Slow Check In

[Joey Stewart]

Did anybody find out what made it so slow to check into the hotel on the saturday? Me and some team mates got there around 12 and were not into the rooms until after 1, with the queue still going slowly. I hope this was just a one off.

[Richard Bates]

I would suggest a combination of small number of staff on reception, no implementation of an express check-in process (which they did have for guests arriving for some event on Sunday evening) and an apparent inability to deal with situations where one individual was paying for several rooms (with guests arriving at different times). Resulting in delays because they were insisting on pre-authorisation of cards for every check-in, but some people may not have had said cards available.

[IM Jack Rudd]

I decided the queue was not my idea of a fun time, and checked in after my game had started. Bogdan Lalic would no doubt find this very suspicious.

[David Grobler]

Well...my check in was as smooth as could be....I did arrive at 11:30 tho...

[Jonathan Rogers]

It is a problem. People like to check in, know that their bags are safe (it cannot be easy if you are the type who brings a laptop), have a shower, have a tea or coffee in thier room FOR FREE, make private phone calls in their room, etc before setting off to play. Admittedly only some of these benefits are relevant at Staverton. There is free tea and coffee around the venue anyway and the mobile phones won't work anywhere in the building in any event!

[Alex Holowczak]

Well...my check in was as smooth as could be....I did arrive at 11:30 tho...

You had the advantage of being at the other venue, though.

[David Grobler]

Well...my check in was as smooth as could be....I did arrive at 11:30 tho...

You had the advantage of being at the other venue, though.

true....but the queue at our Hotel to check in was about 50 deep at approx 1:30....

[Alex Holowczak]

Well...my check in was as smooth as could be....I did arrive at 11:30 tho...

You had the advantage of being at the other venue, though.

true....but the queue at our Hotel to check in was about 50 deep at approx 1:30....

Yes. Upon seeing this queue, I made a similar decision to Jack...

[Paul Cooksey]

I guess I'm the grouch, but I'm not really keen on players checking in during play.

I surprised my opponent in the opening on Saturday and was surprised myself on Sunday. A brief look at theory would have made a difference in both games. I think most people are honest, but not everyone is. If became an accepted practice for players to be alone with their laptop during play, someone dishonest would gain an advantage.

[Alex Holowczak]

I surprised my opponent in the opening on Saturday and was surprised myself on Sunday.

Sunday checkout was easy at the Barcelo Daventry; it consisted of dropping an envelope into a slot in the desk. I made this more difficult than I had to, by forgetting to put the key in the envelope, but someone less gaffe-prone than me could probably have managed that without a problem.

[Roger de Coverly]

true....but the queue at our Hotel to check in was about 50 deep at approx 1:30....

The most effective check-in was at least one weekend at the Hinkley Barcelo where they had four or maybe five desks with names sorted either alphabetically by individual or alphabetically by team. It's probably simpler to do it by team since it concentrates issues around paying for multiple rooms on the same account.

They didn't use that system for this year's May weekend though.

[Jonathan Rogers]

The only venue where I have never had a problem with rooms not being ready or with very long queues is Sunningdale. That is one reason why i'd like to see more events there, though I know that my Northern friends will beg to differ.

[Mick Norris]

Northern League venues are generally without problems

[Gavin Strachan]

i thought this thread was to do with someone playing a move really slowly...

[Paul Cooksey]

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?

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 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.