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Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

creeky wrote:made ya think

...which is never a bad thing, in my world.

Coming late to the thread....

I would not want to move MOTM out of KW for one huge reason: much of the reason I attend MOTM is that there is so much going on out in KW *in addition to* MOTM! Everything is within walking distance or a short cab ride. Most of the acts playing around town are NOT part of MOTM and would almost certainly not be present at a venue that was MOTM only (an all-inclusive, for instance). Hugo Duarte at Hog's Breath, Boat Drunks at M'Ville, Michael McCloud, Stars on the Water, etc, etc, etc..... And might not some of the MOTM musicians think twice about it if the ONLY gig they played was their couple of hours at MOTM instead of MOTM plus some gig out at one of the bars? Hard to say....

Whether or not I register next year is heavily dependent upon the entertainment. No great headliners = no registration... Simple.....

The "new" Casa has some serious bugs to work out.... you CANNOT put on an evening-long or an afternoon-long event and expect people to stand. That's ridiculous.... The bar and food service was *abysmal*; fix it. It's not that difficult....

If MOTM were moved to a different city, I would probably not attend. No emotion here, just simple statement of fact.

SoILPrtHed wrote:Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

pamesoo wrote:This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

I've stayed both at the Casa and elsewhere for MOTM. While the Casa is convenient, IMHO it's not worth the money. If you're mobile it's easy enough to get to the Casa for the things you want to see. Just my $.02 and others' mileage may vary.

I stayed at the Casa. Sure it's over priced, but I had a nice room with a balcony. I really miss the balcony contest. I never participated, but it was more fun than the hat contest. Jimmy and the Parrots did a great concert on Sat. night at the Casa. The room was funky. No shower curtain and the water went all over the bathroom. It took all of the towels to mop it up. It was my big vacation of the year and I didn't go to a concert this year. So over all, I had a great time and look forward to going back in 2009 (or 2008 - if I can get the time off)!

Migration was really fun and even though it was very hot, Hooters did a great job making sure everything was ok. I can't wait for next year's Migration. But it's not Key West and the long walks along the beach and the stumbles on Duval Street.

On the other hand, it's 13 degrees here and got down to zero a couple of days ago with lots of snow, so any place warm to hold MOTM is fine with me. I want to go where they don't know what a snow shovel or engine heater is!

Hope to see you all at Migration! It's really a blast.

Livingston Bob

I also enjoyed Migration, and hope to make it there next year. Heck, I hope to *play* it next year - I've been talking with Nellie, but they're still working stuff out. (Hint: If you're planning to go, tell them you'd like to see me. )

My solution to the Casa being at the wrong end of Duval is to not stay there. I usually stay somewhere near Truman and Duval, about halfway between Old Town and the Casa. It works out great, and I recommend it.

In my opionion and the opinion of many others I have talked to the service at the case was horrible. the only time we were there they had 1 or 2 bartenders at the most trying to serve 100 plus people It was the same way last year. There drink prices are way over priced, I bought a round for four of us when we were registering and it was $33.00 for 2 beers and 2 fruity drinks. The location is what it is depending on what you want to do. It is great if you want to hang out somewhere with a nice pool and not leave very often. If you want to spend more time on duvall, schooner etc.. then I see no point in paying the outrageous prices to stay there. We stayed at the galleon and had a great room for the price and the location was as good as you can get in Key West. I know alot of people that I talked to are not planning on registering next year and just showing up for the week and hanging out on duvall and other bars. I would definitly recommend the galleon for people who want a nice place that has a nice pool/pool bar. You can walk to schooner in about 2 minutes and be on duvall in 2 minutes. I think that the casa needs to do a better job of preparing for the week. Its not like 3500 parrot heads just show up every year out of the blue. They need to provide more bartenders and treat everyone with more courtesy. Just my opinion.

pamesoo wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

Things got worse before they got better. Ended up in ER on Thanksgiving morning. Think things are better, but for the 2 weeks we have been back- it has been adventure. Tell everyone we said "Hey" and thanks for the heads up on Casa. One of our good friends from FL. stay there each year and it wouldn't be bad if most of the bands played there, but they don't and with the Reefers not showing up it takes away any desire to stay there. We stay about halfway in between Casa and Streetfest. Makes for a little walking, but for us- that is what makes KW for us! Take care and hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

One thing about registering or not... a good point made in an MOTM email today.... a reminder that any money left over from registration after the bills are paid goes to CHARITY. That and a return of the CRB would be enough to ensure that I register.

