Special Thanks
Shoutout to fbisurveillancevan21, a dedicated Indiana editor who led the hotel search for both 2016 and 2017 Great Lakes Region meetups, and put together notes about what he has learned to look for. His hard work made our job a lot easier!
Representation
Make sure to clearly, repeatedly state we were NOT employees of Waze/Google. Identify as a local volunteer that is initiating contact. Actual Waze employees will get involved when we get initial quotes secured. It's the paid employees who will make the decision and handle all payment.
Venue Criteria
Dates
19-20 August 2017 (Saturday + Sunday)
Overall
- MUST be certified four-star hotel
- Ask what year the hotel was built, and what year it was most recently remodeled
- Location: how far from metro station(s)
Hotel Parking
- Find out what time editors need to be out Sunday to not get billed an extra day of parking
- Find out costs for self-park (if available) and valet
- Even if reimbursed, editors need to know up-front cost of valet
- See if staff is willing to let parking be charged to the master account at the hotel
- Editors may need to collect receipt and expense along with gas
Hotel Rooms
- 40 "standard" hotel rooms for SATURDAY, Aug 20
- Note that room charges/incidentals will NOT be charged to the master account; guests are responsible for any guest room charges
- MUST include complimentary wireless internet for all rooms in our block!
- Do rooms have a refrigerator?
- Is there room service/in-room dining available?
- What hours?
- Want a separate block of 25-30 rooms on Friday at the group rate set aside for editors paying out of pocket. This MUST NOT be included in the quote.
- Discuss any 'hidden fees'
- Attrition rate fees on hotel rooms (if we don't book all 40 rooms)
- Housekeeping "gratuities" that are built into cost of room
- Bag drop fees?
- Discuss logistics of Saturday morning
- Can we get early checkin blanket approved for our 40 rooms? If so, what's "early" defined as?
- Can we drop bags at front desk to be held, assuming rooms aren't ready by time meeting starts on Sat
- How will guests be notified when rooms are available (email? Text msg?)
- Sunday checkout
- Can we check out via the TV in the room?
- Standard checkout time?
- Late checkout time (if requested and approved)?
- When is final rooming list due to the hotel?
Conference Venue
- Registration table setup immediately outside our space from 9-10am Saturday, with large tables for editors to pick up name tags
- Capacity: 50 people
- Want room for ~10 plus-ones who want to watch the presentations
- Just need chairs along a wall -- won't need a table or power plugs
- Ask what the dimensions of the room are
- We want round tables, 8-10 people minimum
- Ask diameter of the tables
- Power strips integrated into table or on TOP of table
- One plug per seat
- Want room for ~10 plus-ones who want to watch the presentations
- Hours
- Saturday: 9am-7pm
- Sunday: 9am-2pm
- A/V
- Projector
- Need ability to be able to hook up HDMI or VGA
- Projector screen
- Podium with microphone hooked to room sound system
- Projector
- Wireless internet
- Wireless internet for 50 people (~10-15 Mbps sustained is a target, not hard requirement)
Catering
- Ask if they have a food & beverage minimum
- Ask if F&B minimum entitles the group to free meeting space
- Ask detailed logistics about where lunch will be set up
- Best is having buffet just outside the room, and then people bring plates back to their tables
- Ask how long each meal/break is so that we can factor it into the schedule
- When is final catering head count due?
- Meals they need to provide:
- Saturday
- Buffet breakfast
- Buffet lunch
- Sodas/snacks/tea/coffee all day
- Sunday
- Buffet breakfast
- Sodas/snacks/tea/coffee all day
- Saturday
As a data point, Waze agreed to a $4,500 catering minimum (before service charge and tax) for GLR meetup in Indianapolis. Suspect the catering costs will be (much) higher in DC which is fine.
Possible Leverage/Negotiation Points
- Upgraded rooms at normal room price
- See if you can't get the Hotel Coordinator and/or RC a free room upgrade
- One free room for every N booked
- If we agree to schedule an optional out-of-pocket meal for the group in the hotel, what do we get? Can we get group discount, or leverage that extra spend to get reductions elsewhere?
Amenities
Discuss what amenities are available onsite, as well as nearby
- Closest grocery store
- Closest pharmacy
- Gyms
- Sauna
- Spa/Massage
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Coffee
- Local attractions
- Golf
- Tennis
Event Summary/Agenda
I've been sending the following list to our event contacts and they've said it's been very useful in confirming the proposals are complete.
