<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" 
      xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0">
  <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html" />
  <link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://consumerist.com/atom.xml" />
  <id>tag:consumerist.com,2010:/1/tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-</id>
  <updated>2010-01-24T14:33:27Z</updated>
  <title>Comments for Leading Hotels Still Kinda Committed To Selling 5-Star Rooms For $19.28 Per Night</title>
  <subtitle>Shoppers bite back.</subtitle>
  <generator uri="http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/">Movable Type 4.32-en</generator>
  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344</id>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html" />
    <link rel="service.edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://consumerist.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=5062344" title="Leading Hotels Still Kinda Committed To Selling 5-Star Rooms For $19.28 Per Night" />
    <published>2008-10-12T20:30:04Z</published>
    <updated>2008-10-12T21:07:16Z</updated>
    <title>Leading Hotels Still Kinda Committed To Selling 5-Star Rooms For $19.28 Per Night</title>
    <summary>--&gt;The Leading Hotels of the World want you to know they are still committed to offering 6,000 five-star hotel rooms for $19.28. The contest, originally conceived as a way to honor the association&apos;s 1928 formation, is proving ironically successful, fusing a modern giveaway with 1928 technology. That whole email do-over idea? Silly! Forget it even existed. The group has gone and hired themselves some internet sherpas to help run the contest, and here&apos;s what they&apos;ve come up with....</summary>
    <author>
      <name>Carey Alexander</name>
      <uri>http://consumerist.com</uri>
    </author>
    
    <category term=" Be Frugal" />
    
    <category term="Other Customer Service" />
    
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://consumerist.com/">
      <![CDATA[<p><!--<img src="http://consumerist.com/images/31/2008/10/LHWFail.jpg" width="494" height="315" />-->The Leading Hotels of the World want you to know they are still committed to offering 6,000 five-star hotel rooms for $19.28. The contest, originally conceived as a way to honor the association's 1928 formation, is proving ironically successful, fusing a modern giveaway with 1928 technology. That whole <a href="http://consumerist.com/5057514/do+over-announced-by-leading-hotels-of-the-world">email do-over idea</a>? Silly! Forget it even existed. The group has gone and hired themselves some internet sherpas to help run the contest, and here's what they've come up with....</p>
<p>There is now a dedicated website, and your better check it often if you want to beat out the 150,000 strong mob to win a snazzy hotel room. At least that is what Leading Hotels apologizer-in-chief Ted Tang said in what he promises will be the final update:<br />
<blockquote>Dear Internets,</p>
<p>I would like to once again express my gratitude for your continued support, understanding, and patience with The Leading Hotels of the World. Since October 1, we have explored and evaluated many solutions to the technological failures encountered during the online USD 19.28 Sale.</p>
<p>I am delighted to inform you that today we selected Akamai Technologies, Inc., the world premier web content delivery network, with clients such as Yahoo, Travelocity, and Amazon. Together we are working diligently to finalize a new procedure whereby you, as well as the other 150,000 registrants, will have a chance to secure one of the originally allotted 6,000 room nights that are available at the rate of USD 19.28.</p>
<p>In developing a fair and foolproof platform, we have been faced with various considerations. Timing - both on the developmental front as well as for your trip-planning purposes - has proven to be our major and foremost concern. We chose to preserve the hotel availability dates, which in most cases began on November 1, as to not delay the promotion by several months. We also opted to maintain the promotion on a first-come, first-served basis. To make the offer a random selection or lottery would significantly delay the re-launch due to complicated international regulations. Lastly, we wanted to ensure successful communication to registrants in a prompt manner. We are now confident that, with Akamai, we have found a solution that addresses all of these challenges.</p>
<p>Please note that you will not be receiving any further emails, rather, we have decided to post all future updates and details on a dedicated website at www.lhw.com/1928status, which will go live on Monday, October 13. This will allow all registrants, throughout the various parts of the globe, simultaneous and equal access to the USD 19.28 updates around the clock. All updates will indicate the date and time of posting. Please know that we have intentionally communicated this website address only to registrants in order not to dilute your chances of securing a reservation at the promotional rate. We will announce the details of the new USD 19.28 promotion, no later than Friday, October 17, which will occur the following week. The sale details will be posted at least 48 hours before the promotion begins.</p>
<p>With thanks,</p>
<p>Ted Teng<br />
President & CEO<br />
The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd.</p></blockquote>
<p>Sorry, Ted, for posting the link to the super-secret website. We didn't mean to dilute the contest or anything, but since it's out there now, how about an RSS feed?</p>
<p>Keep checking <a href="http://www.lhw.com/1928status">this site</a>, and by Friday at the latest (maybe sooner! surprise!) we'll find out when the mob gathers next.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.lhw.com/1928status">1928 Status Page</a> [Leading Hotels of the World]<br />
PREVIOUSLY: <a href="http://consumerist.com/5057840/leading-hotels-do+over-postponed">Leading Hotels Do-Over Postponed</a><br />
<a href="http://consumerist.com/5057514/do+over-announced-by-leading-hotels-of-the-world">Do-Over Announced By Leading Hotels Of The World</a><br />
<a href="http://consumerist.com/5057359/1928-5+star-hotel-room-promo-ends-in-fiasco">$19.28 5-Star Hotel Room Promo Ends In Fiasco</a><br />
<a href="http://consumerist.com/5049349/book-a-world+class-hotel-room-for-only-1928-per-night">Book A World-Class Hotel Room For Only $19.28 Per Night</a><br />
(Photo: <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com">Getty</a>)</p>
]]>
      