That said, with the changes at the Casa under its new management, I don't see staying there....

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:One thing about registering or not... a good point made in an MOTM email today.... a reminder that any money left over from registration after the bills are paid goes to CHARITY. That and a return of the CRB would be enough to ensure that I register.

That said, with the changes at the Casa under its new management, I don't see staying there....

100% AGREED...after our first time, we most definitely will do MOTM again. Heck, we met people that we didn't even know from our own club there!! How cool is that?

So for us:
Register? yes
Stay at Casa? No

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:One thing about registering or not... a good point made in an MOTM email today.... a reminder that any money left over from registration after the bills are paid goes to CHARITY. That and a return of the CRB would be enough to ensure that I register.

That said, with the changes at the Casa under its new management, I don't see staying there....

BUT, if people are not happy with MOTM being at the Casa every year and don't believe that PHIP is listening to them, one way to get the point across is to not register. I think many of us are thinking that if registration keeps going down each year, then maybe PHIP will get the point and start making some needed changes to MOTM.

Gary

SoILPrtHed wrote:

pamesoo wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

Things got worse before they got better. Ended up in ER on Thanksgiving morning. Think things are better, but for the 2 weeks we have been back- it has been adventure. Tell everyone we said "Hey" and thanks for the heads up on Casa. One of our good friends from FL. stay there each year and it wouldn't be bad if most of the bands played there, but they don't and with the Reefers not showing up it takes away any desire to stay there. We stay about halfway in between Casa and Streetfest. Makes for a little walking, but for us- that is what makes KW for us! Take care and hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Douglas House and The Lighthouse are good for this too.

GmanNC wrote:

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:One thing about registering or not... a good point made in an MOTM email today.... a reminder that any money left over from registration after the bills are paid goes to CHARITY. That and a return of the CRB would be enough to ensure that I register.

That said, with the changes at the Casa under its new management, I don't see staying there....

BUT, if people are not happy with MOTM being at the Casa every year and don't believe that PHIP is listening to them, one way to get the point across is to not register. I think many of us are thinking that if registration keeps going down each year, then maybe PHIP will get the point and start making some needed changes to MOTM.

Gary

Maybe so, but I also wonder how many people who are making complaints (some valid, some just bellyaching) here and on other websites are also taking the time to relay the same information in an unemotional way to PHIP. Not everyone, I'm sure.

RinglingRingling wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:

pamesoo wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

Things got worse before they got better. Ended up in ER on Thanksgiving morning. Think things are better, but for the 2 weeks we have been back- it has been adventure. Tell everyone we said "Hey" and thanks for the heads up on Casa. One of our good friends from FL. stay there each year and it wouldn't be bad if most of the bands played there, but they don't and with the Reefers not showing up it takes away any desire to stay there. We stay about halfway in between Casa and Streetfest. Makes for a little walking, but for us- that is what makes KW for us! Take care and hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Douglas House and The Lighthouse are good for this too.

We stayed at Douglas House and besides the mattress...it was great. But hubby won't stay there next year...his back is still out. For $200/night, we shouldn't be able to feel the springs through the mattress.
We thought about Casa but we'll probably pick another place and ask about the beds beforehand.