Friday
- If possible/availability permitting: Up to 25 "standard" hotel rooms at the group rate
- MUST NOT!!! be listed in the proposal! If any mention is made of these rooms in the contract it will confuse Waze staff and slow down the entire effort
- These are just a nice-to-have/convenience for people to be in the hotel the night before the meeting starts on their own dime
- We can absolutely tell people to book their own rooms elsewhere, but it's easy extra income for the hotel if we can arrange it and increases the attractiveness of the overall proposal dramatically
- Nice-to-have (not must-have!): reserved bar space Friday night
- Reserved space inside the bar for ~20 people on Friday night with dedicated wait staff for a group that size
Saturday
- 40 "standard" hotel rooms for Saturday night
- Wireless internet for hotel guests needs to be included in room cost (preferably comped)
- Conf space for 50 people (~8am-7pm)
- Registration: need one, preferably two, large rectangular tables set up immediately outside our space for registration/badging (7am-10am)
- Sq ft: minimum 1,100-1,200; vastly preferable to get ~1,500
- Setup
- Round tables, largest possible (10-12 ideal, 8 minimum)
- We've found that we can't staff round tables at full capacity comfortably, so we'd need to plan for
- 6 people at 8-person tables, qty 7 tables
- 7 people at 10-person tables, qty 6 tables
- 8 people at 12-person tables, qty 5 tables
- If possible, we'd like to get ~10 chairs along a wall for "extras" (usually significant others who want to attend the presentations)
- A table in front of them would be a plus, but again, must not cramp the room or cost extra
- A/V needs: projector, sound system, ability to drive sound system with microphone and computer
- Wireless internet: Please quote the cheapest option possible to get very basic wifi for 50 people
- Power needs: must have power strips run to TOP of tables, with at least one plug per seat
- Catering (40 people)
- Full breakfast (8-9am)
- Full lunch (1-2pm)
- Snacks/coffee/tea/soda all day
- Nice-to-have (not must-have!): reserved bar space Saturday night
- Reserved space inside the bar for ~50 people on Friday night with dedicated wait staff for a group of that size
Sunday
- Same conf space as the previous day (~9am-3pm)
- No change to table setup
- No A/V needed!
- Power and internet needs are unchanged
- Catering (40 people)
- Full breakfast (9:30-10:30am)
- Snacks/coffee/tea/soda all day
- NO lunch provided!
Expected Timeline
- Local Volunteers
- Tour venues, adjust proposals: now through mid-February
- Select three top proposals, submit to Waze: end of February
- Waze Employees
- Final negotiations: March
- Select winning bid, sign contract, pay first down-payment: end of March/early April
BOTG Survey
For each hotel, put eyes-on and make detailed notes about:
- Confirm date of last major renovation/remodel
- Location/ease of access
- Ambiance
- Standard rooms
- Size
- View
- Bathroom size, anything noteworthy (e.g., huge shower with rainfall head in ceiling)
- Conference space
- Size (X by Y feet)
- Lighting options
- See full lit
- See lighting that would be used during projection (check glare)
- Double check radius/number of seats per table
- Ask again about power setup at table
- Want to hear that there will be one power plug per seat on TOP of table!
- Confirm how catering will be handled
- Have them show you EXACTLY where buffet will be set up
- Check flow to make sure there's an easy, natural flow for people
- Out one door of conference space
- Get in buffet line
- Enter conference space by a SEPARATE door!
- Tour key places group is likely to spend time
- Bars
- Restaurants
- Staff responsiveness/attentiveness (THIS IS KEY!)
- Note point of contact separately from other staff encountered
- Do an overall ten-scale rating
- Include "intangibles" -- trust your gut read!
- If you came away impressed but can't put your finger on it, odds are others will have the same impression
Hotel Search
Divided up by metro line the hotels are closest to.
NOTE: Blue and Yellow lines are preferred as they are direct from DCA, no need for a metro transfer, which can be confusing to people who haven't done it before.
Dave
Blue
The Watergate Hotel
1401 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 628-9100
In Foggy Bottom near the Kennedy Center
Intercontinental The Willard
2650 Virginia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
(202) 827-1600
Near the White House / Downtown
Yellow
Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City
1250 S Hayes St, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 415-5000
Near the Pentagon City Mall
Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel
2800 S Potomac Ave, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 413-1300
Near DCA
Courtyard by Marriott Washington Convention Center
900 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
(202) 638-4600
Near the Convention Center / Chinatown
Marriott Marquis Washington, DC
901 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 824-9200
Near the Convention Center / Chinatown
Terry
Silver
Embassy Suites Tysons (Alan)
Crowne Plaza Tysons Corner
NOTE: out of the running. Contact pointed us to AV person and said "deal with them." Indicative of a lack of level of service that we want. Everyone else rounded up those quotes and dealt with the issues.
