I don't know if this will help at all...but our local Three Dog Bakeries are locally owned and operated, and it's a "license" as opposed to a franchise. Our locations in town sponsor all kinds of events, in their store and throughout the community, they partner with other local businesses to put on things like "Dine With your Dog" night at a fondue restaurant, and they have booths at pet fairs, farmers' markets, and other community events. You might try calling and asking for the owner's contact info-maybe the person that you talked to first was a newer employee and didn't know? I know the owner of our locations, so if you would like, I can call her and get her to chat with the owner of the KC location to try and get them lined up for our meetup!

That was why I had asked in an earlier post about booking my flight and hotel room through another site. I also checked the hotel site and saw that price. :confused:

Yes, I do too...I hope some of them can come and will set up...but it is always good to have other options too!

How about if we see if we get enough YT vendors to fill the tables (25 tables max), but if not, I think it would be great to have Three Dog Bakery there. I know personally, even if they're there, it wouldn't stop me from shopping at the YT vendors' tables as well :thumbup: , but if our fellow YT vendors can fill up those tables, then YAY! We'll keep an eye on the vendor sign-ups, and I'll let you know if we'll have plenty of extra space for Three Dog Bakery to join us. It would probably help to have the owner of your locations chat with the KC owner, as they did not make it sound like it was up to them at all, but that it was something that had to be booked through corporate. Like you said...maybe they were confused :confused: . Thanks for offering! We'll let you know!

I asked the hotel about the price difference you guys are finding other places (frankly, I am ticked off because he told me we were getting a discounted rate, and I'm not happy to hear that isn't the case), and he told me "Web rates change in most cases daily and will be going to the range of $169.00 and up. Your group rate will not change. Your rate is guaranteed." I'm so sorry. He won't lower the price for us anymore because he insists we are already receiving a $30+ discount each night. All I can say is for those of you who are finding cheaper rates, if you'd like to go ahead and book your hotel on your own, just make sure you have it noted in your reservation that you are traveling with a dog, so they don't turn you away at check-in for already having too many dogs in the hotel at the time. I can't guarantee how that will work out for you if you don't book through the group, but I certainly understand money is a concern (I am flying in myself, staying at the hotel, etc., so I feel your pain), and I will leave that up to you if you'd like to try booking it on your own. Or, as he said, the $139 rate is guaranteed and you will DEFINITELY be allowed to bring your dogs if you prefer to book through the group. I'm sorry I don't have more answers for you in this case. Maybe he wasn't expecting us to get started booking rooms this early when they are still showing up "cheaper" online than they do for our group rate.

It is kind of risky to book online if they can't guarantee the dogs' can stay with the online rates...they told me we had to be on a certain floor of the hotel when I called and made the reservation. If you go this route, you may want to call the hotel a day or two after you make your reservation and make sure they have you down for having pets in the room.

Also, when I called the hotel for a reservation, the gal thought it was funny that I was calling for a June reservation already, and kind of giggled when I told her it was the "International Yorkietalk Meetup"...but I know it's weird-I never thought I'd belong to a forum like this, and be so involved and interested in what everyone has going on with them and their yorkies, let alone attend a meetup with everyone, so I understand why she was a bit surprised :D Just wanted to share my experience so everyone else was prepared if they raise an eyebrow atcha over the phone.

That is very interesting. I wonder then, if someone books through a website, and gets the cheaper rate, if it affects the inventory of rooms your contact is holding. I would think it would leave more of those rooms open.

I am going along with what ever it was they told Lisa-Sukoshi's Mom because she is the one who took the time and has work her butt off getting this done for us. She has been nice enough to do all of this for us. We all need to be thanking her big time for her hard work!!!! She has taking time out of her busy life to do this for us. We should be grateful that we have someone that kind to do this for us. I will pay a $50.00 pet deposit and do not expect $25.00 to be refunded to me. This was the understanding they made with Lisa and we should stand by her:big_hug: Not be giving her a hard time.
Thank you Lisa for your hard work on this YT Meet-up!!!!!!!:thumbs up
:good job:

i am excited.....
I hope that when I am able to do my registration (end of December) I am able to get the dinner one... gotta wait to close on another house dangit!!!
I gotta figure out if I wanna ask my sis to go with me... probably... she will love it...

I would be afraid to book outside of the group just because I'd be terrified that they'd turn our pets away when we get there. I believe this hotel normally only allows so many pets at a time and I'm certain they normally wouldn't allow more than 2 dogs per hotel room in a normal situation (definitely not 7). And really a $20 difference isn't really that much...especially if you are splitting it between 2-3 people. I'd rather just play it safe and book with the group since it's all worked out and we can have all our pets. I'm not expecting to get anything refunded to me either but I did see on the confirmation that we should get $25 back. If so, great, if not..oh well.

I am Sorry if you feel I am Giving Lisa a Hard Time... That is Not What I am Doing at all ... I Just don't want people to get taken advantage of!!
the 139.00 for the room is a Great deal as I said before .
She has done so much and I Do Thank her for everything.

I have 1 Problem and that is the Pet deposit w/o refund / I know they are within there rights to charge it... But I FEEL it is Wrong. and I will state that.
So Lisa If I upset you I am VERY sorry Hun I never ment to.
You are doing a Fabulous job:thumbup:

I agree with you Lori, I don;t think it;s right for the hotel to raise the rates for pets. Now I have to decide which one I have to leave at home, how sad is that!