Carolinadreamin' wrote:

RinglingRingling wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:

pamesoo wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

Things got worse before they got better. Ended up in ER on Thanksgiving morning. Think things are better, but for the 2 weeks we have been back- it has been adventure. Tell everyone we said "Hey" and thanks for the heads up on Casa. One of our good friends from FL. stay there each year and it wouldn't be bad if most of the bands played there, but they don't and with the Reefers not showing up it takes away any desire to stay there. We stay about halfway in between Casa and Streetfest. Makes for a little walking, but for us- that is what makes KW for us! Take care and hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Douglas House and The Lighthouse are good for this too.

We stayed at Douglas House and besides the mattress...it was great. But hubby won't stay there next year...his back is still out. For $200/night, we shouldn't be able to feel the springs through the mattress.
We thought about Casa but we'll probably pick another place and ask about the beds beforehand.

hmmm.. I must have gotten lucky, I had the room all the way in the back, and the mattress was fine. also paid a bit less than $200 for my room.

RinglingRingling wrote:

Carolinadreamin' wrote:

RinglingRingling wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:

pamesoo wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:Sorry guys, coming in late to this one. I am a lover of KW, so MOTM being there is just icing on the cake. Did hate the CRB not being there and I think that a lot of the locals are a little put off by it, but seeing the other bands is (was) great. What was the big malfunction with the CASA this year, other than the obvious (landscaping)? I have read a few comments, but did people actually staying there have some major problems with the place, management, etc...? Didn't stay and don't plan too, but was wondering what everyone was drinking the Hatorade about the place for.

Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

Things got worse before they got better. Ended up in ER on Thanksgiving morning. Think things are better, but for the 2 weeks we have been back- it has been adventure. Tell everyone we said "Hey" and thanks for the heads up on Casa. One of our good friends from FL. stay there each year and it wouldn't be bad if most of the bands played there, but they don't and with the Reefers not showing up it takes away any desire to stay there. We stay about halfway in between Casa and Streetfest. Makes for a little walking, but for us- that is what makes KW for us! Take care and hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Douglas House and The Lighthouse are good for this too.

We stayed at Douglas House and besides the mattress...it was great. But hubby won't stay there next year...his back is still out. For $200/night, we shouldn't be able to feel the springs through the mattress.
We thought about Casa but we'll probably pick another place and ask about the beds beforehand.

hmmm.. I must have gotten lucky, I had the room all the way in the back, and the mattress was fine. also paid a bit less than $200 for my room.

Our room was 11 (I think)...it was a suite with a little kitchen. It was really great...we had our our little private porch. Our bed at home has a pillow top and firm but soft. This one had the coils poling through the top!

Carolinadreamin' wrote:

RinglingRingling wrote:

Carolinadreamin' wrote:

RinglingRingling wrote:

SoILPrtHed wrote:

pamesoo wrote: Hey,there!! Hope all is better on your home fromt!

We did stay at the Casa. Our main gripes were:

While it is close to Duval, it is the WRONG END of Duval. This may not be abig deal to most,it was a factor for us.

The level of service for the price is horrible. Service at any bar/restaurant was SO SLOW. I get the
"Key West time" thing, but they really take it to the limit.

Everything else is WAY overpriced. The continental breakfast buffet was around $18 and if you wanted hot food (eggs,etc) it was around $22. (But, hey, that did include your breakfast beverage!)

Personally, while the rooms are "redone" and very pleasing to the eye, we thought they were a little weird. No drawers for your clothes and only 6 hangers in the closet? We lived out of our luggage for a week. Also kind of odd that there was no tub and no door on the shower! The sound on the TV would just quit working and you had to turn it off and back on again to get it to come back on.

We were led to believe (maybe our own misunderstanding) that the renovations would be complete when we got there. NOPE! Planting stuff and other noisy work during performers times.

This was our first year for MOTM and we didn't know what to expect. While it was nice to have our own "facilities" at the Casa, we most likely won't do it again. We understand that next years rooms will be even more expensive. We are looking at other options.

That's just MHO. Oh, and tell your wife that "Sherry" said "Hi"!