1960 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22102
703-790-0207
Hotel Contact
Shelby Pendergrass
Area Sales Manager - Courtyard by Marriott, Crowne Plaza Tysons Corner
Direct Line: 703.738.3125
Fax: 703.893.2062
Email: Shelby.Pendergrass@bfsaul.com
Contact History
- 2017-01-18: requested quote. Event tracking number: M00000004311837
- 2017-01-19: received quote.
- Little bit sketched out
- Originally trying to get the Courtyard at Marriott
- Courtyard Marriott conf space is booked, Shelby said that the Crowne Plaza they share a parking lot with was available
- Quoted us hotel rooms and conf space at Crowne Plaza
- The hotel room price at $109, esp in that part of Tysons, is low enough to make me worried we're at a two- or three-star facility now
- 2017-01-20: received quote
- Quite a few crucial details missing
- 2017-01-22: asked for expanded details for proposal
- Hotel: tax/fee breakdown per room, free room concessions (including Friday night bookings), cancellation policy/%
- Catering: need sample menus for breakfast/lunch buffets with prices, need cost breakdown of all-day snack/drink service, and breakout of taxes/fees
- Conference space: they're comping the conference wireless, asked what speed they can guarantee with free. If no guarantee, asked for quotes for dedicated
- Power: no power costs listed for 8-12 power plugs per table
- A/V no projector/screen/mic costs listed
- 2017-01-26: tour of facility scheduled @ 0730
Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner
1700 Tysons Blvd, McLean, VA 22102
703-506-4300
Connected to the Galleria via covered walkway
Hotel Contact
Jennifer Blackwell
Senior Account Executive
Phone: +1 703.744.3929
Fax: +1 703.506.4305
Email: jennifer.blackwell@ritzcarlton.com
Contact History
- 2017-01-18: requested quote online
- 2017-01-19: response back from Jennifer Blackwell, contact point
- She's working with PSAV, the internal AV provider, to get the AV portions of the proposal locked up, and will be sending tomorrow
- 2017-01-20: A/V portion of the proposal still not locked, trying for Monday (2017-01-23)
- 2017-01-23: still no word. Firing a shot
Hilton McLean Tysons Corner
7920 Jones Branch Rd, McLean, VA 22102
703-847-5000
Hotel Contact
David Covert
Assistant Director of Sales
T: +1 703 761 5205
F: +1 703 761 5207
E: david.covert@hilton.com
Contact History
- 2017-01-18: submitted RFP. Link to update RFP
- 2017-01-19: received email from David Covert. Asked to speak on the phone. Sent him email summary of our needs and said email is best.
- 2017-01-20: received (very) detailed quote
- 2017-01-22: added quote to spreadsheet
- 2017-01-23: took tour
- Notes
Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center
Connected to Tysons Corner Center Mall
1961 Chain Bridge Rd, McLean, VA 22102
703-893-9400
Hotel Contact
Alex Purnell
Group Sales Manager
Phone: 703-848-6365
EMail: Alex.Purnell@hyatt.com
Contact History
- 2017-01-18: Requested quote. Quote ID: 571248
- 2017-01-20: quote received
- 2017-01-22: Added quote to comparison sheet
- 2017-02-24: tour at 0800
Silver/Orange
Westin Arlington Gateway
801 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22203
703-717-6200
Hotel Contact
Sammie Lynch
Corporate Sales Manager
Phone: 703-537-4241 (direct)
Email: slynch@westin-arlington.com
Contact History
- 2017-01-22: requested RFP. RFP #2775433
- 2017-01-23: proposal received
Orange
(No four-star on orange-only spur to Fairfax)
Blue
JW Marriott Washington, DC
Contact stolen by Terry Muahahahahaha. :)
1331 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004
(202) 393-2000
Near the White House / Downtown
Hotel Contact
Anna Shope
Email: Anna.Shope@marriott.com
Phone: unknown
Contact History
- 2017-01-18: emailed Raquel, the GLR person at JW Marriott in Indianapolis, asked her to try to create an exact clone of our meetup with the group in DC.
- 2017-01-19: Raquel in Indy pointed us towards our contact in DC (Anna Shope), details above
- 2017-01-23: no response from Anna, even though she was supposed to be in the office today
- Got a very quick response with a strong apology, she's starting the quote this evening, expecting it by tomorrow morning
- 2017-01-24
- Found that there's a booking conflict at this hotel
- Anna confirmed that the Mayflower Marriott has availability
Mayflower (Marriott)
1127 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
(202) 347-3000
Hotel Contact
Anna Shope
Email: Anna.Shope@marriott.com
Phone: unknown
Contact History
- 2017-01-26: Anna is transitioning our proposal over from JW Marriott, as JW is booked up
- Has said to expect finalized proposal no later than Friday evening