Dear Lynn,
 
I called the Galt House to make my reservation on March 17 and was told that
there were no more rooms in the "Standard Guest Room" Tower.  I thought that
was a bit early for them to have been sold out but I accepted the fact and made
the reservation for the other tower at $89 per night.
 
I would be most annoyed to find that this was a ploy to fill the other tower
first.
 
I'd be interested in hearing what Gene found out.
 
See ya there,
Helen Madow
 
Lynn Scheu wrote:
 
> Sylvia, and all,
>
> A couple of things I can help you with immediately, and I have Gene Everson
> calling right now about the "no rooms" problem.  I am sure it is one of
> those usual convention hotel reservation desk mix-ups, but will get back to
> you about it as soon as I know the answer.
>
> The Galt House East Tower and the Galt House West Tower are two parts of
> the same hotel, the Galt House.  They are indeed connected by a "bridge" of
> sorts, a bridge across the cul-de sac on which the hotel is located, from
> third floor of one to third floor of the other.  The bridge is not a bridge
> but a hallway.  It connects the third floor of the hotel east tower with
> the third floor of the hotel west tower.  The convention rooms are on the
> third floor of the west tower of the hotel.   If, indeed, you wind up
> staying in the east tower, you would come down from your room in the
> elevator to the third floor, get off the elevator, go around the corner to
> the walkway/hallway and walk a short distance to the meeting rooms.  This
> distance is no further than the equivalent distance from lobby hotel to
> convention rooms in most hotels I have experienced over the years at COA
> conventions, and less distance than many.
>
> The area where our convention rooms are located is NOT the Galt House East.
>  It is the Galt House West.  There are a whole second set of convention
> rooms located on first floor in the Galt House East, but they are not the
> ones we are using.  Ours are on third floor of Galt House West.  They are
> the Archibald Room and the Cochran Room and a few miscellaneous rooms for
> certain small events like the Club Rep Meeting, all of which are located
> near the Archibald and Cochran Rooms.
>
> And the walkway/bridge/hallway/whatever is kind of neat.  It is a single
> bridging structure divided into three long narrow parts.  The northern-most
> stretch is on the side of the hotel toward the Ohio River, is glassed in
> and affords a super view of the Ohio River and river boat landing.  The
> central stretch is just a long narrow room that is inaccessible to the
> public, and is used by the hotel for props and decorations storage.  The
> southernmost stretch is open air, a sort of balcony/walkway, and it affords
> a view south across the city of Louisville, and a vantage point from which
> to watch the trolleys and horse carriages and such arrive and depart from
> the lobby two floors below.
>
> Ok, while I jabbered on about bridges and things, Gene fulfilled his
> mission and he just called back.  From the night of Saturday  the 26th of
> June, which is the night before the convention starts, through Thursday
> night, July 1, there are plenty of $79 rooms, and all the other room
> sizes/prices are available in plentiful supply.  There is no problem with
> room supply.   The only place a confusion may have arisen  when your
> daughter called, Sylvia, is that there is a large Baptist convention the
> week before our convention.  It ends on Friday, June 25th when every
> non-shell-collecting Baptist leaves for home.  That earlier week (Sunday
> June 19 - Friday June 25), the hotel is indeed full to the bursting point.
> But on Saturday June 26, there is NO waiting list whatsoever.
>
> I honestly think your travel agent daughter happened upon some dim
> reservations temp person who didn't know enough to say "I don't know."   OR
> your daughter was trying to reserve for dates before the convention eve so
> that you could arrive early as some people are planning to do.   Every bit
> of information you were given was about as wrong as possible.   Too bad,
> and I am sorry for your needless worry. Do have your daughter try again. If
> there are any more problems, email me direct and Gene or I will take care
> of it.
>
> See you in June,
>
> Lynn Scheu
> [log in to unmask]
> Louisville, KY,  Derby City and Home of the 1999 COA Convention, where
> there are plenty of $79 rooms, and where, all up and down the Beautiful
> Ohio, the "Steam-Pie-Anna" on the Belle of Louisville Sternwheeler is
> already playing "My Old Kentucky Home."