Things got worse before they got better. Ended up in ER on Thanksgiving morning. Think things are better, but for the 2 weeks we have been back- it has been adventure. Tell everyone we said "Hey" and thanks for the heads up on Casa. One of our good friends from FL. stay there each year and it wouldn't be bad if most of the bands played there, but they don't and with the Reefers not showing up it takes away any desire to stay there. We stay about halfway in between Casa and Streetfest. Makes for a little walking, but for us- that is what makes KW for us! Take care and hope to see you again in a couple of weeks.

Douglas House and The Lighthouse are good for this too.

We stayed at Douglas House and besides the mattress...it was great. But hubby won't stay there next year...his back is still out. For $200/night, we shouldn't be able to feel the springs through the mattress.
We thought about Casa but we'll probably pick another place and ask about the beds beforehand.

hmmm.. I must have gotten lucky, I had the room all the way in the back, and the mattress was fine. also paid a bit less than $200 for my room.

Our room was 11 (I think)...it was a suite with a little kitchen. It was really great...we had our our little private porch. Our bed at home has a pillow top and firm but soft. This one had the coils poling through the top!

hmmm. can't remember what number I was in, just remember it faced onto the next street north of Amelia (Virginia I think). I can recommend the Lighthouse...

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:

GmanNC wrote:

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:One thing about registering or not... a good point made in an MOTM email today.... a reminder that any money left over from registration after the bills are paid goes to CHARITY. That and a return of the CRB would be enough to ensure that I register.

That said, with the changes at the Casa under its new management, I don't see staying there....

BUT, if people are not happy with MOTM being at the Casa every year and don't believe that PHIP is listening to them, one way to get the point across is to not register. I think many of us are thinking that if registration keeps going down each year, then maybe PHIP will get the point and start making some needed changes to MOTM.

Gary

Maybe so, but I also wonder how many people who are making complaints (some valid, some just bellyaching) here and on other websites are also taking the time to relay the same information in an unemotional way to PHIP. Not everyone, I'm sure.

Excellent point. I get the sense, from what I'm reading, that the De Walts are indeed hearing the feedback, but as with any human experience, are more likely to listen if what they're hearing is phrased objectively and/or constructively rather than in a "You s***" manner.

And if 3000 people were willing to attend this year without the CRB in attendance, they'll still sell out next year if the CRB comes back, even *without* the people who feel that not paying reg fees "sends a message." Me, I'd rather register, because I *do* support what they're trying to do, and accept that sometimes we humans don't hit what we're aiming at.

Just a thought,

Loren

TropicalTroubador wrote:

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:

GmanNC wrote:

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:One thing about registering or not... a good point made in an MOTM email today.... a reminder that any money left over from registration after the bills are paid goes to CHARITY. That and a return of the CRB would be enough to ensure that I register.

That said, with the changes at the Casa under its new management, I don't see staying there....

BUT, if people are not happy with MOTM being at the Casa every year and don't believe that PHIP is listening to them, one way to get the point across is to not register. I think many of us are thinking that if registration keeps going down each year, then maybe PHIP will get the point and start making some needed changes to MOTM.

Gary

Maybe so, but I also wonder how many people who are making complaints (some valid, some just bellyaching) here and on other websites are also taking the time to relay the same information in an unemotional way to PHIP. Not everyone, I'm sure.

Excellent point. I get the sense, from what I'm reading, that the De Walts are indeed hearing the feedback, but as with any human experience, are more likely to listen if what they're hearing is phrased objectively and/or constructively rather than in a "You s***" manner.

And if 3000 people were willing to attend this year without the CRB in attendance, they'll still sell out next year if the CRB comes back, even *without* the people who feel that not paying reg fees "sends a message." Me, I'd rather register, because I *do* support what they're trying to do, and accept that sometimes we humans don't hit what we're aiming at.

Just a thought,

Loren

This part I will agree with. The message doesn't really need to be sent to the MOTM organizers so much as the management of the host hotel, and to a bit of an extent, the folks who are perfectly happy to take our money, and then seem to spit when we are out of earshot.