name as your kid), you are much more likely to get caught and there is a possibility that your daughter (or the team) could be disqualified fro the tournament. Probably won't happen, but you never know.

The people that I know who have avoided the "stay to play" situation have always booked alternate hotels (so they can just say they are staying with family).

It sucks and its a racket....

[Unregistered]

Been seeing this crap for many years.

Have never asked or demanded my teams to stay in these arranged locations. They can do what they want. Just as I can.


Have never had a player or team refused opportunity to play as a result.

[Unregistered]

that's bs - the group rates usually aren't anything spectacular, but they typically are a little less than regular. To have the group rate be almost double is utter bs. It's a tricky game, but don't let your club boss you around - you're the customer and typically these clubs are run by people that are good at soccer but are awful at running a business.

I always check out the rates and they certainly aren't anything close to double. Sometimes the group rate is a little less, sometimes Expedia or other site is a little less. It all kind of washes out in the end is the way I see it. My kids prefer to stay where their teammates are and sometimes you can't even get a room at the team hotel outside the booking agent - especially if it's a "good one" with a good location, free breakfast.

[Unregistered]

Meh, I never book through Expedia or sites like those. Last time I did I got a room that I'm pretty sure was a broom closet.

I'm a point whore and travel enough for work and soccer to get a few free trips a year.

[Unregistered]

even if a tournament did ban a club or team, it'd be a stupid decision to do so.

[Unregistered]

even if a tournament did ban a club or team, it'd be a stupid decision to do so.

Jeff Cup rejects about 600 teams per year. Pretty sure they wouldn't be afraid to disqualify a team....

[Unregistered]

Jeff Cup rejects about 600 teams per year. Pretty sure they wouldn't be afraid to disqualify a team....

It is a pain in the neck to have to do that. They really don't want to. Just try to rustle up enough familes to do the minimum random payment and you are good. There are usually enough that just do it for convenience and don't care so much if it costs more. If you haven't noticed, the demographic playing youth soccer has disposable income.

[Unregistered]

Jeff Cup rejects about 600 teams per year. Pretty sure they wouldn't be afraid to disqualify a team....

Jeff cup is a little different than 90% of the other tournaments in the northeast no?

[Unregistered]

It is a pain in the neck to have to do that. They really don't want to. Just try to rustle up enough familes to do the minimum random payment and you are good. There are usually enough that just do it for convenience and don't care so much if it costs more. If you haven't noticed, the demographic playing youth soccer has disposable income.

You are right that to many middle to upper income soccer families paying $30-40 more a night isn't a big deal, especially if there's tradeoffs like convenience or a players wants to be with their teammates. Most would rather just book the room and be done with it.

[Unregistered]

You are right that to many middle to upper income soccer families paying $30-40 more a night isn't a big deal, especially if there's tradeoffs like convenience or a players wants to be with their teammates. Most would rather just book the room and be done with it.

That is the like the daily latte budget for half these players enough will just book it and care less. They are really who these leagues and tournaments are designed for. The rest of us poor slobs can deal with the work arounds.

[Unregistered]

You are right that to many middle to upper income soccer families paying $30-40 more a night isn't a big deal, especially if there's tradeoffs like convenience or a players wants to be with their teammates. Most would rather just book the room and be done with it.

Not to mention the parent swapping perks