It would leave more of our rooms open for the time being, but the hotel will be monitoring our inventory of rooms internally, and adding/subtracting rooms as necessary, depending on how many reservations we're getting. Therefore, at first it would leave more of our rooms "available", but after they see we are not receiving as many reservations as anticipated, they will eventually lower that inventory and release it back to the public for the full rate (which should be $169+ by that time). As long as our people have rooms though (and can bring their babies), that's all that matters.

Thank you Gayla! I agree you shouldn't count on getting the $25 back since I specifically asked about that before signing our contract with the hotel, and he told me our fee would be non-refundable, but HEY...we can always hope that they forget that part ;) . A little surprise money back at check-out would be great! But don't hold your breath.

I am not upset with you guys. I agree the pet fee is frustrating. I was just as upset as you when he wouldn't work with me on that. However, I do see his point of needing to do additional sanitation and such since there will be SO MANY dogs there and since they will be allowing dogs in rooms they maybe wouldn't normally allow dogs in (the pet fee also covers cleaning of the ballroom if any of our babies should have an accident in there, or anywhere else in the hotel for that matter), so I see where he's coming from that he doesn't know our dogs and for all he knows they'll be peeing/marking everywhere and they'll have a HUGE clean-up bill on their hands afterwards - he needs to make sure they're covered for that. However, I ALSO see our side of how wonderful our babies are, that they won't possibly have an accident, and that the pet fee is simply ridiculous! Unfortunately, we don't know which way the meet-up will go, so the hotel is going with the CYA motto. Not everyone is a dog lover, and these businessmen checking in for their convention the following Sunday/Monday may not want dog hair on their bedspread or the smell of urine in the hallways (who would really??). That's how the hotel is looking at it. I really don't think it's a way to rip us off, but rather, a way to ensure their hotel is clean and welcoming for the next group of people to check-in. They've never had this many dogs in their hotel at once before, so they're really not sure what to expect (and neither am I...although I know it will be SO MUCH FUN :D :D :D)!!!!

I definitely see where the hotel is coming from. I mean there are going to be a TON of dogs in that hotels at once and several staying in a room together. And we all know how stubborn yorkies can be with the pottying...I'm sure there will be a few accidents.

I've been thinking about rigging up some kind of homemade bellyband dealio. I know Beau won't pee on purpose or mark...but it will just make me feel better and I won't have to stare at him the whole time wondering where he is gonna pee.

I just want to make a general comment . . . when I attended the MI Yorkie meet-up last year, Annika and I had a blast. We went with a hotel that accomodated most of the group and there was party at one of the huge suites all night long. Staying in the same hotel as everyone else is highly recommended because then you have the convenience of not worrying about what time the party will end . . . . especially if there will be drinking :rolleyes: . . .Imagine if it was already 2:00am and you are just too darn tired after all the partying but have to drive back to your hotel as supposed to just walking up to your room . . :thumbup: sometimes the convenience is worth paying extra . . .

we are gonna party right ???????? :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: I know that my little Angel is looking forward to bunking with 3 adorable furgirls . . .can't wait! :aimeeyork

Again...I just felt compelled to say THANK YOU LISA!!!:wub: :hug:

This was such a big task, getting a hotel that would take all of us and our Yorkies....setting up the dinner and getting all the details worked out! You did this all on your own with soooooooooo much going on in your own life!!!

I just can't believe how fast you got everything together and how well you did with being in the process of moving, getting a new house ready, etc. WoW!!!! YOU ROCK!!! :thumbs_up :thumbs_up :thumbs_up

Okay.....I'm done......just had to say that again!!!!
....and I am sure I will more before this is over with! :cool:

Des......you party girl you!!!! :biggrin:
What are you planning on doing during your stay there????? ;) :p

well it sure looks like it doesn't it . . but truthfully, I am not :p Jodie and I left the party at about 9:00pm after as we were both tired from being a vendor all day long . . and I don't drink either but it sure is sooo much fun to mingle around and meet everyone . . .those MI mommies ROCK :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: I am thinking of going again but have to check finances :eek: :p

Will you be going so I can get to meet you in person????????

Did I hear the word PARTY!!! :2party: You got my attention............I am always up for a little parting.:thumbup:

LOL...yeah, there is a bar in the hotel and the cheesecake factory is nearby and they have the best flavored martinis EVER...PARTY PARTY! :p

Did I hear someone say flavored martinis? I'm in!

and I was so worried that MO was gonna be a dry state! LOL

Well, when the restaurants and the hotel bar closes, you can come party with me and Twalla, Txgurl, and Rusty's momma in our room! LOL :p

Jello Shots Anyone??? :p


And oh yes, we need to some dancin to this ...



Make it roll to the left (left)
Roll to the right (right)
Pop lock and drop it get low a'ight
Make it roll to the left (left)
Roll to the right (right)
Pop lock and drop it get low a'ight
It ain't tricking if you got it
We got it but I ain't giving
Just bounce it and roll wit it and maybe you roll wit us
It ain't tricking if you got it
We got it and I ain't giving
Just bounce it and roll wit it and maybe you roll wit us

Pop lock and drop it
Now pop lock and drop it for me
Pop lock and drop it
Say pop lock and drop it
What's your name girl
Neva mind never mind
Do you thang girl fire you ain't never lied
What's your name girl
Never mind never mind
Do you thang girl fire you ain't never lied (Oh)

Wow, sounds like you all are going to have a party, don't forget to invite me!:D

What would be the price if we bring our motor home instead of staying in the motel?

YUMMY!

I'll take a strawberry martini! :cheers:

eww..no...gotten VERY sick from those before so no more jello shots for me

Their strawberry one is yummy! And their lemon drop martini is amazing too!