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02/01/2023

ECA Convention Hotel Update Information

Hello ECA Convention Attendees!

We thank you so much for your patience regarding the “double double” room shortage at the Hyatt.  As we explained in an earlier bulletin, the hotel sold all of its rooms with two beds to another group holding its events at the convention center.  Your ECA leadership has worked very hard to fix this as we know that many of our attendees rely on sharing a room to make the convention an affordable experience.  We have a solution, and this email will tell you everything you need to know.

First, if you do not need a room with two beds (and you will see this message repeated because it’s so important) – PLEASE keep your reservation at the Hyatt Regency.  ECA could face financial penalties if we lose room reservations at the Hyatt.

  1. If you reserved a King but NEED a Double-Double and registered on the official “waiting list” we sent previously, you may pursue one of the options below and cancel your King at the Hyatt.
  2. If you NEED a room with two double beds, we have a new room block at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, not far from the Hyatt.  The Lord Baltimore is providing a complimentary shuttle dedicated to ECA attendees.  Rooms are $189+ tax.  To reserve, please click here::  https://bookings.travelclick.com/85390?groupID=3795329#/guestsandrooms

    The Lord Baltimore rate includes complimentary wifi, access to the fitness center, microwave and fridge in all rooms, and use of the shuttle to the Hyatt.  Cut-off date for reservations at Lord Baltimore is February 26.
  3. Regarding rooms at the Hyatt, there are plenty of King rooms available.  Please do not use one of the overflow rooms listed above if you don’t need two beds, as we have a limited number of those and still have a rooming commitment to the Hyatt. Cut-off date for reservations at the Hyatt is March 8.

You can stop reading here!  But we have received a lot of questions regarding our hotel contract and how this happened.  If you have those questions, keep reading.

  1. “Run of house” is standard language in group rooming contracts.  It means the hotel will give attendees whatever size room is available when they check in, which is typically the full range.  It is uncommon for hotels to sell ALL of a particular room type to a single group and therefore have none available – but it happened. 
  2. We are reviewing all future existing contracts and working with those sites to avoid this problem going forward.

Jennifer Waldeck

Professor, Department Head
Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication (ALEC)
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
University of Georgia

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