Wyndham still has rooms!

Get there early (well before check in), before the bandit meets are over. 

Pete

The bandit meets are over by 2pm Wednesday.

I'm not that concerned so much with the bandit meets... I have a list of things I want to see and do my first time.. Peters pre -York breakfast on Thursday morning seems like a good place to start. I also want to make Marty's Legacy users meeting ... and of course the forum meeting on Friday afternoon!  Do OGR people still do Thursdays at Fridays?? Toss in the TCA Toy Train Museum ( do the mfg still do presentations there??) and Lou Palumbos Underground Train store and I might even have time to go to the train meet... ��...

TGI Fridays is gone. We now meet at Quaker Steak. 

RD posted:

Toss in the TCA Toy Train Museum ( do the mfg still do presentations there??) and Lou Palumbos Underground Train store and I might even have time to go to the train meet... ��...

RD:

Yes, the manufacturers still do the presentations at the TCA Toy Train Museum on Wednesday afternoon.  Lou Palumbo's Underground Railroad Train Store is definitely worth seeing but it's no where near York - it's in New Castle near Pittsburgh (200+ miles away from York).  Lou goes to York and has a table in the Orange Hall so you can talk to him about visiting his store. 

Bill 

No rooms left at the Wyndham when I looked this morning. I just grabbed a night at the Motel 6 for Friday. Never been to York, so looking forward to getting my first taste of it, even if it is somewhat abbreviated. I need to look at trains, besides my own, to help kick off my holiday spirit. Been a rough year, so I'm due for some fun.

Fun you’ll have. 

Rod Miller

Not on your list, but while you are at the Toy Train Museum, if you get bored (unlikely though on first visit!), there is the Pennsylvania Railroad Museum a block down the road, and also the Choo Choo Barn display and the Strasburg Railroad.  Conveniently, there is a shuttle (this year it is via rail!) that runs from place to place.  The TCA Museum stop is actually closer o the Red Caboose motel (right in front of the Museum, a short walk), which is closer to the tracks.

-Dave

I'm pretty sure there is some obscure law against stopping in Strasburg and not  visiting the ChooChoo Barn. 

RD posted:

...I was able to book a room at the Wyndham .. coming in Wesdnesday staying through Saturday... called direct and spoke to the front desk ... was told there are still 2 or 3 rooms left...

The days of all the hotels in York being filled up for this show are long gone. Attendance is down about 30% from what it was 10 years ago.

For any of you making a last minute decision to visit York, you'll be able to find rooms.

OGR Webmaster posted:

RD posted:

...I was able to book a room at the Wyndham .. coming in Wesdnesday staying through Saturday... called direct and spoke to the front desk ... was told there are still 2 or 3 rooms left...

The days of all the hotels in York being filled up for this show are long gone. Attendance is down about 30% from what it was 10 years ago.

For any of you making a last minute decision to visit York, you'll be able to find rooms.

This really was a last minute decision that took twenty years .. that's about how long I've been back in trains and the about the first time I ever heard of York. This year the stars just aligned in the last two weeks and York here I come! 

Grabbing a room at the Wyndham is the result of my old hotel experience.. 8 years with Hyatt... that no hotel is ever sold out. You have to talk directly to the hotel front desk and not the reservation line..

i have to say that I am really excited about making this trip.. funny thing though is at this point it's more about meeting the people I've been "talking" to all these years than about finding some holy grail of toy trains...strange as that may sound. Finally meeting guys like Marty, Alex, Ben, Bill, Frank, Alan, Lou, Barry etc...is what I'm really looking forward to..attending the York meet and seeing all the trains will be cool too.  ��

The days of all the hotels in York being filled up for this show are long gone. Attendance is down about 30% from what it was 10 years ago.

Attendance is past its peak. There are also significantly more rooms in the area than there were when I started going.

Does the Wyndham have any 'advantages' over other local hotels that would make it more desirable to stay in?    I'm not familiar with most of the places...

c.sam posted:

Does the Wyndham have any 'advantages' over other local hotels that would make it more desirable to stay in?    I'm not familiar with most of the places...

For me at least...

