I don't know if PG always checks, but we received a call or an email from a PG rep a year or so ago about it. My son was added to the roster last minute. I told him it's none of his biz where we are staying. Next time I'll just say we are sleeping in the car.
The year I was doing hotels (several years ago now), I was told by PG that their policy was this. They required a team to have the number of rooms in their hotels equivalent to the roster/4 + 1 (coach). So, if you had a 20-person team, you had to have at least 5+1=6 rooms in official hotels. They didn't care who was actually in the rooms.
At least, that is what I was told - and I checked 4 times, because I didn't want us kicked out of the tournament for getting it wrong.
That summer, PG's room rates were higher than what you could get yourself. All the other tournaments had lower rates. But, some people had miles or points, some had other types of discounts.
Basically, they are doing this because someone figured out it was an easy way to make more money.
I think it was 2017 we got an email from PG confirming lodging, 5 families had already rented a place at the lake for week. I mean there are like 300 teams there right...LOL. Anyway we just booked a room at one of the motels, "shared" for a night and checked out. I don't believe anyone ever actually set foot in the room. Cost a couple bucks and kept everyone happy.
@Consultant posted:Thank you for your kind words. IT reminded me of '"ultimate" in Hotel room rental. Our 16 year old Santa Rosa Team enter the AAU National Tournament in St Louis, after our victory, I drove our rental van north to Waukegan, Il for the Continental World Series. Our 1st hotel was in a "bad" area and I inspected the Sheraton {no rooms} the favorite team from Cincinnati had reserved their rooms. [Pete Rose Jr and his mother Karolyn were members of this team].
Ask for the GM, she repeated "no rooms" but told me a story about a snowstorm on the OHIO turnpike. They rent their meeting rooms. IMMEDIATELY i call a bed rental company and ordered 14 rollaways. We now had our rooms at the Sheraton for cost of two meeting rooms.
After winning this tournament Karolyn wanted to form the "combination" of the two teams and travel west to California and "barnstorm". Great idea, however "cooler" heads prevailed. "It would have been a classic travel team"!!
Bob
If that team had been created I wonder if anyone would have bet on them.
@Consultant posted:Every year for 17 years of Area Code games and tryouts, I organize hotels in California, USA, and for the Goodwill Series events in Australia, Japan, Korea and China for our players, Coaches and parents. Never a mark up, always a group rate passed to the families and pro scouts.
Bob
Bob I must say you did a great job. A few years ago for area code underclass we stayed at some very nice autograph collection hotel in manhattan beach and the rate was amazing for such a great hotel. I didnt know you did that! great job!!