[GreenKeys] Booking hotel via Teletype

[Ralph Irish]

Jeff & Group

Holiday Inn, back in the 1960s, had some kind of simple dial-up teletype reservation
system.  I was given the job of reserving a group of rooms for my radio club for the
Dayton Hamvention, and there were 7 or 8 couples involved.

There was a Holiday Inn just 6 miles from my home.  I went there and made the group
reservation with no fuss at all.  No deposit was requested.  Not even any ID.  Didn't
even ask for names of those who would occupy the rooms.

Good thing this was done, since that year, there were two unrelated groups who 
decided to hold their 'national event' in Dayton, and few, if any, were wise enough
to reserve in advance.

When my wife and I arrived at the Holiday Inn, Dayton North, the lobby was a mad-
house.  Lots of women, suitcases and bowling balls in view, every place you looked.

Several of our group had arrived ahead of me and were denied their reserved rooms
until I arrived with the handy sheet of paper the local clerk tore off of the
Teletype machine.  Once I presented it to the people behind the desk, all was well.
I gave them the list of names of the rest of the group as a 'checklist'.

-   -   -   -

The Women's Professional Bowling Association decided to hold their national tournament
in Dayton, with no thought of advanced reservations.  After all, what could be going
on in Dayton?

Also, the National Secretary's Association or whatever their proper name, did the same
thing:  A national gathering of their members.

I've seen and used the term, 'angry estrogen' several times with respect to that year
at Dayton.

It was later that year that the Dayton Chamber of Commerce established a committee of
some kind for any organization planning an event to register it with them to avoid
any more conflicts.  Not certain of what it was called, perhaps a Hospitality Committee?
Might have been a Convention Bureau.

Our group had one extra room as a 'social room' so no one would have to be the 'host'
for after hours gatherings.  We were on the fence about giving this up, but decided
not to.

I don't know if that Teletype, (a 32 or 33) was part of the Telex or TWX system or
not.  It could have simply been a 'dial-up machine' for any sort of use.  

Ralph - W8ROI


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