Eastercon 2011
Anyone thinking of going to Illustrious (Eastercon next year) should be looking at the 
eastercon2011 community. Note: this is NOT the same community as indicated on their webpage!
In particular, the latest post on there (http://community.livejournal.com/eastercon2011/1417.html) about the hotel room rates has a lot of discussion about the rates, including:
* The rates they have been quoting (and still are quoting on the website) EXCLUDE VAT which will be at 20% by then.
* This was not mentioned at the bid, and still is not mentioned on the website.
* If you try to book a longer stay (arriving on Thursday and leaving on Tuesday, for instance) it seems that you don't get the con rate.
* It seems to be possible to get cheaper rates from the hotel's ordinary site.
* Even cheaper rates are available if not refundable and paid in advance.
* Parking may cost 12 pounds a day -- or possibly 7 pounds a day, depending which hotel wbsite you look at. The convention web page sdoesn't seem to mention parking at all.
The concom don't seem to have replied about most of these (the only one they have clarified is that prices are without VAT), not even to say that they are talking to the hotel about it. The last comment from anyone I know as a committee member was three days ago.
I have a suspicion that it is illegal to specify the prices without VAT to non-business customers. Indeed, the hotel themselves seem to include VAT in all their prices.
I certainly won't be booking until they have sorted this out...
(Posted public because it's information which pertains to anyone thinking of going.)
eastercon2011 community. Note: this is NOT the same community as indicated on their webpage!In particular, the latest post on there (http://community.livejournal.com/eastercon2011/1417.html) about the hotel room rates has a lot of discussion about the rates, including:
* The rates they have been quoting (and still are quoting on the website) EXCLUDE VAT which will be at 20% by then.
* This was not mentioned at the bid, and still is not mentioned on the website.
* If you try to book a longer stay (arriving on Thursday and leaving on Tuesday, for instance) it seems that you don't get the con rate.
* It seems to be possible to get cheaper rates from the hotel's ordinary site.
* Even cheaper rates are available if not refundable and paid in advance.
* Parking may cost 12 pounds a day -- or possibly 7 pounds a day, depending which hotel wbsite you look at. The convention web page sdoesn't seem to mention parking at all.
The concom don't seem to have replied about most of these (the only one they have clarified is that prices are without VAT), not even to say that they are talking to the hotel about it. The last comment from anyone I know as a committee member was three days ago.
I have a suspicion that it is illegal to specify the prices without VAT to non-business customers. Indeed, the hotel themselves seem to include VAT in all their prices.
I certainly won't be booking until they have sorted this out...
(Posted public because it's information which pertains to anyone thinking of going.)