Tips to Book Your Hotel for SXSW 2018

There are a few things you need to know about booking your hotel when Housing and Registration go live on August 1, but the most important thing to remember is that the SXSW Housing & Travel team is here to help. Here are some tips and policies to keep in mind to help you prepare to book your hotel for SXSW 2018:

Booking for an Individual

To ensure SXSW Housing & Travel hotel rooms go to SXSW attendees, each registrant is limited to one hotel reservation. Each reservation must be made separately through your SXSW shopping cart or SXsocial account.

Booking for Large Groups

To register and book hotels for multiple people in your organization, SXSW Housing & Travel recommends you purchase all your registrations in one SXSW shopping cart. After purchasing your registrations, book hotel rooms by clicking the link to “request hotel” next to each registration located in your purchase history or using the SXSW Housing link in the SXSW drop down.

Helpful Hint: If your organization needs more than 5 rooms, sometimes it’s helpful in the rush of our launch day to have more than one person in your organization purchasing registrations and booking rooms.

Large groups may request up to 15 rooms at any individual hotel. If you need more than 15 rooms at one hotel, contact SXSW Housing & Travel to help you find the accommodations you need. Our local team of travel proffessionals is available to help you with your large group housing needs throughout the season.

Payment Policies

Be sure you have a valid credit card handy when booking your reservation(s). Nothing is charged at the time of booking. The card is only used to guarantee your reservation. If your hotel requires a deposit, it is collected by the hotel in late February. Your reservation is paid in full, directly to the hotel, upon check-out.

Each hotel’s deposit requirements are located with their amenities information on the Hotel Availability page, in the “hotel overview” section of the booking process, and in your reservation confirmation under “reservation agreement.”

Credit Card Authorization

If you don’t intend to travel with the card you want to use to pay for your reservation, you must fill out a credit card authorization form and submit it to the hotel directly in advance of arrival. The hotel does not receive reservations made with SXSW Housing until the end of February.

When the hotel processes your reservation in late February, they send another confirmation that includes your hotel confirmation number. Once you receive your confirmation number you are able to provide the hotel with the Pre-Authorization form. Forms will be made available on our Reservation Policies page in early February.

Penalty Fees & Deadlines

SXSW Housing & Travel never charges attendees for our services, but there are some cancellation penalties you should keep in mind before making your reservation(s). Keep in mind that if you choose to book outside of SXSW Housing & Travel, many downtown hotels require a non-refundable payment up front. We know plans change and have negotiated more flexible cancellation policies with our hotels.

SXSW 28 Day Cancelation Penalty

If you do cancel or reduce your stay within 28 days of arrival SXSW Housing & Travel charges a $50 penalty for each cancellation.

Hotel Cancelation Policy

Individual hotels also charge a penalty for cancellations within 7-30 days of arrival, depending on your room type and hotel. You must agree to the hotel’s reservation policy before finalizing your reservation. We recommend you add your cancellation deadlines to your calendar when you book to avoid penalties. Be sure to read your reservation agreement carefully to familiarize yourself with the hotel’s policies.

Be sure to pay attention to:

• Minimum Stay
• Hotel Cancellation Penalties
• Deposit Amount (usually equal to 1-2 nights stay)
• Early Departure Fees

We also recommend that you save your reservation confirmation to reference later or to quickly reply to with questions.

Questions?

Contact housing@sxsw.com or Visit our FAQs

Hotel Photo Courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn

Helpful Resources:
Payment Policies
How to Book
Hotel Availability
Register
SXSW shopping cart
SXsocial

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