***This email is sent to all Advisors in the Texas FFA Roster System***

Please do not reply directly to this email. Complete Staff contact information can be found here.

Advisors,

The Texas FFA Convention Housing Website will be LIVE on Wednesday, January 22 at 4 pm.  The information below will be helpful to you as you plan to make your reservations next week.

The instructions for making reservations through the housing website and the list of convention hotels are posted on the Texas FFA website here so that you can determine your preferred hotels and be ready when housing opens on Wednesday, January 22.  Hotels within the block will not accept reservations directly, all reservations for rooms in the convention housing block must be made through the housing website. 

We are pleased to have a great selection of hotels in Fort Worth,  many of which are within walking distance of the convention center, along with a variety of hotels in the surrounding areas of the city.  We do, however, have fewer total rooms in the convention housing block this year, so please do not book more rooms than you know you will use.  Being conservative in your room reservations will help ensure all schools have an opportunity to book hotel rooms for their chapter.

Here are some helpful tips when making your hotel reservations:

1. Review the hotel list before housing opens to know your top three or four hotel choices.

2. Do not book Sunday rooms unless you are certain you will need them – Sunday night can usually be added to your reservation when your plans are firm later in the spring. 

3. A “waiting room” feature will again be utilized on the housing website that will control traffic and allow maximum speed once you are in the housing site. You may see a screen that tells you how much time you have to wait before booking, much like a hold feature on a telephone call.  DO NOT exit or refresh your screen, this will only delay your access to the housing site.

4. Online reservations are faster and the housing website reflects the available inventory more accurately than over-the-phone reservations with Orchid,  book online!  Orchid’s Customer Service Call Center will be available, but staffing is limited.

5. Choose “1 guest” per room when prompted in the housing website (more details in the instructions page linked above and found on the Texas FFA website.)

As a reminder, Reservations made at non-headquarters hotels can be canceled or changed without penalty until May 7.  Rooms canceled after May 7 will be subject to a charge of 1-night room and tax for each room canceled. Reservations made at Omni, Sheraton, and Hilton Downtown are non-refundable after March 14, 2025.  Rooms canceled at these hotels after March 14 will be charged 1-night room and tax for each room canceled.

Through May 26, changes and cancellations can be made online using the link in your reservation acknowledgment, via email (help@orchid.events), or by calling 800-989-4008. After this date, you must contact the hotel directly to make changes or cancellations. 

Schools that book at multiple hotels through our system will be contacted shortly after the block opens and asked to make their final selections and release any additional rooms that you know they will not need. You will still be able to make adjustments to your reservations before the housing block closing date. For questions or concerns regarding convention housing, please contact jennifer@texasffa.org. 

Mark your calendar for this Wednesday, January 22 at 4 pm, and be sure to review the instructions found on the Texas FFA website before you access the housing website.

Have a great week!