    </content>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8304437</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8304437" />
    <title>Comment from Ben Popken on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>Ben Popken</name>
        <uri>http://twitter.com/bpopken</uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://twitter.com/bpopken">
        <![CDATA[<p>I am so done with these guys. They had their chance and blew it.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-14T02:00:33Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8299885</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8299885" />
    <title>Comment from LeahReindeer on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>LeahReindeer</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>This promotion, for which I registered, has left me with a bad taste in my mouth and a bad feeling about this hotel group. My expectations are so low now that I will just shrug when I can't log into the promotion website on whatever make-up date they eventually come up with. I wonder if they'll have a way of knowing whether someone is officially pre-registered or a mere interloper.

<p>On the plus side, the e-mail I got began with "Dear [My Name]," not "Dear Internets."</p></p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T23:16:48Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8294918</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8294918" />
    <title>Comment from Legal_Eagle_In_Training on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>Legal_Eagle_In_Training</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>I'm on the email list and I've kinda given up on it looong ago, but there's a small place in my tiny grinch heart that is holding out hope for a swank $19.28 room for the hubby and me...</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T19:51:27Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8294458</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8294458" />
    <title>Comment from TaitBabble on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>TaitBabble</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>I personally enjoyed their tagline in the logo on that page: "every quest has a beginning." They neglected to mention that after the beginning comes the total failure, restart, total failure again and restart.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T19:26:42Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8294168</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8294168" />
    <title>Comment from mzs on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>mzs</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>@<a href="#c8293623" rel="nofollow">Ben Popken</a>: Man you beat me to it. I have to hand it to them, they don't understand what they are doing but they just will not stop trying to make it work. I really thought a while back it was just a scam to collect email addresses, but now I do think that their intentions are good.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T19:07:52Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8293623</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8293623" />
    <title>Comment from Ben Popken on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>Ben Popken</name>
        <uri>http://twitter.com/bpopken</uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://twitter.com/bpopken">
        <![CDATA[<p>I like that his letter begins, "Dear internets"</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T18:21:30Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8292290</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8292290" />
    <title>Comment from banmojo on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>banmojo</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>ya almost always get whatcha pay for.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T11:37:26Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8291623</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8291623" />
    <title>Comment from BytheSea on 2008-10-13</title>
    <author>
        <name>BytheSea</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>It's so cute they're still trying to make this work. It's like watching a kitty try to operate a doorknob.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T09:14:58Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8287919</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8287919" />
    <title>Comment from LiC on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>LiC</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>It's like a scavenger hunt on the web.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T03:13:21Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8286691</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8286691" />
    <title>Comment from azntg on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>azntg</name>
        <uri>n/a</uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="n/a">
        <![CDATA[<p>Anybody thinks this one will go down in flames as well?</p>
<p>Akamai dropping LHOW's property because of a DoS-like traffic activity LOL</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T01:18:55Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8286687</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8286687" />
    <title>Comment from GTI2.0 on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>GTI2.0</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>Kinda lame that those who put the effort forth to register and follow the saga will be in the same spot in line with everyone else who's just finding out about it.</p>
<p>Customer service fail.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T01:18:09Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8286097</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8286097" />
    <title>Comment from leprendun on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>leprendun</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>It doesn't matter that you posted the "secret" web address: the old one that hosted the promotion redirects to it anyhow!</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T00:23:58Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8286076</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8286076" />
    <title>Comment from kaylabear on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>kaylabear</name>
        <uri>http://mjrs.newsvine.com</uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://mjrs.newsvine.com">
        <![CDATA[<p>I got that email too about LHW still going ahead with the 1928 promo but that did leave me with the feeling of "OK, that's all?" I don't know. I guess it's good to know they've upgraded their servers or whatever so that their site won't break down again but it was still "kinda" vague.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-13T00:22:27Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8284613</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8284613" />
    <title>Comment from Ananelle on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>Ananelle</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>Maybe this is just me but...<br />
I was looking at the hotel in manhattan as a possibility and it's really not 19.28 at all. With taxes and fees it comes to about 100 bucks per night, if I recall. I mean, yes, it's still a great deal, but I get frustrated with these "OMGSOOOOOCHEAP" sales that actually aren't.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-12T22:05:42Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8284564</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8284564" />
    <title>Comment from zeitguess on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>zeitguess</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>Just be careful not to touch anything in the fridge, or on a tray, or in the bathroom...</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-12T22:01:28Z</published>
  </entry>

  <entry>
    <id>tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344-comment:8284215</id>
    <thr:in-reply-to ref="tag:64.14.177.195,2008://1.5062344" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html"/>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://consumerist.com/2008/10/leading-hotels-still-kinda-committed-to-selling-5-star-rooms-for-1928-per-night.html#c8284215" />
    <title>Comment from brainswarm on 2008-10-12</title>
    <author>
        <name>brainswarm</name>
        <uri></uri>
    </author>
    <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="">
        <![CDATA[<p>Silly promoters.  You can't keep a website secret on the internet.  At least not one selling hotel rooms for $20.</p>]]>
    </content>
    <published>2008-10-12T21:27:23Z</published>
  </entry>


</feed>



