I honestly thought, when I was a Witness, that there was a special discount at hotels when I went to them at conventions. Not just a simple special that can be given to anyone, but rather an extra special discount that was negotiated with the Watchtower society. Well that is not the case, I used to work in the hotel industry for a short while and we did conventions for everyone from religious organizations to clubs. In all cases, they would contact us and arrange for convention discounts. We had a chart we worked with, that based the offer on how many rooms they were going to take. If they did not like the offer, and the weekend was going to be projected as low in attendance, we would sometimes make a special discounts (special only in that it was the next tier down from our planned strategy). If it was a weekend where we knew we would book out anyway, we would tell them to take it or leave it. If your a hotel near a highway, you hated giving discounts. As most hotels near freeways book out 365 days a year, not business you can see, but business that comes in late in the evening to take a break from driving and leaves early. So a room given at discount, means a room with less profit. So those hotels would often just give the normal rate to the Witnesses and the Witnesses accepted it, as it was a good location. The thing is, we would go in these rooms and see these signs that make you think the rate of the room is "$85" or "$150" per night, and here we paid "$55" and think it is a great deal. Those signs in the rooms are for projected tax reasons, and property value, as well as a tool to work like what Witnesses used them for. So, sorry to burst the Witnesses bubble, who think Jehovah is arranging for good deals with Holy Spirit, but that is just not the case and you did not get anything that was not offered to others.
Hotel Discounts, at conventions. Oh how we fooled ourselves!
by free2beme 26 Replies latest jw friends
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DaCheech
Never fell for that one.
If I was going to use one, I would go against their orders "do notuse other hotels not on list", and book my own.
They are just trying to give a inflated impression of their power
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freedomlover
the last few hotels we had to stay in for DC's, were DISGUSTING! I told hubby we would never stay in a hotel off the list anymore, and that was even before I realized the truth about "the truth!"
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Balsam
freetobeme,
Didn't the hotels that worked with conventions also give a kick back to the organization for how ever many people did take rooms. I know the Star Trek convention we went one time the man who arranged it said because enough people did not rent rooms he did not get his bonus or kick back from the hotel itself for arranging the convention.
Balsam
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Dismembered
Years ago (1998 or so) I was invited to a "District Convention Kick-off Meeting". This is where all the "department heads" & "key men"get together a couple of months prior to the "Big Assembly". There were Watchtower Reps at this meeting. A portion of the meeting was devoted to how Watchtower gets the different hotels and motels to "lower or discount" the prices. Here's the skinny.
Watchtower has what they call a "matrix" of Hotels/Motels across the country that they do business with prior to convention time. What we were told at that "kick-off meeting" was that Brooklyn sends out representatives out to the major cities that the conventions are scheduled to be held in. There they solicit the different hotels/motels throughout the given city and area. Now get this. Watchtower has a pre-determined dollar amount that it, (watchtower) informs the management at these hotels what they will charge if the hotels/motels are to be added to list. Watchtower guarantees a certian block of rooms WILL BE FILLED if the hotel/motel agrees to the pre-determined prices that Watchtower sets based on the size of the hotel/motel chain. That's why Watchtower is insistant that convention delegates only use the ones that they approve of, or, are on the list.
My observations have been in my final years of going, as that they were losing the stronghold they had on some of the major Hotels i.e. Holiday Inn, Marriott, etc. This due the fact that, as the years went by, the idea of watchtower telling hotel/motel chains what they were going to charge just wasn't happening anymore. Sorta like a "screw you" attitude. I say this because as the years have gone by at least here in the New England area the hotel/motel are many times nothing but flea bag. Id've rather stayed in my car or not gone at all.
Dismembered
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potleg
I never ever stayed at a hotel designated by the WT, for a couple of reasons, first I was sick and tired of always being told what to do, where to go, what to think etc., second, I wanted to get away from "The friends" and not be identified with them. I hated the ASSemblies and meetings in general. All that stuff about how wonderful the program was made me want to puke.
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bikerchic
The thing is, we would go in these rooms and see these signs that make you think the rate of the room is "$85" or "$150" per night, and here we paid "$55" and think it is a great deal. Those signs in the rooms are for projected tax reasons, and property value, as well as a tool to work like what Witnesses used them for. So, sorry to burst the Witnesses bubble, who think Jehovah is arranging for good deals with Holy Spirit, but that is just not the case and you did not get anything that was not offered to others.
I met a few hotel clerks that looked like they had the holy spirit.....
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luna2
I'm a big sap and followed all the WTS's little rules for staying at approved hotels for the Assemblies. The one time I stayed overnight in Cicero for the District Ass. we ended up with a real fleabag of an "approved" hotel. I don't remember it being especially inexpensive either.
I can remember an older couple who'd stayed for years at a little motel in Wisconsin for the Janesville Circuit Ass. and, when the Borg came down extra heavy on dubbies following directives from Big Brother, those poor people agonized about what to do. They'd become friends with the owner of their little motel, who would go out of her way to make them feel welcome and at home (making them breakfast and putting out Watchtower and Awake mags and the whole bit), and didn't have the heart to disappoint her by not showing up. Not sure what they decided in the end but it sucks that the WTS can twist people up that way.
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MinisterAmos
I never stayed at a WT approved hotel generally because I'd run the prices on expedia.com and found that the net prices were the same or better than the WT prices.
I figured someone was trying to screw me and was taking kick-backs.
Of course the real reason for the "approved" hotels is to keep an eye on the flock and make sure thay don't sleep in. I've been told that if you don't report for the free continental breakfast ("make sure you do not abuse the privilege of having free breakfast by taking more than you need") you would get a knock on the door.
Fark 'em. When I started doubting I loved to see the Elder's face when I told them I was staying at the beach/golf resort in a 2 bedroom condo rather than 8 people to a $50 per night dump.
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MadTiger
I am glad I don't worry about that anymore.