The Society is Upset: R&F Not Following the Recommended Lodging List

by SirNose586 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  SirNose586

  An elder read a letter last night, and I practically giggled through the whole thing. His poorly manufactured gravitas was most amusing, given the ludicrous content of the letter.

  It seems the Society is pissed that the friends aren't choosing the "Recommended Lodging" when going to conventions. I remembered two important details about the letter. One, r&f conventioners were choosing their own hotels. Word has been spreading around the competing chains that more and more witnesses are choosing whatever hotels they want to, and therefore, there is no incentive to give the WTS a lowered group rate. The "Slave" was not happy.

  Secondly, even when complying with the List, the dubs have been playing games with booking: they'll book up a number of rooms for their buddies, and then cancel them at the last moment. More and more hotels refuse to tolerate this sophomoric behavior and have likewise cancelled deals with the WTS.

  I'm very happy to hear these things, as I imagine all of you are. It's hard to control 6 million thinking people, isn't it? And what's more, it's an insult to the friends to make them stay at the far-away hotels, which may not be of the best quality. Nothing from the Borg leadership is ever a harmless "recommendation." The ROOMSTAPO has spoken!
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  crazyblondeb

  The ROOMSTAPO has spoken!

  imagine that!!!!
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  SirNose586

  It really seems that little by little, the masses are rejecting their chains...at least in the US....

  I hope it's not a pollyannish fantasy....

  Thanks for the pity reply, deb.
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  DJK

  When I first heard about recommended lodging by the WTS I thought it was silly. To complain about the r&f not using it is way beyond ridiculous.
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  Gopher

  The WTS must be upset because they are losing kickbacks, erm -- bonuses, from these major hotels for booking there.

  I always thought the recommending lodging list was a big hassle. I'd call good hotels the very first night to try to get in, and somehow they always seemed to be full (before midnight of the Tuesday when they were first posted). And what a hassle when everyone had to crowd around the lodging list, one copy of which was posted on the announcement board. The whole thing was a big hassle.

  But none of that matters to the WTS, because they treat their members like numbers.

  If the WTS ever decided to start treating its rank-and-file with a bit of human respect and decency, maybe they'd get more cooperation.
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  chickpea

  i can remember the "talk" before conventions and the possible "urban legend" that an announcement was made at the lunch break on a saturday at the convention that "all the brothers staying at such and such hotel to please come to room XXX".... where they were confronted by the DO ...." what are you brothers doing making arrangements outside of those provided by the society?" blah blah blah independent thinking yada yada faithful in what is least... eww i just threw up a little in my mouth....

  anyway.... the dike is leaking and it will be somewhat amusing to see what they are going to do to plug the holes

  wankers
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  Bumble Bee

  hhhmmmmm isn't there a difference between a "Recommened list" and a "Required to book at these hotels only" list. Seems to me it's only a "recommended" list of hotels. Maybe they need to change their wording hehehehe.
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  oompa

  SirNose: More and more hotels refuse to tolerate this sophomoric behavior and have likewise cancelled deals with the WTS.

  Wow....why have I not thought of this before....One of my least fave annual MS parts was the convention instructions....ugh (don't take the hotel cereal for lunch!). I have thought and thought about what little old us apostates could do to REALLY be a thorn in the side of WT...ads, billboards, but these things take money. How hard would it be for everybody here to call the hotels on the list and reserve 4 or 5 rooms every few weeks! This would quickly drive WT CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!................CHAOS!................oompa

  in case you didnt notice, i love humor and practical jokes

  You don't even need the list...just call a modest hotel in the convention city and ask what the JW discount rate is and book
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  Quotes

  If you have ever tried to hold a block of rooms, the way the Witchpower Babble and Trick Society does, you will likely already know the following:
  
  - The "special" room rate is likely no better than any discount that hotel affinity card holders get, or AAA members get, or certain card carrying professionals get, therefore there is ZERO financial incentive for most JWs to stay only at approved hotels.
  
  - a non-idiot hotel manager won't commit more than a certain percentage to reserving for a convention, since there is always the possibility of the convention getting cancelled and then the hotel is empty for half a week, so they cover their bets by keeping the block no more than a certain percentage of their total capacity. So the nice hotels, and close hotels, fill up very quickly becuase there are very few rooms put aside and because the tiny block of rooms has already been consumed by bethel insiders and selfish elder rule-breakers.
  
  - hotels makes lots of money on conference room services (you know: the huge conference rooms and the catered meals with the rubber salad and hockey puck Lasagne); but the Witchpower conventions are not actually at any of the approved hotels. So there is no economic reason for a hotel to give a cheap room rate to JWs, since they won't make back the discount in other higher-margin (i.e. $$$) items. If the room rate as not great, and if a JW can get a better rate, at a better hotel, because they are a "AAA" member, they of course they will go with "AAA" approved hotel, not the Witchpower approved hotel.
  
  - most hotels will reward a free room or two to the event organizers, if and only if the reserved block is fully booked. So it is in Witchpower's interest to keep the reserved block small enough to guarantee it is fully booked, to ensure that Bethel elite get to stay GRATIS in the presidential suite.
  
  The last point is the REAL reason Witchpower makes such a big deal about the "approved" hotel nonsense. They have to keep the Bethel Insiders in the nicest rooms, for free. (Aside: It must be nice to take a Vow of Poverty, but then live like very wealthy person). Oh, that, plus a juvenile, Eric Cartman "you will respect my authority" attitude which betrays a lack of inner confidence. Yes Witchpower, I'm talking to you.
  
  ~Q
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  Alligator Wisdom

  How hard would it be for everybody here to call the hotels on the list

  Now I finally got it!

  That MUST be the reason why our secretary always announces every year in regards to the district convention that the lodging list is NOT to be photocopied with the congregation copy machine. Everyone has to gather around that one list and jot down all the pertinent information by hand.

  Right Oompa, just imagine if a photocopied list got out into the hands of non-JWs/ex-JWs.

  Alligator Wisdom (aka Brother NOT Exerting Vigorously)