English Chess Forum

Jonathan Rogers wrote:The only venue where I have never had a problem with rooms not being ready or with very long queues is Sunningdale.

I'd guess that's because fewer people stay (some from the North not coming, more from the south able to day trip). But I an guessing; does anybody know?

Mick Norris wrote:Northern League venues are generally without problems

I am sure that's because fewer people stay!


I don't mind queuing so much, since I generally turn up early anyway. But I've had a couple of occasions where I've turned up early at the Barcelo and no room has been available until two, which was vexing.

I stayed Friday this weekend, because I needed to work Saturday morning, which worked quite well. So I guess I'm the target group for Mike's Friday blitz tournament.

EDIT: I seem to have said this twice due to a fingerfehler

Paul Cooksey wrote:I don't mind queuing so much, since I generally turn up early anyway. But I've a couple of occasions where I've turned up early at the Barcelo and no room has been available until two, which was vexing.

In fairness to the hotel, they only ever promise to make the rooms available for 2pm.

I'm sure some players are just as poor at making the 11am check-in deadline, as they could be accused of being with the 2pm deadline. I wonder if there's a hint as to what the problem is, there...

Warren Kingston wrote:Have this problem when we play golf at all these places, we want to play but can not get to our room till 2pm. We have to change and leave our suitcaseand a llike in the car. Staverton are like that when we have been there, but they are all the same.

Which is hardly surprising. The previous nights guests need to check out, and then the rooms need to be changed and prepared ready for the next guest. It's easier if the hotel is not full the previous evening but given that the 4NCL has a large number of players checking in for one night, it's obvious that there are going to be alot of rooms to prepare in a potentially very short time frame.

I don't think the hotels are doing anything wrong, or I'd complain to them. But the timing is unfortunate. I suspect it is more about the working hours of their housekeeping staff than people checking out.

I doubt the 4NCL have enough influence to get the hotel to agree to have rooms ready at 13:00. I'd prefer the 4NCL to start at 14:30 if rooms are not ready until 14:00. But I suppose some people would not want to delay the finish of play.

Paul Cooksey wrote:I don't think the hotels are doing anything wrong, or I'd complain to them. But the timing is unfortunate. I suspect it is more about the working hours of their housekeeping staff than people checking out.

It's definitely previous check outs. Given my dealings with hotels, I know! The time between check out and check in is the window of opportunity to prepare the rooms - which in the case of Staverton is 3 hours to turn round 200+ rooms. You can't lengthen that window because that would mean forcing people to check out earlier, and it's difficult to employ more staff because an even like the hotel which takes nearly all the rooms in a hotel, but just for one night, is pretty unusual. More normally, you'd only turn around 40-50% of the rooms on any given day.

Do they actually have to turn around the 4NCL rooms between 11 and 2 on Saturday? I guess most are unoccupied on Friday.

Paul Cooksey wrote:I doubt the 4NCL have enough influence to get the hotel to agree to have rooms ready at 13:00. I'd prefer the 4NCL to start at 14:30 if rooms are not ready until 14:00. But I suppose some people would not want to delay the finish of play.

I'm of the personal opinion that rounds should be the 5-hour time control with increments; i.e. 40/90 + 30 + 30'/move. I believe increments are desirable, and 7-hours with increments can make the games last too long if you're starting at 2pm. I guess a playing session of 15:00-20:00 with the 5-hour playing session would work, and you'd have no fewer people staying at the hotel on the Saturday night.

Alex Holowczak wrote:. I guess a playing session of 15:00-20:00 with the 5-hour playing session would work

The issue of increment move rates, admittedly the seven hour version, was discussed a season or two ago and rejected by captains and players. The problem wasn't so much with Saturday evenings as with Sunday afternoons. Almost everyone is leaving Sunday and those reliant on public transport have to know what last bus or train they can catch. The 40/90 + 30 with 30 second increments is only a five hour session on games of sixty moves or less or players moving quickly. There are players in the 4NCL who would delight in playing endings for ever using the increment, so games could last to the six hour point or beyond.

Sean Hewitt wrote:

Paul Cooksey wrote:I don't think the hotels are doing anything wrong, or I'd complain to them. But the timing is unfortunate. I suspect it is more about the working hours of their housekeeping staff than people checking out.

It's definitely previous check outs...it's difficult to employ more staff because an even like the hotel which takes nearly all the rooms in a hotel, but just for one night, is pretty unusual. More normally, you'd only turn around 40-50% of the rooms on any given day.

Now this is the bit which I have never understood. Exactly why is it so difficult to find two more housekeepers for one morning, especially when they can identify that morning coming months in advance "oh, the chess players are coming in November, unusually the place will be full rather than half-empty, let's get extra staff in?". I have corresponded with Barcelo at Hinckley in the past about check-in times and I am still in the dark over this. Can the problem really be the £40-50 in question to pay the extra staff?

Jonathan Rogers wrote: I have corresponded with Barcelo at Hinckley in the past about check-in times and I am still in the dark over this. Can the problem really be the £40-50 in question to pay the extra staff?

Slow check-in is more about having more staff on reception. Peak time will be between midday and 2pm, which is perhaps unusual.

I've never suffered from unavailability of rooms at either De Vere or Barcelo, so I don't know how they handle it. Do they just tell you to go away and queue again at 2pm?

Lack of staff at check-in is also an issue, but it is an additional issue. So you queue for half an hour at Hinckley Barcelo and find there is no room available at the end of it. They apologise and suggest that you ask again at 1pm, but it is generally understood that it won't be ready then either.

I was unable to check into my room in advance of my Saturday game at either of my two games at Barcelo last season. Since I beat Speelman and Greet in those games - my best individual results for some time - perhaps it was a lucky charm for me. But maybe they hadn't been able to check-in either and have different views!