I really hope this is just a one-time, unfortunate thing and it won't happen again, but I wanted to warn others just in case:
Short version: The Fairfield Inn and Suites in Austintown screwed up my room block, and now several out of town guests don't have any where to stay. The sales manager has not been helpful, and I'm waiting to hear from their corporate office.
Whole story:
We reserved blocks at three hotels since we're expecting many out of town guests for our wedding on 8/20. The Fairfield Inn and Suites in Austintown REALLY screwed up our block. I have a signed contract, yet no rooms. Several people, including three members of our wedding party, a few friends, and even my mother (who was planning on reserving two rooms AND two suites for our family members and for me) have had the same exact issue. They ALL called the week before our block expired on 7/20 and were all told the same thing: our systems are down, we'll take your name and number and call you back. NO one ever called back. They called several more times, same thing. One of my bridesmaids told me this week that she just booked at the Holiday Inn because she's "tired of screwing around with the Fairfield and their games." She called the Holiday Inn in Boardman, explained the situation, and they gladly extended the discounted rate and told her to let others know to call them. (We also had a block with them that expired on 7/20.)
I ALSO called the Fairfield Inn to book a room for myself and two bridesmaids who live in Cincinnati who were making the trip for the shower my fiance's mom threw for me on 7/23. I was also told their systems were down and they'd call me back. Never heard back. When I called them back, they said they were full.
I called the sales manager at the Fairfield Inn and she told me their systems were never down and that they're all booked on that weekend now. Then she said she would call me back, and never did. I emailed her and I also emailed Marriott, their parent company. I'm supposed to hear from Marriott early next week. The sales manager just replied back with the names of several other hotels in the area.
I'm not from Youngstown and I don't know the area, so I did a little internet research and found three decent hotels within the same distance from our venue and with a little bit of a price range. My out of town guests know the area even less than I do, and now they're on their own to find whatever they can. I don't have anywhere to stay right now either, so I'm a little concerned about that. I really don't want to sleep in my fiance's bed at his parents house with him on the floor next to me (because we're not married yet!) the night before our wedding.
Hopefully this was just a one-time thing and it's not a regular occurrence, but I still wanted to let others know in case they are looking for places for their guests to stay.