* 1 mile (give or take) to the Fairgrounds

* Clean

* Nice amenities (i.e. gym and pool, which I'll use)

* Name brand and I know what I'm getting...I don't "need" a Ritz Carlton but I want something reliable. If I'm going to York to spend $X on toy trains I don't need, I want to stay someplace quiet, clean and decent. No roach motels.

Your right BURF, there are a lot more hotels now then there were back in 1976 when I started going to York. RICH doesn't like York so he will down grade it whenever he can.

Allan Miller, are you going to York?

In general getting a room for Wednesday or Friday nights is not difficult.  Thursday nights generally sell out.

Al

c.sam posted:

Does the Wyndham have any 'advantages' over other local hotels that would make it more desirable to stay in?    I'm not familiar with most of the places...

The one time I stayed there, my room had NO window (which really fooled me, because of the drapes on the wall). That was a first for me. But yes, it's nice, close to the fairgrounds, and has a dining room.

Joe Hohmann posted:

c.sam posted:

Does the Wyndham have any 'advantages' over other local hotels that would make it more desirable to stay in?    I'm not familiar with most of the places...

The one time I stayed there, my room had NO window (which really fooled me, because of the drapes on the wall). That was a first for me. But yes, it's nice, close to the fairgrounds, and has a dining room.

Funny you mention that....I also booked the "dark room" for this fall without reading the website description. I've never heard of a dark room in my life. Called the hotel and made a switch. I don't need a good view but a slight connection to the outside world is appreciated. The girl at the front desk said requests to switch are not uncommon but those with sleeping difficulties really appreciate the room.

SJC posted:

c.sam posted:

Does the Wyndham have any 'advantages' over other local hotels that would make it more desirable to stay in?    I'm not familiar with most of the places...

For me at least...

* 1 mile (give or take) to the Fairgrounds

* Clean

* Nice amenities (i.e. gym and pool, which I'll use)

* Name brand and I know what I'm getting...I don't "need" a Ritz Carlton but I want something reliable. If I'm going to York to spend $X on toy trains I don't need, I want to stay someplace quiet, clean and decent. No roach motels.

Sam:  And not mentioned was that the Wyndham houses the largest of the bandit meets which starts on Monday and goes through Wednesday with tables inside and outside!  It's the hotel formerly know as the Sheraton and after that it was the Holiday Inn Holidome.

Bill

The Wyndham  HA!  Even after calling Tuesday before York, confirming my reservation with the front desk, I show up Thursday evening and they all of the sudden had no record of my reservation.  Again this is after I spoke to the front desk on Tuesday and confirmed my reservation.  My advice is check in early and hope for the best. 

Marty, did you have a confirmation number?

MartyE posted:

The Wyndham  HA!  Even after calling Tuesday before York, confirming my reservation with the front desk, I show up Thursday evening and they all of the sudden had no record of my reservation.  Again this is after I spoke to the front desk on Tuesday and confirmed my reservation.  My advice is check in early and hope for the best. 

I just entered my reservation number on the website and checked, they still think I have a reservation.  Those suckers better not lose my room!

Better pre-search out a Walmart parking lot John, just in case you have to spend the night sleeping in the car.

MartyE posted:

The Wyndham  HA!  Even after calling Tuesday before York, confirming my reservation with the front desk, I show up Thursday evening and they all of the sudden had no record of my reservation.  Again this is after I spoke to the front desk on Tuesday and confirmed my reservation.  My advice is check in early and hope for the best. 

The hotel sold your room at a higher rate...............   

Dave Zucal posted:

Better pre-search out a Walmart parking lot John, just in case you have to spend the night sleeping in the car.

I'll pack my best pillow.

Some people have difficulty doing everything.

Which other hotels are that close?  A friend and I may be able to come and I'd like to be closer than the two times I attended some years ago. He won't know until Monday night however...

eddie g posted:

Marty, did you have a confirmation number?

And did Marty have a hard copy of his reservation confirmation?  Maybe it wouldn't have mattered in Marty's case but I always ask for a reservation confirmation by email, I print it out and have it with me when I arrive.

Bill

gunrunnerjohn posted:

MartyE posted:

The Wyndham  HA!  Even after calling Tuesday before York, confirming my reservation with the front desk, I show up Thursday evening and they all of the sudden had no record of my reservation.  Again this is after I spoke to the front desk on Tuesday and confirmed my reservation.  My advice is check in early and hope for the best. 

I just entered my reservation number on the website and checked, they still think I have a reservation.  Those suckers better not lose my room!

Hmmmm.....I just punched in my confirmation and it says no rerservarions to be found. They'll be getting another confirmation call from me tomorrow. At least I'm close enough to drive home (1.5 hours) if I really get stuck

C.Sam, The 2 hotels nearest the meet are the Wyndham & Best Western. I like the Wyndham best by a long shot. They still may have rooms. 

When it was the Holiday Inn, I too had the DARK room. Being a photogapher I was used to darkrooms but I did not want to stay there with the lights on or sleep there. They switched me to a room with windows the next day!  I think without all the photography equipment you call a room like that a closet!

Good luck. Confirmation number didn't help me on Thursday. Worked on Tuesday. 

eddie g posted:

C.Sam, The 2 hotels nearest the meet are the Wyndham & Best Western. I like the Wyndham best by a long shot. They still may have rooms. 

Eddie, the 2 closest are the Best Western and La Quinta.  They are both in the same complex with the Best Western being about 200 feet closer

CW: you'll be able to find a room no problem.  Worse case is you'll be 30-40 min away in Harrisburg/Hershey/Lancaster.

-Greg

MartyE posted:

...  My advice is check in early and hope for the best. 

It's ALWAYS good advice to check in early to secure a room.  In today's world, corporations believe money fixes everything.  So they'll think nothing of finding you an alternative room somewhere else on their dime, if they sell your room to somebody else at a higher rate.  Sounds good in theory, except YOU get stuck in whatever "alternative" hotel they find for you -- which may or may not be as convenient  for you.

So yes... DEFINITELY stop in as early in the day as the hotel will allow to grab your actual room.  It's worth the peace of mind.

SJC posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

MartyE posted:

The Wyndham  HA!  Even after calling Tuesday before York, confirming my reservation with the front desk, I show up Thursday evening and they all of the sudden had no record of my reservation.  Again this is after I spoke to the front desk on Tuesday and confirmed my reservation.  My advice is check in early and hope for the best. 

I just entered my reservation number on the website and checked, they still think I have a reservation.  Those suckers better not lose my room!

Hmmmm.....I just punched in my confirmation and it says no rerservarions to be found. They'll be getting another confirmation call from me tomorrow. At least I'm close enough to drive home (1.5 hours) if I really get stuck

I don't know if you are using the Wyndham rewards website, or going directly to a site for the Wyndham garden in York, but...  I use Wyndham rewards, and was assigned a reservation "number" which includes a couple of letters.  The website treats any non-numeric characters as invalid, so the reservation is not visible.  I contacted both Wyndham Rewards and the Wyndham Garden directly to verify.  If your reservation number contains letters, this could be the problem (one system doesn't talk to the other!).  

Oh, and the website folks assured me that they are working diligently to fix the problem.  (The problem has existed for at least 8 months, probably longer.)

eddie g posted:

Allan Miller, are you going to York?

Oh, yes, my friend...I will be there.

SJC posted:

.I also booked the "dark room"  The girl at the front desk said requests to switch are not uncommon but those with sleeping difficulties really appreciate the room.

Some may have "sleeping difficulties" with a room that only had one way out in case of fire!

Mallard4468 posted:

I don't know if you are using the Wyndham rewards website, or going directly to a site for the Wyndham garden in York, but...  I use Wyndham rewards, and was assigned a reservation "number" which includes a couple of letters.  The website treats any non-numeric characters as invalid, so the reservation is not visible.  I contacted both Wyndham Rewards and the Wyndham Garden directly to verify.  If your reservation number contains letters, this could be the problem (one system doesn't talk to the other!).  

Oh, and the website folks assured me that they are working diligently to fix the problem.  (The problem has existed for at least 8 months, probably longer.)

I went directly to the York website, figured I'd get from the horse's mouth.